The World Cup is considered to be a season of adverts for all countries; each country releases a campaign to support its national team during the tournament. These campaigns often include television commercials, social media content, special product packaging, and collaborations between brands and football associations.
- Government Support Reduces the Need for Corporate Campaigns
- Marketing Strategies Differ from One Country to Another
- The Divide Between State Funding and Corporate Advertising
- Economic Conditions and Advertising Budgets
- FIFA’s Strict Protection of Official Sponsors
- Football Does Not Always Occupy the Same Cultural Space
Egypt is one of the countries that launches many huge, memorable campaigns and songs to celebrate and support the national team and unite fans. However, this phenomenon is far less common in many other Arab countries, even among nations that have successfully qualified for the World Cup.
This raises an important question: Why do Arab countries rarely create local marketing campaigns to support their national teams?
Government Support Reduces the Need for Corporate Campaigns
In several Middle Eastern countries, national teams receive substantial support directly from governments rather than relying on private companies. If teams are backed by the government, then collaborating with them for a campaign will be tricky due to the regulations and contracts.
Football is often viewed as a national project funded by the government, with ministries, dominating wealth funds, or state-owned organizations providing the necessary resources. As a result, there is less pressure on private brands and companies to create independent campaigns because government institutions are already managing the promotion of the team.
Unlike countries with stronger private advertising sectors, which often depend on brands to generate excitement and public engagement.
Marketing Strategies Differ from One Country to Another
Every country has its own marketing culture and communication strategy. In Egypt, advertising is a big sector and creating campaigns campaigns are deeply integrated into the culture and society. Therefore, major cultural moments, including Ramadan and football tournaments, require creative and well-crafted campaigns and adverts. Brands compete to capture public attention through songs, celebrities, and emotional storytelling.
However, in many Arab countries, companies may prioritize product-focused advertising instead of investing in emotional or nationalistic campaigns. Some also focus on initiatives and activation rather than just a commercial.
Supporting a national team may not be considered an effective marketing strategy, especially if businesses believe that consumers are more responsive to practical promotions rather than patriotic messaging.
The Divide Between State Funding and Corporate Advertising
Another important factor is the separation between state-funded sports and corporate advertising. In some countries, football federations and private companies can have limited collaborations. Without established partnerships, brands might not have the proper opportunity to launch promotional campaigns to support the national team.
In Egypt, on the other hand, advertisers have successfully transformed football into a commercial and cultural event that benefits both brands and supporters. This synergy between corporations and sports organizations is less developed in several Arab countries’ markets.
Economic Conditions and Advertising Budgets
Economic considerations also play a major role. Producing large-scale campaigns requires significant financial investment, especially when hiring celebrities, producing songs, and purchasing television airtime.
During periods of economic uncertainty, companies may prefer to reduce marketing expenditures and focus on essential business operations. Also, not all brands have the sufficient budget to launch a big promotional campaign that includes the national team players.
In countries facing inflation, political instability, or fluctuating oil revenues, supporting a football team through expensive campaigns may not be considered a priority. Consequently, brands allocate their budgets to safer and more measurable investments.
FIFA’s Strict Protection of Official Sponsors
FIFA aggressively protects the commercial rights of its official sponsors. No company is allowed to use the World Cup or mention it if it’s not one of the sponsors. Therefore, companies that are not official partners must be careful not to create advertisements that imply an association with the World Cup.
This practice, known as “ambush marketing,” can lead to legal complications and discourage brands from launching campaigns. Smaller companies, in particular, may avoid football-related advertising altogether to prevent any potential infringement.
As a result, some businesses choose to remain silent rather than risk violating FIFA’s sponsorship regulations.
Football Does Not Always Occupy the Same Cultural Space
Although football is popular throughout the Middle East, its role in society differs from one country to another. In some countries, football is the most famous sport; therefore, it needs more promotional campaigns.
In others, football is just like any other sport; in fact, other sports can be more popular than football. Therefore, companies may not view national team campaigns as a guaranteed way to reach consumers.
If a country does not already have a history or culture of creating football-related advertisements, companies may be reluctant to be the first ones to spend money and effort on starting such campaigns.
The absence of large-scale marketing campaigns supporting national teams in many Middle Eastern countries cannot be attributed to a single reason. Instead, it results from a combination of multiple ones. While countries such as Egypt have successfully turned football into a major advertising opportunity, other nations continue to rely on state support and traditional promotional methods.
