SOCCER-MARKETING Nike seeks to tap into growing U.S. soccer market with new #NoMaybes campaign

Record ID: 153066

  • Title: SOCCER-MARKETING Nike seeks to tap into growing U.S. soccer market with new #NoMaybes campaign
  • Date: 10th June 2015
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JUNE 10, 2015) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) PHILLIP CUNHA, CPA, SENIOR WRITER, BUSINESS OF SOCCER, SAYING: "Traditionally, Nike has focused on not sponsoring the event, but making their presence known in and around the event. For example, during match play, you'll see Adidas balls and equipment being used throughout the tournament. However, when you go to commercial, you'll be surrounded by Nike information and campaigns and just ads trying to get in your face, things like that. Last year in the 2014 Men's World Cup, you had a YouTube campaign that went viral, that had over 115 million views around the world. That's their strategy and it's really paid off for them historically. I see them continuing that. It's really sort of an unconventional way that they've disrupted the market and really driven their position in the marketplace." NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (RECENT - MAY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ADIDAS STORE EXTERIOR
  • Embargoed: 25th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9ZUQP1L7E9CVGRP5QXDFHNO4S
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Seeking to capitalize on a growing soccer audience, U.S. sporting goods maker Nike unveiled its new #NoMaybes campaign this week during the Women's World Cup.
    Nike's new commercial "American Woman" debuted ahead of the U.S. Women's Team's first match in the soccer tournament.
    The spot features team stars Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach, Sydney Leroux, Carli Lloyd, Christen Press and Megan Rapinoe and shows the women's grueling physical training and teamwork.
    "When you look at NoMaybes, the whole purpose of the campaign is really to highlight the team spirit and the overall strengths of the group as opposed to the strengths of any one individual. The whole campaign focuses on the women in practice, in training, preparing for the World Cup, working through adversity, inspiring the youth of the nation and really trying to prepare themselves to take home the trophy," said Phillip Cunha, CPA and senior writer for Business of Soccer during an interview with Reuters on Wednesday (June 10).
    Soccer has made solid gains in the United States both on and off the pitch since hosting the World Cup in 1994.
    Major League Soccer continues to add new franchises, maintains a higher average attendance than other sports and has become an increasingly popular destination for marquee names, such as David Beckham, David Villa and Frank Lampard.
    The American appetite for top flight soccer has caught the attention of sponsors and advertisers as television ratings for everything from the Premier League to women's soccer skyrocket.
    Fox Sports owns the U.S. television rights to the 2015 Women's World Cup, as well as, the 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups.
    "To date, in terms of Fox reporting ratings and revenue from advertising space, we're seeing growth. And if you look at the data, everything around the event, the whole World Cup and just soccer in this nation, everything is trending upward. Whether you are talking about youth participation, cultural perception of the game, revenue growing around sporting goods and things associated with the soccer market, everything is trending up. I think as the World Cup wraps up and as earnings come in for Q2, Q3, we'll get a better understanding of where things are trending. But from all indications, it looks like things are headed up," said Cunha.
    Since it first began in 1991, the FIFA Women's World Cup has grown from 45 nations to 129 nations participating in the competition, according to FIFA. And while in 1991, only 12 nations qualified for the finals, this year's edition has expanded to a record 24 teams.
    During the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany, more than 400 million people around the world watched the tournament, according to embattled governing body.
    FIFA also reports that in 2011, the women's soccer watching audience in the U.S. increased by nearly 200 percent.
    In another sign of growth, according to FIFA, the 2015 Women's World Cup final on July 5 sold out within 72 hours, all the U.S. team matches are selling out and more than 1.5 million fans are expected in total. That compares with 845,711 spectators at the 2011 Women's World Cup, which had fewer games.
    Also as far as participation among young people in the U.S., in 1980, just over 810,000 young players were registered with U.S. Youth Soccer. In 2014, that number was more than 3 million.
    These are statistics that Nike, the number one sporting goods maker, can not ignore, even if German rival Adidas is a major FIFA sponsor. Business of Soccer's Cunha said Nike has forged its own path.
    "Traditionally, Nike has focused on not sponsoring the event, but making their presence known in and around the event. For example, during match play, you'll see Adidas balls and equipment being used throughout the tournament. However, when you go to commercial, you'll be surrounded by Nike information and campaigns and just ads trying to get in your face, things like that."
    "Adidas pretty much created the soccer market early on in the 1900s. Nike really just came in in 1994 when the United States hosted the first World Cup on U.S. soil. From there, they've just completely changed the game, completely disrupted it, made their own lane, obtained a significant amount of high-profile players and really developed their own style, a high-flying, entertaining style that really is embodied within the brand. So they've done a great job. I see them continuing to take a significant amount of the market," he added.
    Both Nike and Adidas are looking to the Women's World Cup to help it achieve its 2015 sales goals. Just as young women around the world are looking to the Women's World Cup to catch inspirational role models in sport.
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