Sponsors Bet Big on Euro Soccer Series

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The virtual game already has 20% more participants than it had during the last tournament, says Johan Jervoe, McDonald's corporate vice-president for global marketing, and is expected to create more interaction between fans and the company. "If you are not part of the media habit of young people, you won't be there in the future," Jervoe says.

Other companies are following suit. Coca Cola has launched an online soccer trading-card game in conjunction with Italy's Panini that allows fans to collect and swap information about their favorite players. Castrol sponsors a digital performance index for the Euro 2008 teams that gives supporters online access to up-to-date stats and profiles of the tournament's stars.

Using Online and Offline Techniques

Not that high tech is the only weapon in a sponsor's arsenal. Canon (CAJ) is combining its online presence with more traditional techniques, such as providing photo booths for fans throughout host cities and assistance for professional photographers covering the tournament. "There's a trend towards interaction through the Internet, but there's still room for people to associate with brands offline," says James Leipnik, Canon's chief of communications and corporate relations for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Despite their multi-pronged tactics, sponsors find it difficult to quantify the economic impact of supporting events like Euro 2008. Iain Ellwood, head of consulting at Interbrand in London, says it's almost impossible to correlate specific sponsorship deals with extra revenue because the events represent only one element in a company's overall marketing strategy. "The key is to leverage [the deals] into extra brand recognition," he says.

To do that, interacting with fans will be sponsors' top priority. While the soccer teams may grab the headlines over the next three weeks, the economic competition off the field will play a huge role in the financial success of Euro 2008.

Scott is a reporter in BusinessWeek's London bureau .