The eyes of the world are targeted on Qatar for the 2022 version of the boys’s Fifa World Cup – the globe’s largest single-sport occasion.
Qatar was a considerably stunning alternative. It’s the smallest-ever host when it comes to its geographic and inhabitants measurement, and its excessive warmth within the regular internet hosting interval (June/July) means the match is enjoying out in November/December.
Since the choice was introduced in 2010, a lot media consideration has targeted on the nation’s customs and cultural points, such because the perceived abuse of staff’ rights and the shortage of acceptance of LGBTIQ freedoms.
In the lead as much as the occasion, there have been calls – from groups and high-profile celebrities – to boycott the occasion or protest these points. The host nation appears largely untroubled: it has continued its strategic coverage of utilizing main sport occasions to spice up its international status and picture, particularly by way of showcasing its technological advances and Arabic hospitality.
As a scholar who focuses on sport tourism, mega-events, legacy and place branding, I’ve been finding out the nation branding potential of the World Cup within the gentle of South Africa internet hosting the boys’s occasion in 2010.
As my analysis makes clear, South Africa’s nation branding benefited enormously from internet hosting the 2010 World Cup. So, what can Qatar learn from the South African expertise? What classes may be utilized to create a constructive legacy?
What South Africa did proper
Since the flip of the millennium, rising nations, and particularly members of the BRICS bloc (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), have more and more bid for and hosted sport mega-events.
Brazil, for instance, hosted the 2014 World Cup and 2016 summer season Olympic Games. Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup and 2014 winter Olympics. India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games, China hosted the 2008 summer season and 2022 winter Olympics and South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup.
All of those nations sought to leverage these sport mega-events for international recognition and status enhancement – or nation branding.
My colleagues and I conducted a variety of studies earlier than, throughout, and as much as eight years after the World Cup in South Africa. The findings indicated that stakeholders – residents, vacationers, authorities companies, the tourism and occasion sector, and occasion sponsors – seen the nation’s total reputational beneficial properties as constructive and enduring.
It is commonly forgotten that South Africa, like Qatar, skilled severe doubts and issues over its means to host the World Cup. Some of this got here all the way down to common “Afro-pessimism”, however international media additionally highlighted the nation’s excessive crime charge, cautioning that it was not secure for guests. My 2010 study indicated that crime was essentially the most destructive notion amongst guests earlier than the occasion.
Yet, after the occasion this notion was significantly lowered.
People who beforehand had restricted information about South Africa’s cities, individuals, know-how and common improvement knew more about it after the World Cup. Their picture of the nation grew to become considered one of a spot that welcomed guests, embraced range and had a reliable and succesful trade – all perceptions that might support overseas direct funding within the nation.
How did South Africa obtain this? I’d like to spotlight three key focus areas rising from my analysis.
Nation branding: three key focus areas
Firstly, South Africa hosted the worldwide media (together with new media) – not simply through the World Cup, however earlier than it too. To painting correct reflections of the nation, media excursions confirmed off host cities and stadium improvement. A terrific effort was made to point out key areas of the nation model picture, by way of being situated in iconic areas or with views of metropolis symbols or heritage websites. Importantly, the media have been additionally supplied with constructive information tales surrounding the occasion. With an estimated 15,000 media staff attending the occasion, this was positive to have an effect on informing extra factual opinions of the nation.
Secondly, the nation mobilised locals in assist of the occasion. Creating and selling particular songs, dances and campaigns – comparable to “Football Friday”, the place residents have been inspired to put on the nationwide group’s soccer jersey – created social cohesion even earlier than the occasion kicked off. This additionally supplied a welcoming atmosphere for guests and a better sense of safety for all.
The third key strategic focus was in leveraging partnerships to cooperate and align strategically round South Africa’s messaging and branding. Stakeholders I interviewed claimed that the occasion created alternatives for various authorities ranges, the tourism trade, and the personal sector to companion and align much better than they’d achieved earlier than.
Nation branding is constructed on a number of acts of communication and actions by a broad array of personal and public sector stakeholders, media and residents. It’s regrettable that it typically takes a mega-event to create the impetus for such cooperation. My interview respondents hoped that such partnerships could be sustained after the World Cup.
So what can Qatar learn?
In the brief time period, Qatar needs to be inspired that pre-event destructive media points have given method to extra balanced and factual reporting now that the soccer has taken centre stage and guests have arrived. Qatar may expertise very constructive branding beneficial properties from the World Cup, particularly with a extra nuanced understanding of the nation, its tradition, historical past and improvement.
Most importantly, Qatar and future hosts have to acknowledge {that a} sport mega-event in itself is not any assure of a constructive nation branding legacy. It will take strategic leveraging actions which are sustained over time to take action.
While South Africa clearly benefited from the mega-event, stakeholders acknowledged that destructive international perceptions of the nation, primarily linked with corruption and politically led state seize within the years that adopted, have diminished this impact.
This is a reminder that whereas nation branding portrays a strategic imaginative and prescient for the way a rustic wish to be perceived, this picture must be constantly strengthened by actions aligned with this picture over time.
Brendon Knott, Associate Professor, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
This article is republished from The Conversation below a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
