Robin Goad, director of research at Experian Hitwise, told the Marketing Magazine that the 129-per-cent rise in searches for South African Airways indicated that many people were looking for last-minute flights to the tournament.
The second biggest increase (75 per cent) in searches was for Heineken (one of the Netherlands’ sponsors), followed by other three beer brands: Carlsberg (official sponsors of the England team), Corona (sponsors of Mexico, South Africa’s opponents in the tournament’s opening match) and Budweiser (World Cup sponsors and sponsors of USA, England’s opponents last Saturday), respectively.
“A weekend of football has given the food and drinks brands a real boost – particularly with England playing their first match on a Saturday night,” said Goad. “The timing of these opening matches has been reflected in their advertising and marketing campaigns with great offers and promotions that are relevant, humorous and authentic.”
According to Experian, one in 144 searches in the UK were World Cup-related last week.
