World Cup sponsors lose image for the first time in Qatar

Budweiser beer brand may consider itself lucky that there will be no beer at the World Cup. As counterintuitive as it may seem, it’s true: “With the beer ban, Budweiser falls victim to a perpetrator,” explains Harald Lange (54). Professor at the German University of Würzburg, head of the Sports Science Institute there and author of a recent study on fan emotions in connection with the World Cup.

The study proves that for the first time, a World Cup means a loss of image rather than an image gain for its sponsors. It’s unique. “Due to the beer ban, Budweiser is on board with the fans,” the fan researcher explains. Instead of condemning the brand for its sponsorship of the World Cup, one gets upset. “Budweiser’s humorous take on the beer ban actually turns necessity into a virtue,” Lange explains. The beer brand promised to supply the winning country with the remaining beer from Qatar for free, of course.

Lange conducted more than 13,000 surveys for her study. Seven percent of respondents said that sponsoring the World Cup has a positive impact on a brand’s image. More than 70 percent think World Cup sponsorship is damaging to their reputation. “It’s usually the other way around,” Lange says.

Dispute over captain’s armband ends in court

There have been signs of cautious mood towards the World Cup for months. However, Lange speculates, “Fifa officials and sponsors believed everything was forgotten as soon as the ball rolled.”

That hope was gone days after the tournament started. This is illustrated, for example, by the scandal surrounding the “One Love” captain armband. On Monday, FIFA banned the bandage as a symbol of diversity and tolerance at the World Cup. The national teams, who had previously announced that they would wear bandages, tied their belts. The German Football Federation (DFB) has announced that it will apply to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne in the dispute over the bindingness of Fifa.

But even if CAS recalls FIFA in the next few days: the damage has been done. German retailer Rewe suspended its sponsorship of the German national team on Tuesday. “We advocate diversity. Rewe boss Lionel Souque (51) said in a statement, “We live this attitude and we defend it even against possible resistance.”

The anti-FIFA campaign was a hit

The Rewe case proves that in addition to the official World Cup sponsors – which includes Budweiser, Adidas and Coca Cola, among others – sponsors of individual national teams are now in the spotlight.

“The sponsors are pulling the string now,” Lange says. “In terms of imagery, Rewe benefits from retraction.” He compares the situation to Brewdog, a Scottish craft brewery that recently made headlines around the world, declaring that it is not a World Cup sponsor. While we used to benefit from being in the World Cup, it is now an advantage to consciously oppose it.

Swiss companies are affiliated with the national team

Even if the most recent study came from Germany, the study’s author believes its results can be transferred to Switzerland. This is bad news for the Swiss national football team. Swiss has to shake things up for its sponsors, including Credit Suisse and Carl F. Bucherer. The Swiss Football Association (SFV) was relieved. Blick said there was no evidence that the sponsors wanted to turn their backs on the national team.

Swiss has announced that it can look to a good long-term cooperation with SFV. The developments in Qatar have no effect on this cooperation.” Amag makes a similar statement. Other Nati sponsors keep a low profile. They seem to be tied to the national team. At least until the end of the World Cup. But the scandal in Qatar is in the eyes of the World Cup. Given this, it seems doubtful whether they will be able to maintain their commitment to international football in the long run.