Comparison of marketing approaches in men’s and women’s football events

This research sought to increase our understanding of marketing in large-scale sporting events by developing an understanding of the similarities and differences in marketing approaches between men’s and women’s large-scale, single sport events. A case study examining two case settings, FIFA Under-20 World Cup Canada 2007 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015, was developed. Findings highlighted four key themes or points of comparison across the two settings: marketing planning and implementation, sponsorship approach, brand identity, and marketing legacies that provided the foundation for the analysis and discussion. It was suggested that the two events are the same in many ways and yet different in some areas of marketing and sponsorship strategy, implementation, and focus. As such, this case study offers a discussion of the use of experiential promotions and knowledge transfer for large-scale events and the strategies and opportunities of marketing women’s events.