GMI survey says Nike enjoying popularity at adidas' cost
06 Jun '06
2 min read
Despite an estimated combined $420 million invested in official partnerships by U.S.-based corporations to gain worldwide visibility, the facts don't lie: the U.S. lags significantly behind other countries when it comes to being passionate about “the beautiful game” of soccer.
The latest GMIPoll, powered by market intelligence solutions provider GMI (Global Market Insite Inc), reveals that 56 percent of American World Cup fans do not know that the 2006 Soccer World Cup will take place in Germany, and only 1 in 10 plans to follow the game.
In addition, over 50 percent of declared U.S. fans either said they 'didn't know' the companies that were official partners of the games, or incorrectly identified them. Out of a list of international brands, U.S. fans selected Adidas the most frequently (27 percent), followed by Nike (25 percent), and Coca-Cola (16 percent).
Although Nike is not an official partner, it seems to have received a boost from its advertising flurry both in the U.S. and globally, where 31 percent of fans chose it. In Brazil, more fans selected Nike (59 percent) than Adidas (44 percent).