In the advertising & marketing world, some ideas take way longer to cook than others. It is not because the idea is bad or anything, but it is because the world is not ready yet for such an idea. You know how some things feel too good to be true? The Influencer Cup was one of them, and it was finally organized in the pearl of MENA, Qatar this year in order to promote the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar ‘22.
The idea of an Influencer Cup emerged in 2018 after creating an activation for the same purpose above. With the INFLOW Qatar & Russia Activation project, the first steps to creating an Influencer Cup was born. As influencers are the key to promoting a product, a brand or simply anything you can think of these days, Influencer Cup seemed like the perfect opportunity to get the world’s attention to the new tourism destination, which happens to be hosting the one of the world’s most well known events. The idea was pitched to different brands in different times, but when we, as GAIA and INFLOW Network, were selected as the agency for promoting the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in Arabic speaking languages, we decided to give the idea one more chance. And that chance has now been used well, and we have created one of a kind promotional project with influencers from all around the world to showcase how Qatar is ready to host the FIFA World Cup!
The Influencer Cup
Created with 28 Influencers from 4 different regions including MENA, Europe, America and Asia, the first Influencer Cup was organized between the 28th-29th of March this year. 4 teams with 7 Influencers each, the teams competed against each other in a series of games, while also discovering Qatar as a tourism destination for both leisure and culture. The games were also played in stadiums that will host the FIFA World Cup games, in order to show that Qatar is ready for the upcoming storm!
The semi-final and final games were streamed live on Road to 2022 YouTube channel, which generated 10.000 views in just one day. The channel Goal also shared the games live, while having commentators on display as well. Who won the tournament? Check the video below to see for yourself!
How Do Influencers Contribute to An Already Established Organization?
The answer to this question lies in the fact that influencers are modern day’s celebrities followed by the generations that have or will have purchasing power. FIFA World Cup became what it is today through broadcasting on TV channels, however, with the digital world marching towards the glory of once what TV had, brands and organizations that rely on people’s engagement should also follow what the audience is interested in.
That’s Not All Though…
But there is another reason behind working with Influencers for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Since Influencers are trend setters and decision makers, they can make or break a destination. With 28 Influencers from different countries in one place, gathering for a sport as popular as football, the destination and partner brands benefited a great deal from the project. Qatar is a strong alternative destination for tourists, offering luxurious vacations as well as owning a unique culture. The attending Influencers had a chance to show the country through their experiences alongside playing games with each other.
We are more than happy to see this idea coming into life, and we hope to see more Influencer Cups in the future. Who knows, maybe this also turns into an annual event. See you in the next one!