It’s time to call in for some more Trippant Takeaways, a weekly smattering of stories that highlight trends, best practice and provocative ideas in communications across sport, entertainment, technology and culture.
The Guardian, BBC, City AM and Tifo Football on Qatar 2022
With kick-off on Sunday, the football world is trickling into Qatar for the Fifa World Cup. The first wave of mainstream journalists on Doha’s shores have provided early glimpses of tournament fan zones and the realities of doing, well, journalism.
For all the friction, the presence of overseas guests is obviously central to the profile-raising purpose of staging mega-events like this. But Qatar’s objectives are different from many typical hosts. Professor Simon Chadwick has a primer for City AM on the harder geopolitical realities that have informed this tiny state’s soft-power strategy, while Tifo Football has produced a distinctive video series on the intersecting historical, cultural and commercial timelines that led here.
The New York Times on the service of alcohol in Qatar
One World Cup convention that was always going to be tricky for Qatar to accommodate was the service of alcohol. Organisers’ efforts to respect and recognise local fears and concerns, while keeping the pumps flowing, have created a fluid situation for Fifa beer partner Budweiser.
Variety and Deadline on Apple and Nike’s contribution to the conversation
Of course, all the conversation around major events creates spaces for non-sponsors to communicate, with varying effects. Tech giant Apple, which is rolling out a World Cup podcast as it prepares for a deeper commitment to football coverage, has bought billboards in the hometowns of US men’s national team players for inspirational messages from Ted Lasso.
Nike has also entered the chat, with its tournament campaign bringing players from different eras into a playful take on the metaverse.
So how should these off-brand promotions be received by recognised sponsors? The Unofficial Partner Podcast – aptly named on this occasion – has explored some of the big topics around ambush marketing and related advertising.
The Sydney Morning Herald on the T20 World Cup
From one World Cup to another: England’s men confirmed their pre-eminence in white-ball cricket by winning the ICC T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last Sunday.
Their nail-biting final with Pakistan put the cap on a genuinely brilliant tournament but those following on social media may have been struck by where they could and could not see the action. The Sydney Morning Herald explains how an exclusive partnership with Meta shaped the online footprint of the tournament.
Smart Company and CNN on risky partnership deals
One sponsor’s branding was visible all the way to the semi-finals in Australia before making its exit alongside India and New Zealand: that of cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
The company’s meltdown has taken partnerships with it across the sports industry, raising fresh questions about the risks and responsibilities involved with signing deals in emerging, unregulated sectors.
Digiday and the Wall Street Journal on the demise of Twitter and growth of BeReal
The advertising crisis at Twitter and beyond has led many to predict a changing of the guard among social platforms. Users are drifting around in search of new homes, with a surprising number finding themselves in the embrace of Matt Hancock. But the most intriguing story to follow could yet be that of French-based startup BeReal, which is tracing its own path to growth.
AP News on the 2024 Paris Olympics
The Paris 2024 mascots: they’re here, and they’re hats.
Golf on the end of GolfTV
GolfTV was one of the most ambitious global ‘vertical channels’ built by a major broadcast company and its failure shows that sports media is still working things out in the digital-first age. So what’s next?
Marketing Week on… Marketing
Daniel Craig used to be James Bond. Now he’s decked out in tank tops in flashy Parisian hotels, dancing into swimming pools and drinking Belvedere vodka until Taika Waititi says cut. Does any of that make sense? Does it have to? Maybe marketing is just marketing, says Marketing Week’s Mark Ritson.
Fast Company on emoji use at work
Gen Z and their older colleagues are divided by a common language: emoji.
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