Exactly one month after Coca-Cola () announced English midfielder Cole Palmer as its ambassador, England would release the list of athletes called up for the World Cup. But the Chelsea player was not among them.
For many, Palmer was an obvious choice from the English squad announced on 22 May. A frequent figure in friendlies and in the qualifying cycle for the tournament, the player also became popular for his “icy” celebratory gesture.
Coca-Cola seems to have believed this too. An early version of the press release announcing the partnership with the midfielder said: “The multi-year partnership will see the dynamic and cool player Palmer be the face of Coca-Cola and Powerade activations in the Premier League and the 2026 FIFA World Cup“.
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A more recent text on the page dedicated to the press informs that “the multi-year partnership will make the dynamic and cool player Palmer the face of Coca-Cola and Powerade activations in football-related activities“.
Another excerpt from the initially published statement attributed Palmer with supporting the beverage manufacturer’s activations at the World Cup, “as part of Coca-Cola’s long-standing partnership with the tournament”. The company is one of FIFA’s official sponsors.
The case is a good example of the relevance of the biggest national team event even for players on the top shelf of world football. “It is reasonable to say that the increase in exposure is at least 25% for [jogadores da Copa] who are already ‘at the top of the pyramid’; but it could be 5,000%”, says the COO of Roc Nation Sports in Brazil, Thiago Freitas.
Roc Nation manages the careers of two Brazilian national team stars, Vini Jr. and Endrick. The company founded by Jay-Z is behind the careers of entertainment and sports giants.
Even those who don’t like football follow it
“The World Cup attracts the attention of those who don’t follow football regularly and also from brands that don’t regularly associate themselves with athletes,” says Freitas. “Many seek to join the collective feeling of communion, of unity that the World Cup presents.” it says.
Although not calling up a player is a cold shower for companies that invested in the idea, contracts are normally structured in a format that foresees different scenarios, from the possible absence in the world cup to the possibility of the player standing out in the tournament.
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“The objective is that the investment continues to make sense even outside the context of the competition”, says the managing partner of Wolff Sports and specialist in sports marketing, Fábio Wolff.
Freitas explains that, faced with the risk of athletes being excluded from the final list, especially due to injuries, large brands “securitize” their operations locally, either with more than one athlete recruited or with variable payment conditions.
Large selections increase the chance of greater exposure
There is a relevant group of companies that prefer to have a single ambassador, usually associated with , as opposed to companies that prefer to develop specific actions with different athletes.
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The case of Visa is worth it: the payments company, one of the main sponsors of the World Cup, announced in November last year the main revelation of world football in recent years, Spanish striker Lamine Yamal, as its ambassador for the event. He was doubtful to compete in the tournament after an injury in April this year.
Even in the face of risk, putting all your eggs in one basket can make sense, especially when it comes to an athlete competing for one of the favorites to advance to the final stages. This is the case of Spain.
“When a brand signs up with players from traditionally favorite teams, such as Brazil, England, France, Spain or Argentina, it considers not only the individual quality of the athlete, but also the probability of that team advancing to the decisive stages”, says Wolff.
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O InfoMoney contacted Coca-Cola UK about Cole Palmer’s case, but had no response until the publication of this article. The space remains open.
