In this qualifying match, there was an even bigger ingredient: the debut of coach Carlo Ancelotti in charge of the Brazilian team. This factor, in fact, gave TV Globo the highest audience of the year for sports broadcasts, reaching an average of 29 points, with peaks of 30 in Greater São Paulo, considered the largest market in the country.
Matches of this magnitude are seen as a great moment for companies to present their visual logos to the world, and that is what happened, in fact, since more than 30 companies, many of them national and even regional, advertised using the billboards at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado stadium.
Institutions from all types of segments advertised during the match: Souza Lima, Potencial, Cimed, Lavitan, Cerveja Colônia, Ogochi, Sadia, Havoline, Supermercados Assaí, XBri Pneus, Zaeli, Paybrokers, Rexona, Lions, MegaKywi, Café 3 Corações, Grau Técnico, Cachaça 51, Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul, Pilsener, Marathon, Casa do Construtor and Vaca! Burguer - the latter with the slogan: "From Rio de Janeiro to the world."
The number of 'Bets' present also caught our attention, many of them well-known and regulated in Brazil, such as BETesporte, HiperBet, Betano, Betnacional, Superbet and Betsson, and others that are unique to the Ecuadorian public, such as Ecuabet, which is a partner of the Ecuadorian national team, as well as Listobet, Sportbet, Bet593 and Dado Bet. There were 11 betting sites in total.
The BETesporte platform, which has already been present at other games of the national team in recent years, has been running a very significant campaign since the beginning of the year with one of Brazil's main idols, former player Zico.
In this case, it was not a simple sponsorship contract, since the former number 10 has also appeared as a poster boy on the advertising boards of at least 8 state championships throughout the country, as well as in the Brazilian Championship, the Brazilian Cup and the national team's games in the World Cup Qualifiers, with an image of the star and the phrase: "A bet do Zico" ("Zico's bet").
"Zico has a very strong brand, even after three decades of retirement. Even today, it is possible to explore the name of the idol of the Brazilian National Team and Flamengo in many possible ways, since the reach is enhanced by someone so beloved by the public. For us, it is an honor to have Galinho de Quintino by our side, building a beautiful story in the world of entertainment with responsibility," says Vinicius Nogueira, CEO of BETesporte.
"In addition to increasing the company's visibility, we were able to create an emotional connection with the audience. The goal is for our platform to become a natural choice for fans, based on the credibility and exclusive benefits we are offering to customers," adds Nogueira.
HiperBet, which has closed deals to display its brand especially at national team matches, understands that this type of investment brings positive returns to the platform.
"The Brazilian National Team is a national football heritage and we know how important it is to be able to associate our brand with the team's presence on the field. We seek to elevate all experiences to the maximum, with a lot of responsibility and fun, and there is nothing better than communicating this message at moments of great importance. Even more so at such a grand moment as the first match with the new coach, under the eyes of the entire world. We are working on some new features and we believe that good results will come in the future," highlights Igor Sá, CMO/COO of HiperBet.
The question that remains, however, is how fans at the stadium, or those watching games on TV or the internet, can tell the difference between one venue and another; or, when viewing ads on the five platforms, what can make them choose one over the others?
Sports management experts understand that the huge number of betting house ads in the same space is necessary in times of regulation.
“The phenomenon of sports betting is unprecedented in the sports sponsorship market and new standards have been created. The existence of several advertisers from the same segment in a property usually greatly reduces the effectiveness of the space in question, but it is important to take into account that the market has been regulated, and being present in the main sports properties and establishing a position can be key to future plans when the market tends to stabilize,” analyzes Ivan Martinho, professor of Sports Marketing at ESPM.
For experts, advertising boards during games, especially those that generate good television ratings and photos, memes and prints during and post on social media, are still a cost-effective alternative for these brands.
"Research institutes prove that investing in field boards directly increases brand recognition, known as awareness, which represents dozens of times the return on the amount invested. When we talk about national championships and even the Brazilian men's and now women's teams with great growth in interest and engagement, field boards become a powerful tool for brands that need to have national recognition," adds Renê Salviano, CEO of Heatmap and specialist in sports marketing, who captures contracts between brands involving sports professionals.
Fabio Wolff, specialist in sports marketing and Managing Partner of Wolff Sports, points out that the investment that companies make in the Brazilian game is in advertising, that is, visibility.
"It's interesting as a brand exposure, because the Brazilian National Team generates good audiences, especially during prime time, as was the case last time. But it's important to emphasize that this is not a sponsorship where you can do an activation, where you seek interaction with the fan," he points out.
Henrique Guidi, Business Director of Grupo End to End, a company that connects fans to their passion and is a hub of solutions and engagement for the sports market, confirms this. "There are several ways to work on the exposure of your brand. The Brazilian National Team's games are always great opportunities to break the bubble and generate authority, mainly because it is associated with big brands."
Source: GMB
