Twitter talks football ahead of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

 With football fever already underway in the MENA region and around the world ahead of this year’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Twitter hosted an on-ground event at Al Naser FC, Mrsool Park, in Saudi Arabia to take marketers through the importance and influence of football conversations. With 53M football-related Tweets recorded so far this year, the event, titled #WhereFootballLives, encouraged brands to take advantage of the trending topics and to capitalize on the large-scale football event that will be watched by millions of fans around the world. The discussion focused on ways brands can connect with the cultural moments that drive excitement, ensuring they can join the action, as it happens. 

Twitter partnered with GWI to conduct on-the-ground research to understand the overall sentiment in relation to the World Cup, talking to over 12,000 people across 12 markets including MENA. Over 261 million people on Twitter follow at least one major football content contributor or speaker reflecting the potential value of brands engaging with audiences who follow football. It was demonstrated that cultural relevance drives 23% of a consumer’s purchase decision, while 78% of World Cup fans on the platform say they can find content on Twitter that isn’t available on any other platform, meaning brands that connect with football and the World Cup on Twitter access a receptive audience. 

Antoine Caironi, Head of Revenue Twitter MENA, said: “Football is clearly what’s happening, and it’s happening now on Twitter. The football conversation is bigger than ever before. Up until March this year, we’ve witnessed a 74% spike in average monthly football conversations in comparison to the previous 12 months. For brands to stay ahead of the curve and ensure their marketing calendars capitalize on this regional opportunity to play a central role in the FiFA World Cup 2022 conversations, they need to start planning early, and to be ambitious!” 

Twitter encourages brands to make use of its offering, such as Amplify Sponsorship, as 72% of people on Twitter find sporting highlights appealing. Brands have the opportunity to place Pre-Roll Video in front of more than 200 premium content partners, as well as owning the conversation with Takeover Ads throughout the year. 

Caironi commented: “Twitter is where highlights appear first. This isn’t just during the live event but months ahead during the build up to the first match, as well as the days and weeks after the tournament ends. So the potential to attract the interest of football fans is exponential. Moreover, we see a powerful intersection with other interests and behaviors as well. In particular, we’ve found football fans on Twitter are 78-82% more likely to engage with brands and other conversations such as tourism, wearable tech, auto, footwear and smartphones.”

The event was hosted by well-known Saudi sports commentator @1MshariGarni, and the Twitter team held an engaging panel fueled by insights with renowned guest speakers, including senior representatives from Saudia, Berain and Floward, who shared their experiences in connecting with audiences around sports and football.