WORLD CUP FEVER
Can dealers take advantage?
by Service Dealer Editor, Steve Gibbs
 
Steve Gibbs

This time next week the World Cup in Russia will be underway - and watching the final England friendly last night, something quite weird happened to me. I started to feel vaguely optimistic and began to get excited about the tournament starting.

 

However out-of-love I've fallen with international football in recent years, it's impossible for me to deny that when major finals roll around, I'm going to get caught up in the hype. And I'm clearly not alone in this. A couple of cracking games and it’s likely the cynics will be won over again and the country obsessed.

 

Astute businesses are fully aware of this level of interest which is generated by events such as the World Cup and will do their best to cash-in on the public's enthusiasm. Companies directly linked to the competition can gain excellent publicity emphasising their links to the action.

 

We have a superb example of this today with the news that professional mower manufacturer Allett has provided 185 mowers and accessories to Russian stadia. A fantastic British manufacturing success story, Allett should be congratulated for getting their story out there and making the public aware of how their machines will be helping to provide first class playing surfaces for the world's best players.

 

I saw their story reported in many media outlets and they even made a filmed piece for BBC Midlands Today (which you can watch here). MD Austin Jarrett tells the BBC that their machines are adding to the "theatre" of the competition. He adds, "We're known for the best stripes on football pitches - so that will be why the Russians have selected our products." Allett also put out a behind the scenes video of the BBC filming at their facility on their YouTube channel.

 

With my TurfPro editor hat on, I've seen various other commercial turfcare companies publicise the fact that their products are being utilised by ground staff at venues across Russia. Manufacturers who produce mowers, top-dressers, grass seed etc. have all been getting in on the act. And why shouldn't they? It's all great publicity.

 

But how can dealers capture the mood and make the most of the country's interest? According to business experts, small businesses should absolutely be using big sporting events to boost their profile and hopefully their sales.

 

The editor of Service Dealer's SME Digest section, Adam Bernstein, says, "There’s nothing like the tribalism of sporting events to get people motivated and this year we’re doubly blessed with both the World Cup and Wimbledon. Dealers could use them to run football or tennis-based promotions, prize draws and even extra promotional discounts each time a home nation or a Brit wins."

 

Other tips which business experts would extol include making sure you're active on social media during the tournament. As many thousands of people will be watching the games whilst simultaneously engaging with their social channels, dealers could use this as an opportunity to get themselves noticed by potential customers. Sending out congratulatory Tweets or Facebook posts when goals are scored is a start. Then, an idea might be to tweet up-to-the-minute offers prompted by the results.

 

The experts warn though, as with all social media efforts, remember who your customers are and what is relevant to them. Business website Boost Capital says, "People are looking for something that’s original and useful but be careful to retain your authenticity." Also given as a tip is the idea to integrate your social media efforts with traditional internet channels. Dealers might consider putting prominent World Cup-related links on their website’s homepage through to any products being offered as part of a topical promotion. What is important to remember is that as the event runs over four weeks, you should update social content and pictures as the tournament progresses.

 

Finally, however many people there are like me who'll find themselves fully caught up in the proceedings over the next month, there will be huge swathes of the nation not interested at all in the World Cup. Retail analysts point out that non-sports fans often take advantage of quieter times during games to indulge in a bit of shopping - and hopefully a spot of gardening. Dealers could target this demographic with online and in-store promotions.


Certainly the upcoming festival of football presents an opportunity for dealers. So why not join in and try to harness some of that interest?


Don’t be like an England player in a penalty shoot out and miss out!

LikeLike (0)
In this issue
EDITOR'S BLOG
WORLD CUP FEVER
NEWS
SELLARS BUY BACK MINORTY SHAREHOLDING FROM CLAAS
VINCENT TRACTORS UNVEIL NEW NAME
KUBOTA LAUNCH ONLINE SHOP FOR DEALERS
ALLETT'S WORLD CUP WIN MAKES THE BBC
LAWNMOWER SURGERY VICTIM OF BREAK-IN
MIKE TURNBALL APPOINTED BY REESINK
NEW TERRITORY MANAGER AT OPICO
AUTOMATED AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY TEAM AWARDED
NEW HOLLAND APPOINTED BY GOODWOOD ESTATE
POLARIS NAMED TO FORTUNE 500 LIST
JOBS
ADVERTISE YOUR JOBS HERE
Sponsored Product Announcements
BIG ONLINE ADVANTAGE FOR OVER 180 DEALERS!
Events
LATEST SHOWS & EXHIBITIONS
PARTNERS
STIHL GB
ASPEN FUEL
Bagma
Catalyst Computer Systems
Evopos
GardenCare
Garden Trader
Grizzly Tools
Handy Distribution
Henton & Chattell
Husqvarna
Rochford Garden Machinery
Stens
uni-power
TurfPro
CURRENT ISSUE
May / June 2018
PRODUCED BY THE AD PLAIN