Ahead of his team’s upcoming World Cup performance, Lewis Boulton of UK newsmedia advocate Print Innovations, recalls the print-based coverage of past championshops.
“With consistent readership and well-documented advertising effectiveness, news brands remain a no-brainer for advertisers looking to make the most of the World Cup,” he says, and promptly takes us back to 2002, when he was almost seven years old.
“The first World Cup I can remember kicked off to enormous anticipation. For the first time, the tournament took place in Asia, spread across Japan and South Korea; an illogical childhood connection between World Cups and early mornings still endures 24 years later. Meanwhile, a famous 5-1 demolition of Germany the previous September meant England’s “golden generation” carried the hopes of a nation heavily on its shoulders.
“Three things stick in my mind from back then:
“First, being huddled in my primary school’s computer room at half seven in the morning as we watched valiant England crash out in the quarter-stage; Ronaldinho’s screamer is still firing its way past David Seaman to this day.
“Secondly, the country was well and truly gripped by Beckham fever. I can still see the little red Manchester United shirt emblazoned with a huge number seven on the reverse (much to the likely disappointment of my Tottenham-supporting dad).
“And lastly? I remember my first-ever wallchart, blu-tacked to my bedroom wall, accompanied in the Sunday newspaper by what seemed like every school kid’s playground obsession: the official Panini World Cup sticker book. Pockets full of stickers we already had, we made Brexit negotiations look like a piece of cake. Nearly completed books proudly gather dust in my parents’ loft, waiting for posterity’s nostalgic smile.”
And Boulton, the London-based group’s communications manager, says there had to be a point at which this trip down memory lane must segue to news brands.
“But that’s the point: Ever since I can remember, news brands have been central to the UK’s tournament experience.
“As a child, it was waiting eagerly for the goodies in the centrefold so I could start trading stickers or head down the news agents with a voucher for an England car window flag. As an adult, it’s reading match reports and refreshing interactive bracket predictors to figure out the Three Lions’ easiest route to glory.
“What’s more, I’m not alone: In the first two weeks of June containing World Cup action, news brands added an average of one million extra weekly readers compared to the previous fortnight.”
Throughout this tournament, Newsworks is championing news brands’ role in generations of fans’ experience of the World Cup – both editorially and commercially. “It’s a relationship that’s seen its fair share of ups, downs, fantastic front pages, and brilliant ads,” he says.
News brands’ centuries-long place at the heart of the UK media ecosystem means there’s a real treasure trove in the archive to dip into. While the World Cup hasn’t quite reached its century yet, there’s still 96 years’ worth of hopes, tears, and even a trophy to discover.
“England’s 1966 winning front pages are iconic to this day, while the images from Italia in 1990, France in 1998, and two heart-breaking quarter-final crashes tell their own story.
“Plus, where there’s historical editorial, historical ads can be found in the thick of the action. From England’s crowning moment to six decades of dreaming, tactical campaigns have been the tournament go-to for a host of advertisers – from crisps and chocolate to deodorant and even a couple of sports brands!”
Boulton says all this history has built what news brands represent in UK World Cup culture today: a vital touchstone for millions of fans to get their football fix before, during, and after the matches themselves. “What’s more, that’s evolved from the column inches of my childhood, with fans now able to follow the action from their platform of choice,” he says.
“This has once again played out in the opening stages of this year’s competition, as uncovered by Ozone’s digital news brand data. England’s electrifying 4-2 win against Croatia saw online news brand audiences peak at 83 per cent higher during half-time and the second half versus the rest of the day, while the day as whole saw 42 per cent higher readership compared to the previous day.
“While it sadly didn’t work out by the end of the group stages, Scotland’s first World Cup since 1998 also sent audiences soaring. the team’s opening win against Haiti raised the excitement among the Tartan Army.”
With the match taking place in the middle of the night in the UK, readership peaked at 8 am that morning – 59 per cent higher than the rest of the day. “For those who braved the wee hours, pageviews immediately after the final whistle blew increased by 25 per cent, indicating a thirst for post-match analysis.”
He says evidence is clear that the World Cup is a significant driver of engagement among an already highly engaged news brand readership, and with consistent readership and well-documented advertising effectiveness, news brands “remain a no-brainer” for advertisers looking to make the most of the moment.
“Plenty were already getting stuck in the days before Mexico and South Africa kicked everything off on June 11. O2 and the Guardian listed Europe’s most picturesque spots to watch the beautiful game on its expansive roaming, while Tesco and Reach titles partnered to help readers recreate the best tournament moments with their own fold-up paper stadium.
“Once the starting whistle blew, the ads came thick and fast. From Snapchat cautiously charting the hope of a nation to easyBet giving readers their say on both football and a political crisis, advertisers have put themselves at the heart of millions of football fans’ conversation.
“As I write this, England has just secured their place in the round of 32, squaring up to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday, July 1 (and while being edited, the team beat Mexico to make it to the round of 8). With the pressure of the knock-out stages looming upon a talented side, all that’s left to do now is pray to the footballing gods and get behind our boys. Come on, England!”