Few things bring the world together in real time like sports. But events like the Super Bowl, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the FIFA World Cup are also high-stakes marketing battlegrounds where brands compete for relevance and trust. Sponsors investing at this level face an unforgiving playing field: record rights fees, a fragmented media landscape, fan expectations for in-person experiences, and data-rich proof of business impact.
Brands know the broadcast isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting pistol. Those that truly win put communications at the center, connecting event moments to human stories for employees, customers, partners and communities while protecting reputation under the brightest spotlight. It’s the multiplier that turns attention into trust and participation into performance that investors recognize.
What communications at the center really mean
It starts with leadership across the C-suite embracing communications as a strategic function that earns business from customers and confidence from investors.
For the CEO: Lead from the front. Global sports make strategy visible and shows investors how events support growth through market access, smart partnerships and pricing power. Use these moments as a product lab to connect with customers and lift employees with stories of human potential. Set targets with finance and report outcomes clearly.
For the Chief Communications Officer: Own the narrative before, during and after the event. Stress test for the real risks at event speed, from ambassador miscues to a political flashpoint or a product issue on site. Stand up monitoring with legal and operations, and pre-wire responses across markets. Maintain clarity on decision rights to safeguard momentum and business continuity.
For the CMO: Pair integrated multi-platform storytelling with the energy only live sports can deliver. Blend local and global strategies. At the FIFA World Cup, top sponsors co-create with athletes, creators and media, activating in 30+ markets while holding discipline and purpose.
The activation blueprint
Beyond leadership alignment, success requires operational excellence:
Build with intention: Tie every activation to revenue, market entry or customer value alongside material impact where credible and aligned with stated values. Deliver messages consistently across your channels.
Operate at event speed: Stand up a cross-functional command center before kickoff. Set escalation protocols, scenario playbooks, misinformation tracking and decision rights. Align with rights holders and legal on real-time engagement. Rehearse relentlessly. Every minute counts.
Put people at the center: Co-create with influencers who reflect your customers. Empower employees with content, viewing parties, volunteer roles and cultural context to multiply trust and advocacy.
Make impact visible and measurable: Choose proof points like accessibility, grassroots access and carbon reductions where they are real, then report with CFO-grade rigor. Back partners who were present before and after the games. Purpose work should be business-linked and outcome-oriented.
Measure what matters: Define success early with finance and operations. Move beyond impressions. Track enterprise-linked metrics like brand trust, product interest, retail and partner signals, search lift, employee pride, leadership access, and crisis speed. Strong comms can protect market cap and justify investment.
Case in point: An agile World Cup pivot
Days before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Budweiser parent AB InBev faced an in-stadium beer ban. Because they had run scenario planning, they were prepared to adapt in real-time, shifting to post-tournament celebrations. The ‘Bring Home the Buds’ campaign delivered beer to fans in winning countries, turning logistical and reputational risk into storytelling advantage and reinforcing positioning with consumers, partners and stakeholders.
The opportunity ahead
The advantage window is closing. North America will host World Cup matches in 2026 and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. These events will break records for reach, spend, risk and complexity. Companies that operationalize communications across marketing, legal, HR and ESG will protect reputation, expand impact and unlock greater sponsorship value through performance signals investors will track. In this arena, communications is the edge. It turns attention into action, participation into performance and highlights into durable business impact.
J.J. Carter is president and chief executive officer of FleishmanHillard. Regarded as a trusted advisor to iconic brands in their biggest moments and on the largest global stages, Carter has counseled clients through IPOs, CEO transitions, groundbreaking product launches, complex mergers and global sponsorship activations. He previously launched the agency’s first-ever sports marketing practice, providing guidance for the NBA’s international expansion into China, and led global accounts with Visa, Nike’s Jordan Brand, Callaway Golf, the Women’s Tennis Association Tour, Electronic Arts and GoPro Inc.
Emily Frager is the chief client officer at FleishmanHillard, where she leads global client service strategy across the agency’s network. She brings over two decades of experience in marketing and communications, including leadership roles at FleishmanHillard’s offices around the United States, as well as serving as chief marketing officer at Lennar Ventures.
