The positive impact the World Cup is going to have on Qatar and its economy is enormous—this is our take on what this means for your business—now that we are less than 180 days to the mega event.
Research suggests there will be significant economic benefits for the Arab nation. Some of this looks at a more unique benefit for Qatar which comes in the form of a PR Boon.
Let us take a data-based analysis of Qatar’s PR Boon in relation to the upcoming World Cup and what this means for your business, today. If you haven’t harnessed the power of this boon, today is the day you must start.
According to Dr. Alexis Antoniades, Georgetown University’s Director, and Chair of International Economics, “the World Cup is all about branding. It is about putting the country on the map, it is about breaking stereotypes, and it is about creating long-term opportunities for diversification.”
Dr. Antoniades made this remark in his analysis on what the World Cup means for Qatar. To achieve this, he investigated the number of times #qatar—both in English and Arabic—was used on Twitter from the day the social media platform launched. His findings are what inspired this article: since December 2, 2010—the day hosting rights were awarded to Qatar—the nation has been reaping branding benefits.
See the results for yourself, striking?
Source: Center for International and Regional Studies
One would say that being awarded the hosting rights for the FIFA 2022 World Cup put Qatar on the global map.
Dr. Anotoniades writes that: “Post December 2, 2010, Qatar’s value as a brand started to increase, as can be seen by the growth in mentions in the days, weeks, and months that followed. There is no other event (and we tested multiple other events) that could have drawn so much attention.”
But what does this mean for your business?
In short, be present online. The over 1.5 million visitors estimated to arrive in the country during the World Cup will need your products and services. Are you creating content that will aid your discoverability in google searches? Are you active on social media and is your business ready to harness the power of ads?
New visitors will search online for you, they need to find your website with recent content that addresses their needs, and they need to see that your social media platforms are not sketchy before they engage with you.
To be prepared, make more content and by the time the World Cup comes around, you will have positioned yourself and your business as thought leaders in whatever you do. Customers will then have a reason to trust you.
One more thing, you have seen the impact that hashtag #qatar has. Why not use it? Jump on the train and get seen.
