We’re just days away from the start of Euro 2016 and already Social Media is grabbing the headlines. Euro 2016 Social Media activity is predicted to blitz previous tournament figures as brands invest more online, and the power of the connected consumer continues to impact on the sporting world in a big way.
Social Media, together with mobile technology, is creating a completely new experience for sports fans across the world. From being able to get minute by minute analysis on pretty much any game or event in the world, to following your favourite players and athletes on Twitter or Instagram, the fans have never been closer to their heroes.
Euro 2016 Social Media Supports TV Spots
So it’s not surprising that although the big sponsors of this year’s tournament, like Nike and Carlsberg, are banking on TV spots to connect with fans, they are also backing up those TV spots with Euro 2016 Social Media activity. After all, you can’t run TV ads during games but people are still on their mobile devices looking for commentary, player info and also posting their own pictures and comments.
All venues in France will be Wi-Fi enabled, and fans will be encouraged to share their experience of the tournament online. Orange are even asking them to light up the Eiffel Tower with the colours of their team by sharing content on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. #ENG #WAL #NI #ROI
Multi-Screening During Games
And even if you’re not at the game, if you’re watching at home or at one of the thousands of venues showing every one of the 51 games, the advertisers have some pretty powerful data to back up why they will be spending millions on engaging with you via social media.
Projected activity while watching EURO 2016 on TV
- 28% – Will read other people’s comments while watching a game
- 28% – Will chat with friends online while watching a game
- 24% – Will post a comment about what they are watching
- 20% – Will search for additional information related to the game they are watching
- 19% – Will be online engaged in unrelated activity (search, email etc.)
So once again Coca-Cola, Mars, Betfred and a host of other brands will be popping up on your Social Media feeds, in your apps and before your YouTube videos trying to get you to part with your hard earned cash and here at Sky Blue Toffee we’ll be looking out for most creative an interesting. But already one unlikely brand has caught our eye.
Instagram has launched its first ever advertising campaign in time for Euro 2016. Users in France this summer could see their photos on digital billboards, or in online ads and movie promos. With 5.8 million users in France and over 400 million worldwide, even a huge entity like Instagram (owned of course by Facebook) can see that sporting events like Euro 2016 are worth investing in.
Mick Scanlon
Latest posts by Mick Scanlon (see all)
- Sky Blue Toffee Running the Ipswich Half Marathon - September 9, 2016
- The Euro 2016 Social Media Machine Just Kicked Off - June 8, 2016
- Mobile Takes Centre Stage at the Google Performance Summit - June 1, 2016