By Barry O’Brien OAM, chairman, Atomic 212°
Later this month, one of the biggest events on the global sporting calendar kicks off with the start of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Held in Australia and New Zealand for the first time, it will be THE biggest event in our country this year and will have a positive impact on football, sport in general and the community. For marketers, the competition represents a fantastic opportunity to be part of a big event, show their support for women’s sport, reach big and engaged audiences, and be part of the national conversation.
From the opening ceremony and first match at Eden Park in Auckland on 20 July to the final at Stadium Australia in Sydney on 20 August, the competition will captivate Australia and the world, as 32 nations compete across 64 matches for the highly-coveted title. The world’s largest women’s single-sport event will take place in nine host cities and 10 stadia across Australia and New Zealand, marking the first time it has been played in two nations.
With more than one million tickets already sold – more than were sold for the previous FIFA Women’s World Cup in France four years ago – this will be big. It will be a history-making event for both football and sport in general. It will unite Australia, and not just because we will be cheering on the Matildas as they chase the Cup.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup also promises to be a game changer for women’s sport in Australia. As Sam Kerr and the Matildas take to the pitch – and hopefully bring home the Cup – all Australians will be engaged. In particular, young girls will be captivated by our amazing players and, hopefully, inspired to get active and healthy.
The rising popularity of women’s sport – AFL, NRL, cricket and others – will be boosted significantly over the next month or so. The final of the Women’s T20 World Cup between Australia and India at the MCG in 2020 proved the popularity of women’s sport. The Matildas have become a national treasure in recent years and the FIFA Women’s World Cup will shine a huge spotlight on these wonderful, world-class athletes.
Australians love a big sporting event and the FIFA Women’s World Cup will be both a big sport and cultural event. Football is arguably the most multi-cultural sport and many Australians will be cheering on both the Matildas and teams from the countries they or their parents or grandparents were born in.
For corporate Australia, the competition represents a powerful way to be part of a big event, show their support for women’s sport, and be part of the national conversation.
The opportunities for marketers to get on board are immense. The television and online coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup on Optus and Seven will be exciting, world-class and very popular. Seven, which has sub-licensed its rights from Optus, and Optus Sport have developed a range of innovative plans to ensure Australians have the best possible coverage of the entire 64-game tournament.
Bringing brands close to big cultural moments is a proven revenue driver and a powerful way to cut through the marketing clutter. At a time when consumers are reining in their spending, marketing campaigns tied to sport are an effective way to engage them and raise the profile of a brand.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup will be a landmark event in Australia this year, a defining moment in Australian sporting history and an inspiration for Australians. We should all be very excited about it. And, go Matildas!