WORLD CUP WINNING PROMOTIONS: HOW BRANDS SCORE BIG
- Jun 30
- 4 min read
Across UK retail, brands are battling it out through World Cup-themed activations, promotions and in-store experiences. But what actually separates a good activation from a great one?
It comes down to one thing: shopper impact at the moment of decision. Let’s break down some standout examples and the retail tactics driving them.
Research shows that up to 70% of grocery purchase decisions are made in-store at the fixture[1], making execution at the point of purchase critical. During major sporting events, strong activations can deliver sales uplifts of up to 40%[2].
Front Of Store Goals
First impressions count. As an official England partner, M&S Food is tapping into World Cup excitement with a compelling front-of-store activation, offering free stickers with every £20 spent.
The display combines strong occasion cues, England player imagery and, perhaps most importantly, the power of the word ‘free’. Research has shown that free promotions attract greater consumer attention and are often preferred over equivalent discount mechanics, making them a powerful tool for driving engagement at the point of purchase[3].
Unofficial vs Official Partners
Official partners benefit from exclusive rights, player access and stronger tournament association. Unofficial brands, meanwhile, can still capitalise on the excitement, often with far less investment.
The real question isn't who's official. It's who's capturing shopper attention.
Let's take a look at some of the activations currently battling it out in-store.
Non-affiliated brands face the challenge of communicating the World Cup without officially referencing it. Many overcome this by using visual cues such as footballs, pitches and national colours, allowing the excitement surrounding the tournament to do the heavy lifting.
It's a strategy backed by the scale of the occasion. FIFA reports that around 5 billion people engaged with World Cup content during the 2022 tournament, making it one of the largest global marketing platforms available to brands. Brands that successfully tap into that excitement can benefit from increased relevance and visibility at shelf.
When it comes to promotions, brands are offering everything from large cash prizes and VIP experiences to personalised merchandise[4]. These incentives add value to a purchase, helping justify a price point and influence those split-second decisions shoppers make in-store.
Classic Rivals
Two of the biggest in-store and out-of-store players during the World Cup are Coca-Cola and Pepsi - classic rivals with two very different approaches. Let’s dive in and see how they tackle the official vs. unofficial sponsorship dynamic.
Coca-Cola - As an official FIFA World Cup partner, Coca-Cola benefits from exclusive tournament rights, official branding and global campaign integration.
A key aspect of their promotion is tied closely to the Official World Cup Panini Sticker Book, which is estimated to sell hundreds of millions of copies. To complete the collection, fans must purchase Coca-Cola products to secure the 12 exclusive on-pack stickers -making it a brilliant partnership and a mutually beneficial promotion.
The campaign is further supported by watch parties that build community, alongside a retail photobooth tour that gives fans the chance to create a personalised Panini sticker featuring themselves. This entire strategy is brought to life and driven by a massive in-store presence, delivering high impact on-pack, at-shelf and beyond.
Pepsi - Without official tournament rights, Pepsi faces the challenge of aligning with the World Cup ambiently. Rather than focusing on the tournament itself, the brand anchors its strategy in global football culture, fan passion, and the “Pepsi Football Nation”, a massive, player-backed platform featuring icons like David Beckham and Son Heung-min. This allows Pepsi to remain culturally central during major tournaments while maintaining its own distinct identity.
Data from IGD states that 30% of shoppers prefer numerous medium-sized rewards, with 26% favouring an instant win over just 5% wanting one massive prize. Aligning with this insight, Pepsi’s lead promotional mechanic offers a vast volume of accessible prizes, from match tickets and merchandise to cash and vouchers. Shoppers simply check a unique code under the ring pull and input it online to see if they have won. This seamless process is vital, as 31% of shoppers admit they avoid entering competitions due to over-complex mechanics[5].
This entire activation is driven by a comprehensive 360-degree marketing campaign, with the Pepsi Football Nation branding heavily dominating the in-store presence, directly linking the community to the supermarket aisle.
So, What Makes A Winning Activation?
The strongest World Cup activations aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets or official tournament rights. They're the ones that influence shoppers at the moment of decision.
Whether it's M&S using the appeal of a free collectible, Coca-Cola leveraging exclusive partnerships and fan experiences, or Pepsi creating accessible rewards through football culture, the common thread is clear: relevance, visibility and simplicity.
Winning activations tend to combine five key ingredients:
Strong visibility that captures attention in-store and at shelf.
Clear occasion cues that tap into the excitement of the tournament.
Compelling shopper value, whether through rewards, collectables or experiences.
Simple mechanics that are easy to understand and participate in.
A connected campaign that links in-store activity with wider marketing channels.
Official sponsorship does provide powerful assets, but it isn't a prerequisite for success. In the battle for shopper attention, execution matters the most. The brands that win are those that turn sporting passion into purchase behaviour, creating memorable experiences that drive both engagement and sales.
Ultimately, the World Cup may last only a few weeks, but the most effective activations leave a lasting impression long after the final whistle.
SOURCES
[1] POPAI (Point-of-Purchase Advertising International) Shopper Engagement Study.
[2] Kantar and Circana (formerly IRI) tracking promotional performance metrics during major Q3/Q4 sporting events.
[3] Journal of Business Research (2019) – Consumer response to free promotions and pricing strategies.
[4] FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Global Engagement & Audience Report (2023) – approximately 5 billion people engaged with World Cup content across TV, digital and social media platforms
[5] IGD
Interested in how your brand can create a more meaningful connection with shoppers? We’d love to help you bring those ideas to life. Let’s talk: hello@juice.eu.com.
