All of a sudden, every piece of marketing communication seems to be focused around the world cup. Of course a handful of brands have paid a huge amount of money to sponsor the tournament so you would expect them to be making the most of the association. But I’m seeing lots of ads for takeaway pizza, burgers and chicken, cut price beer and cider, new TVs and much more, all seeming to assume that we all want to sit and watch the football, supported by alcohol and fast food.
Now I am a sports fan and I will be watching a reasonable amount of the world cup and as an Englishman, history suggests some alcohol may help ease the pain of a disappointing penalty shoot-out result at some stage.
But what if you don’t like football? Most of my household don’t and there is a real opportunity for someone to promote football-free products and services to them – they would certainly be prepared to spend to get away from the world cup, even for a short time!
For many businesses and in most markets, there are big enough minorities to be profitable. Pursuing the majority generally just takes us into direct competition with the big brands where the cost of getting noticed is higher and loyalty is harder to secure. On the other hand, niches can often prove to be less price sensitive, because they genuinely appreciate products and services designed for them and marketed to them.
If your competitors all seem to be chasing the same customers, it might be a good time to think about those they are ignoring – are there enough of them and do they have anything in common that you can appeal to?
In the meantime, if you will forgive me – come on England!
Chris