You can expect a mad rush in your store on the night of Saturday June 14, as footie fans stock up in time for 11pm, and the kick-off of England’s first game in the FIFA World Cup 2014. As part of Group D, they will be taking on Italy in Manaus.

Of course, the competition actually gets underway a couple of days before with host nation Brazil taking on Croatia on Thursday June 12 at 9pm our time.

It’s obviously a massive sporting event but also a massive opportunity for retailers. According to Him’s World Cup Study 2010, 82% of shoppers said they would drink lager during games; while 71% said they would buy food for during matches.

More recent research revealed that 26% of shoppers said they would be using their local convenience store to buy food and drink for when they are watching the World Cup this summer or hosting parties to celebrate the event.

Him’s Convenience Research 2014 found that 67% of shoppers thought their local convenience store should get behind informal events such as sporting occasions.

The lager that should take centre stage in any World Cup display is Budweiser. as it is the official beer of the event.

For 2014, the brand’s global campaign has a Rise As One theme. Andrew Sneyd, global vice president for Budweiser, explains: "While football brings out regional pride and fierce rivalries, it also brings fans across the globe together once every four years through shared passion. With the Rise As One campaign, Budweiser celebrates the world’s favourite game and its role in inspiring fans to celebrate the moments that unite us as a global community."

As well as TV advertising, there will be special packaging for the tournament, featuring the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy. A limited-edition aluminium trophy bottle will be introduced simultaneously in more than 40 countries, and will serve as the centrepiece of the brand’s packaging, which also includes limited- edition glass bottles and cans

The campaign in the UK will start on March 24 with a national on-pack consumer promotion giving away the "ultimate football experience" the opportunity to attend the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Time difference

Dave Turner, trade communications manager at Coca-Cola Enterprises, says the time-zone difference for football fans in the UK has the potential to have a positive impact for retailers that are well-stocked ahead of fixtures, as it means lots of late afternoon or evening kick-offs.

He adds that soft drinks play an important part in at-home social occasions such as footie competitions.

"Within the impulse sector, soft drinks experienced more sales uplift than any other category during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Coca-Cola value sales grew by 13.3% during the World Cup period so should be an important focus for retailers ahead of this year’s event.

"Purchases for a night in are often made impulsively and retailers can capitalise on shoppers making a single bottle mission to their local convenience store by stocking a range of best sellers that make their purchasing decision easier. If space permits, we would recommend keeping soft drinks cold in chillers ready to be consumed soon after leaving the store.

"Creating a signposted space in-store dedicated to the FIFA World Cup, and merchandising soft drinks alongside complementary categories on this fixture, is an ideal way for retailers to grab shopper’s attention before they head off to watch the football. Using World Cup point of sale and targeted offers will also allow retailers to capitalise on the excitement of the event."

Many manufacturers are cashing in on the World Cup by bringing out Brazilian-themed products.

From the makers of Lucozade comes Lucozade Sport Brazilian guava flavour and new Lucozade Energy ’The Brazilian’ mango & mandarin flavour.

Dave Stratton, brand development director for Lucozade, says: "Limited editions are great at attracting new users and delivering incremental sales to the sports and energy category. With 63% of Britons expecting to increase their leisure spending as a consequence of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil (Mintel data), we are confident our Brazilian-inspired variants will drive further category growth.

"During a World Cup year we see huge growth in TV viewing figures and sporting participation as a consequence, presenting an opportune time for retailers to capitalise on the latest sports and energy NPD from Lucozade."

Stratton adds that flavour is at the top of the "purchase decision hierarchy" for soft drinks and the fastest-growing flavour profile at the moment is exotic, which is experiencing 10% year-on-year value growth (KWP data).

"This has, in part, contributed to the recent successful launches of Lucozade Energy Caribbean crush and Lucozade Sport Caribbean burst, with the latter now worth over £7m in just over a year (Nielsen). In addition, evidence shows that exotic flavours appeal to the younger shopper profile, which is currently driving soft drinks growth as a whole."

Lucozade Sport Brazilian guava and Lucozade Energy ’The Brazilian’ will both feature in the upcoming £12m Lucozade marketing campaign which includes TV, sponsorship, experiential, digital and in-store support.

Meanwhile, ready-to-drink (RTD) brand WKD’s new limited edition is Brazilian.

Billed as a ’party in a bottle’, WKD Brazilian is available in 275ml and 70cl multi-serve bottles, which retail at the same price as the other six variants in the WKD range: £1.39 and £3.20, respectively.

The launch is supported via a heavyweight digital media campaign; extensive consumer sampling activity; and tailor-made activity. The new line will also benefit from the halo effect of support for the WKD brand.

WKD marketing director at SHS Drinks, Debs Carter, says: "Brazil is renowned for its vibrant night and street life, especially at carnival time, and WKD Brazilian aims to capture this exotic party spirit in a bottle. With the spotlight being on Brazil, it’s the perfect time to introduce this tropical WKD limited edition an innovation which will bring excitement and a new dimension to the RTD category."

Finally, I Heart Brasil is the newest addition to the I Heart Wines collection. This Brazilian bubbly is described as "sweet, yet refreshing and delicate with floral aromas" plus it’s low in alcohol (8.5%). Tesco, Budgens and Londis have all aready signed up to stock the wine, which has a rrp of £9.99.


highlights

Opening game: Brazil vs Croatia June 12 at 9pm
England vs Italy, June 14 at 11pm
England Vs Uruguay, June 19 at 8pm
England vs Costa Rica, June 24 at 5pm
Quarter finals: July 4 at 5pm and 9pm; and July 5 at 5pm and 9pm
Semi finals: July 8 and 9, both at 9pm
Final: Sunday July 13 at 8pm


Footie night in

Susan Nash, trade communications manager at Mondeléz International, says that with many matches played late in the evening this year, retailers have an opportunity to drive sales for the Big Night In during the World Cup.
"To make the most of these occasions this summer, retailers should create a dedicated Big Night In bay to make shopping for the occasion a convenient experience.
"Chocolate, crisps and drinks are all popular choices with shoppers when planning to stay at home in the evening. We recommend making the most of this sales opportunity by displaying category-leading products from within each of these areas in unique sharing bays.
"Based on sales data, we would recommend retailers dedicate 52% of the fixture to confectionery, 26% to savoury snacks and 22% to soft drinks."

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