Twitter urges brands to capitalize on FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

RIYADH: With football fever underway in the MENA region and around the world ahead of this year’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Twitter hosted an event at Al-Nassr’s Mrsool Park in the Saudi Arabian capital to take marketers through the importance and influence of football conversations.

With 53 million football-related Tweets recorded so far this year, the event, titled #WhereFootballLives, encouraged brands to take advantage of trending topics related to the sport’s premier event that is watched by millions of fans globally. The discussion focused on ways brands can connect with the cultural moments that drive excitement, ensuring they can join the action, as it happens.

Twitter partnered with specialist survey company, GWI, to conduct research on the overall sentiment in relation to the World Cup, talking to over 12,000 people across 12 markets including MENA. Over 261 million people on Twitter follow at least one major football content contributor or speaker reflecting the potential value of brands engaging with audiences who follow football. The study found that cultural relevance drives 23 percent of a consumer’s purchase decision, while 78 percent of World Cup fans on the platform say they can find content on Twitter that isn’t available on any other platform, meaning brands that connect with football and the World Cup on Twitter access a receptive audience.

Antoine Caironi, head of revenue for Twitter MENA, said: “Football is clearly what’s happening, and it’s happening now on Twitter. The football conversation is bigger than ever before. Up until March this year, we’ve witnessed a 74 percent spike in average monthly football conversations in comparison to the previous 12 months. For brands to stay ahead of the