Unmet Expectations and the Last Lesson from the World Cup
Jul 12th, 2010 by David Svet
The South African World Cup has come and gone. Spain is the World Cup champion for the next four years and Paul the Octopus has proven to be the most reliable gambler’s aid on earth, albeit below the waves. This is one final post on my observations of the World Cup and what it can mean for your business. The World Cup is big business by any measure and there are lessons to be learned if you look for them.
In hindsight, one of the most interesting lessons involves unmet expectations. The fans were simply not what was expected. South Africa braced for the worst — football hooligans, rampant prostitution and pickpockets. Instead they were visited by a mass of well-behaved tourists who showed a sincere interest in the culture, history and cuisine. So, how do you thankfully end up getting something like this so wrong and how can you use it to help your business?
The pundits used history as a predictor of future events without considering some major differences. Big soccer matches tend to foment some pretty bad behavior fueled by a combination of testosterone, team loyalty and alcohol. Throw in a ready supply of sex workers along with some petty criminals and you have the recipe for a real social problem as has been seen repeatedly all over the soccer centric world. History did not repeat itself in South Africa for at least three reasons — time, money and uniqueness.
South Africa is a long flight from just about anywhere and consequently isn’t cheap. Going to a World Cup in South Africa takes planning, commitment, time and money. It’s not a jaunt down to the pub and off to the match with the boys. Most of the tourists to the Cup took the time to enjoy their stay and investment as a proper vacation. They visited museums, learned about the culture and explored all that a foreign land had to offer. The expense was likely a family decision, or at least one that was weighty enough not to be squandered. South Africa is a place that most of the tourists had never been and likely would never see again — in short, an opportunity. Social norms dictated very different behavior than previously seen.
So, a high price point, extensive time commitment and unique culture became a self selecting mechanism that drew an affluent clientele that behaved in the best possible manner — all on the heals of a severe global economic downturn. Never underestimate the value of a high price point, customer commitment and a unique offering. Your positioning is a filter. It’s an opportunity to choose whom you will serve best and who will reward you the most. Choose wisely, you’ll be rewarded accordingly.
Creative Commons image by zoutedrop
