When big sports events turn sour
The temptation of being ‘host nation’ often blinds emerging markets to the dangers of hosting iconic sporting events like the Olympics or World Cup.
For the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, the pre-event media exposure turned sour following poor planning, security concerns and delays.
Such negative attention poses long-term damage to a destination’s brand image.
South Africa pulled it out of the bag for the FIFA World Cup 2010 with the event raising the profile of the country and wider continent.
The event will have a long-lasting positive effect on the country’s attractiveness as a destination.
Brazil will host both the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics in quick succession. No longer is it sufficient simply to aim for a well-run event with adequate funding.
Brazil needs to embrace new consumer segments, like singles, and online developments to build a 360° marketing campaign, including video, mobile apps and social media.
With many countries vying for big sports events, there are lessons to be learnt from the ‘Delhi effect’ by future hosts such as London and contenders like Rome that announced its bid to host the 2020 Olympics, competing against South Africa.
Ian Jarrett
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