The World Cup is certain to dominate sport this summer and brands are getting in gear to make sure sales reach fever pitch. By Phil Mellows
If you think life-sized feet stamped over the front of the tabloids is a step too far, be warned that all the talk of metatarsuls is only a toe in the water compared to the flood of hysteria we are set for as the World Cup kick off approaches.
While a small minority of pubs will pile up the sandbags at the door and declare themselves football-free zones, for most, a solid month of the beautiful game is something they simply can't afford to miss out on.
Even if you're not opening for breakfast, World Cup fever is infectious. There are lunchtime games, highlights, the inevitable saloon bar punditry and discussion - plus whatever you as a licensee can add to the experience in theming, promotions and general encouragement.
While pubs are a natural arena for the sideshows that follow all kinds of sport, in the recent past major football tournaments have tended to favour the off-trade more than the on-trade as fans have preferred to settle into their armchairs with a few cans.
This time around, however, fortunes are likely to be reversed.
Interbrew UK, one of the biggest beer suppliers to both sectors, is predicting that World Cup 2002 will deliver a bigger sales boost for pubs than the take home market - although the overall uplift you can expect won't be anything like the pub industry has experienced on similar occasions.
"It will be more of an on-trade occasion than previous tournaments because morning and lunchtime kick-off times are not as relevant for take home consumption," explained on-trade sales director Allan Tudor. "So it represents a major opportunity for pubs - although, because of those timings, it will be on a smaller scale than in past years.
"Even if England get to the semi-finals, we estimate that the kick-off times will mean that sales growth driven by the World Cup across the on-trade and take home markets will be less than 50 per cent of the growth seen during previous events such as Euro 2000."
Nevertheless, the opportunity is there. As Interbrew points out:
- more than 40 per cent of games will be shown at lunchtime
- more than 30 per cent of games will be screened at the weekend
- more than 80 per cent of games take place either before work or at lunchtimes.
The company is working with licensees to make the most of this by focusing on the visibility and availability of major beer brands "which have a proven impact on business" as opposed to "gimmicky promotions which do not drive sales".
It stresses that the overall beer category winners in previous football tournaments have been the big brands - regardless of whether or not they have been involved in sponsoring the event.
Interbrew UK is also encouraging licensees to drive sales during the tournament through linking beer with food and by taking a tailor-made approach to promotions.
"We are focusing our activity around key games - particularly during the first round of the tournament when consumer interest in the home teams will be at its highest," said Allan. "Only the key games will attract major attention so we are working with licensees on planned events which focus on major games.
"The breakfast and lunchtime kick-offs mean that watching these games will revolve around food so licensees must gear up for that opportunity through activity that emphasises the food and beer link.
"The timings of games suggest that standard lager and bitter will perform the best of all because people will be keen to limit their alcohol intake," he added. "But even then the increase will probably not match that of previous tournaments."
Analysis of draught business in a limited number of pubs during Euro 2000 showed that Stella Artois sales surged by 210 per cent when England beat Germany and by 350 per cent when England lost to Romania. Maybe sorrow-drowning is a thirstier business than celebrating.
Anyway, Interbrew is trying to make beer easier to buy during such periods of peak demand through, for example, the use of mobile bars and vending machines and the development of bulk pack formats to speed up bar service.
Interbrew's comment about sponsors doing no better than other brands may be a little dig at Budweiser which is making the most of its status as the official beer of the World Cup.
"There is only one beer that will be on the field with the world's best football teams in Japan and Korea, and that's Budweiser," said Randall Blackford, UK marketing director at Anheuser-Busch Europe.
"The World Cup is an unparalleled way to connect directly with and give something back to football fans and beer drinkers throughout the UK. It also provides us with some great tools for selling Budweiser in the on-trade."
Budweiser will have two on-field advertising boards at each World Cup game so football fans watching in the pubs will see a familiar brand name on the pitch during every game.
As well as the Budweiser Cup six-a-side competition for pub teams, until the end of June the brand's True Location promotion gives drinkers the chance to win more than 20,000 football-themed prizes - including table football games, handheld TVs and World Cup T-shirts - by peeling off the back labels of 330ml Budweiser bottles.
Randall hopes Bud can build on its success at the 1998 World Cup in France.
"Millions of football fans watched on television and thousands more made the journey across the Channel to attend the matches in person," he said. "All those people saw only one beer brand as an official sponsor - Budweiser.
"Because of that, and our various marketing programmes, our sponsorship has resulted in outstanding brand awareness for Budweiser among adult football fans in the UK.
"Sports sponsorship is an important part of Budweiser's marketing activity because the demographics of sports fans closely match those of Budweiser drinkers," he continued. "Many beer drinkers regularly attend sporting events, watch sports on television and participate in sports socially. In addition, sports fans are known to be very brand loyal and support specific brands if those brands sponsor their favourite teams or sports."
Budweiser is also the official beer of Chelsea football club and in the next Premiership season it will be the official beer of Manchester United. In addition to football, Budweiser is the official beer of the 34th Ryder Cup taking place at the Belfry in September.
Other sport over the summer
Football is not the only sport this summer, of course. Far from it, as you can tell with a glance at the sports calender linked at the bottom of this page.
Among the other action is rugby league's Super League contest and sponsor Tetley's is looking to link it more closely to audiences in pubs through its Official Super League Supporter Pubs scheme.
So far, 165 pubs in the North West have signed up, including Punch, Enterprise, Pubmaster and Pub Estate Company outlets. To join you have to be in a big Super League region or near a stadium.
Official pubs receive a Tetley's Supporter Pack with merchandise, permanent point-of-sale - including a signed, framed photograph of the local team and a banner for outside - and specially branded Tetley's glasses.
During the season, Tetley's will sponsor and advertise three promotions for each pub in which drinkers buying Tetley's will be entered into a prize draw for tickets.
Darts players also have a big summer ahead and, for the second year, customers at Scottish & Newcastle's John Barras chain are being given the chance to win a place in the Paddy Power World Grand Darts Championship, co-sponsored by Holsten Pils.
Six play-off places will be available through John Barras pubs.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for any keen darts players out there," said Joh