09 days, 03 hours and 40 minutes left for the greatest show on Earth.
Yes, my friends, the World Cup is about to happen, but it seems people only remembered it six months before it arrived.
Since the beginning of the year, I've been planning to write about this event, aiming to make some sophisticated analogy with social media. But, believe me, there are so many paths I could take that I decided to try a different approach: I want to use this space and this moment to share and analyze a small pot-pourri of recent facts and this fascinating connection between sports and social media.
Let's get to the cases:
Strikes and protests all over the place!
The protests that once emerged as collective and transformative movements now appear niche, fragmented, and with questionable goals.
In this scenario, social media has emerged as the main tool for integration and incitement. Through the internet, a new network of communication, motivation, organization, and, why not say it, “journalistic coverage” has emerged. For better or worse, the internet and social media are turning speech into reality, promise into action.
There's a lot of talk about strong popular mobilization during the World Cup. The Federal Government has already been using social monitoring systems to try to map movements and reduce imminent clashes, or even identify group leaders. It remains to be seen whether we'll actually see this kind of initiative during the event and what the consequences will be for the country.
Social media and its controversies.
Some people are losing their sense of judgment when venting online. Believe it or not, many still doubt or ignore the power of going viral on the web.
The most recent case is that of the current COL Director, Joana Havelange, who didn't think twice before sharing a controversial post about the World Cup: “What had to be stolen already was,” the message said. People didn't like it at all, and very quickly, Joana learned the power of the meme. It's not new that people post on their “personal” accounts without worrying about the professional side. Ronaldo, Pelé, and Xuxa are examples of unwary celebrities. And how can we ignore the case of the professor from PUC/RJ? Soon, we'll see the rise of a new profession: the personal social media coach! Doubt it? Take a look.
Coverage expectations.
The last Winter Olympics, held in Sochi, served as a prelude to the massive involvement of athletes and audiences on social media that we'll see now. This will be the first World Cup with a culture of sharing and widely available internet access.
If we think especially about mobile devices, we can say that anyone at the stadiums will want to share their location, photos, and videos. Tourists will want to use geolocation services in the country to find routes and tips in the host cities. We'll have live streaming of 100% of the games over the internet. There are so many possibilities that I'm genuinely anxious to see if we'll be able to handle all this demand. How will our 4G, 3G, E, and GPRS hold up (yes, because just yesterday in Barra da Tijuca, even with the best carrier plan, my phone was stuck on GPRS…)? Well, we'll see! Sending positive thoughts to Anatel.
Tickets and auctions.
Few people had the chance to buy a World Cup ticket. The lottery system was questioned, and demand was huge. Social media is helping people find new opportunities. Many people get excited when applying and later regret it. Watch out for opportunists and people with bad intentions. A tip: there will be an exchange period on FIFA's official website.
What about the athletes?
Well, each national team handles social media differently. In Brazil, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has already told his players that the famous selfies and sharing are allowed, but with “moderation.” Spain's coach reversed his ban and said that “given the sacrifice of the athletes staying weeks in training camp,” his coaching staff won't restrict social media use during the competition. I don't think Iran's team has this kind of problem…
The hashtag war?
#NaovaiterCopa and #VaiTerCopaSim are the leaders among armchair protesters (link to FB post). It's all anyone talks about on social media, and every comment sparks a new battle. Our colleagues at A2 Comunicação developed, exclusively for INFO, a survey focused on this dispute. The result was a very interesting infographic. By the way, here's a fun tip about the origin of the “#naovaitercopa” movement: Check it out.
Speaking of hashtags…
Here's a really cool tip for anyone who loves following everything happening on social media in real time: the site Cur.to brings together in one place all the hashtags posted on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vimeo about the World Cup.
Using it promises to be quite simple, just search for keywords related to the subject, like “Seleção,” “Neymar,” “Brasil,” etc.
Federal initiative.
The Ministry of Tourism decided to launch the #MeuBrasilMTur campaign on social media. The goal is to promote itineraries in the host cities and regions. The idea is for internet users to send in tips about events, tours, and places tourists can enjoy. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are the most used social networks by contributors. We went to check the hashtag and… It seems the participation is strong mostly from the Ministry itself or from companies related to tourism. Let's face it, with this chosen hashtag, the result couldn't be much different…
An opportunity for Twitter?
Although Brazil already stands out as one of the five main markets in the world, expectations for the social network's growth during the World Cup are huge.
In a recent survey, Twitter points out that 99% of Brazilians will follow the World Cup games (surprising, right?). The study also states that 3 out of 4 plan to watch more games in 2014 than they did during the South Africa World Cup in 2010. In total, 1,007 internet users in Brazil were surveyed, and, as with any survey, there's room for debate…
The most relevant data point, and the one that caught the company's attention, was that although 95% of people said they'll follow the World Cup on TV, 49% believe that hashtags on Twitter help them stay on top of what's happening in the competition.
Curious? Check out other interesting data below:
Twitter and the 2014 World Cup
- 99% will follow the games
- 95% will follow via live TV broadcast
- 4 out of 5 will watch the games with friends
- 3 out of 4 plan to watch more games in 2014 than they did in 2010
- 80% of users do some activity related to soccer
- Half follow soccer club profiles
- 40% retweeted messages from players and clubs
- 58% say news breaks faster on Twitter
- 76% have already bought or plan to buy official FIFA World Cup 2014 merchandise
- 49% believe hashtags help them stay on top of what's happening on TV
Who Twitter users follow
- Clubs (51%)
- Soccer players (44%)
- Sports channels (42%)
- Sponsoring brands (31%)
Panini fever!
I couldn't end this post without talking about the craze of the moment: the World Cup sticker album! How to explain this success even with so many people against the event? I think the secret is the new behavior of this collector, and of course, social media, which is the new platform for trading and negotiating. Groups, pages, chats, apps, and specific trading profiles. Everything organized and scheduled, and, rarely, digital serving as a platform for real, physical connection at in-person trading spots. Not even the virtual album or exclusive online stickers are as popular as the traditional, good old relationship. If you've already downloaded Panini's official app to manage your trades, raise your hand. o/
By the way, all I'm missing is number 412 (Argentina's crest)! If anyone has a duplicate, send me an email. 🙂
