Pretoria - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) is planning to launch an intense marketing offensive in response to FIFA's call for more robust promotion of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and the World Cup.
With less than 100 days to go to the kick off of the Confederations Cup, the LOC says it will intensify its marketing and promotion of the tournament.
"With the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 fast approaching, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa will in the coming weeks intensify its marketing and promotions efforts around the tournament," the LOC said on Monday.
Earlier this month, FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke described the lack of visible outdoor promotion of the 2010 World Cup and the Confederations Cup as "disappointing".
"I would like to say that definitely I am a little bit disappointed when I went from the hotel to the SAFA House this morning and I didn't see a single promotion of the Confederations Cup on my way. I mean from the time you are at the airport to the time you are at the hotel," he said at the time.
Last year, FIFA President Sepp Blatter also called for more proactive marketing of these historic events on the African continent.
The reinvented marketing strategy will be rolled out in two phases.
The first phase of the campaign will focus on introducing the tournament to South African residents and on the initial ticketing sales phase.
The next phase of the campaign - to begin countrywide on Wednesday - will focus on generating excitement for the tournament and on maximising attendance at the 16 FIFA Confederations Cup games from 14-28 June 2009.
The LOC said the cross-media marketing campaign will also focus on outdoor advertising in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Rustenburg and Bloemfontein.
"It will comprise nationwide television and radio advertisements, an intensive broadcast and print media campaign and on outdoor media placement in the four FIFA Confederations Cup host cities," the LOC said.
The marketing plan will also focus on ways South African residents can contribute to becoming good FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 and 2010 Fifa World Cup hosts.
FIFA Confederations Cup activations will be held in some of the biggest shopping malls in the four cities, at major taxi ranks and also the canteens of some of the country's biggest companies.
