In last week’s installment of World Cup search trends in Asia, Ben Kwon, a US-based follower of this blog, raised a good question: how do countries that aren’t playing in the tournament decide which teams to root for? Despite there being no homegrown teams amongst the semifinalists of Argentina, Brazil, Germany, and the Netherlands, World Cup fever is alive and well in Asia.
So, which of these four teams are most popular in which Asian countries?
We looked at Google searches as a proxy for fandom. It’s no big surprise that host nation and perennial futebol favorite Brazil is extremely popular across the region: from the Philippines to South Korea, the soccer samba-ists are the favorite final four team by far. But you might be surprised to know that Argentina has a legion of supporters in Bangladesh and India’s West Bengal—fans in that region have generally been split into two camps between the Latin American rivals.
The German national team outperforms the Netherlands in searches across the region. Particularly in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Hong Kong — where the black-red-gold jerseys have also all but sold out — the madness for the Mannschaft has spiked around every one of their games. But who knows, searches for the Dutch oranje might just surge if they ride their current underdog status to a victory against the Argentinians.
To our readers: what explains these search trends? Why is the South American rivalry playing out on the subcontinent? And what makes Germany so popular among so many Asian nations? We’re curious to hear your comments below.
Posted by Joyce Hau, Communications Senior Associate, Google Asia Pacific
So, which of these four teams are most popular in which Asian countries?
We looked at Google searches as a proxy for fandom. It’s no big surprise that host nation and perennial futebol favorite Brazil is extremely popular across the region: from the Philippines to South Korea, the soccer samba-ists are the favorite final four team by far. But you might be surprised to know that Argentina has a legion of supporters in Bangladesh and India’s West Bengal—fans in that region have generally been split into two camps between the Latin American rivals.
The German national team outperforms the Netherlands in searches across the region. Particularly in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Hong Kong — where the black-red-gold jerseys have also all but sold out — the madness for the Mannschaft has spiked around every one of their games. But who knows, searches for the Dutch oranje might just surge if they ride their current underdog status to a victory against the Argentinians.
Posted by Joyce Hau, Communications Senior Associate, Google Asia Pacific
Indians support players and not teams. We want our favourite player to go out and win the game. The teams don't matter much :P
ReplyDeleteWith adidas and Nike being the two most visible brands in the WC, perhaps there's a loyalty-factor in regards to which team to support, depending on your personal preference to style, trends and experience. With WC marketing beginning years before the actual event, brands begin to create an "experience" for consumers to partake in - and create awareness for their brands, even before the first kick-off. Jersey's are a direct connection for a fan to be part of the WC. How a jersey looks can be a deciding factor for many people, and unless you're a die-hard fan of a player or team, then how that color combination with a country's insignia on a jersey will affect which "fan" you will be during the WC. Countries with China-based populations (such as HK, China, Singapore, etc.) have always had a preference for red and gold - a tie that goes back to cultural preference, more than anything else. S. Korea's trend has been brighter colors, especially for footwear. Perhaps brands today have a say in which teams to be loyal to - and with the right marketing, this may be one of several reasons how individuals choose a team. Although not a science, I'm sure that this kind of data could be used by brands and companies to measure the success of their marketing and products that were geared towards this globally important event.
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