Can you engage in World Cup marketing without spending billions? The "off-field marketing" strategies of Douyin, Kuaishou and other tech giants

Question:

Which app have you been using to follow the World Cup recently?

After checking several social media apps one by one yesterday, Rhino Jun found that the top trending topic on Douyin is #Lionel Messi's first appearance in this World Cup will take place#; on Kuaishou, it's #Neymar's victory dance challenge#; on Weibo, the top search trend is #The Iranian team was ordered to leave the United States#; and on Bilibili, the top search hot topic is #The social media account of the Cape Verdean goalkeeper has gained millions of followers#...

In fact, none of the above online platforms has purchased the copyright for this World Cup. However, news from different angles, such as the dynamics of star players, visa issues, and underdog heroes related to the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, still attracts a lot of attention. This makes us feel sorry for Xiaohongshu, which has invested billions in live - streaming the World Cup for the first time. After all, social media platforms that haven't spent a lot of money and don't broadcast the games (especially Douyin and Bilibili, which are direct competitors to Xiaohongshu) seem to have no less popularity?

In last week's article "The Three - way Battle for the World Cup Copyright: CCTV 'Guarding the Goal', Migu 'Controlling the Ball', and Xiaohongshu 'Striking Back'", Rhino Jun mainly discussed the World Cup content layout of several major copyright - holding broadcasters. In this article, let's expand our view and comprehensively discuss the World Cup content strategies and marketing actions of non - copyright platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, and Bilibili. Also, let's make a stage - by - stage assessment of the overall performance of the three copyright giants, Xiaohongshu, Migu, and CCTV Video, since the start of the tournament.

To be honest, since most of this year's games are held in the morning or early morning Beijing time, the discussion heat and physical consumption are actually lower than in previous World Cups. However, the World Cup is still the global event with the highest level of human participation enthusiasm. How exactly did major domestic content platforms in China take advantage of this wave of traffic?

Non - copyright platforms can also steal the show off - field

After seeing a lot of hot search topics like #The Iranian flag was unfurled at the US stadium, and the whole stadium cheered# and #The official of Cape Verde thanked China for helping them realize their World Cup dream#, you'll understand that many of this year's World Cup public opinion topics have little to do with "the game itself".

So, before discussing the strategies of each platform, let's first talk about an awkward reality that Rhino Jun has observed. Facing the World Cup, current social media platforms are still divided into two camps. The communities for hardcore football fans are still platforms like Dongqiudi and Hupu. On Xiaohongshu and Weibo, the numerous handsome photos of star players and outfits for watching the game don't seem to have attracted male users, who are the main audience for watching football, to switch platforms. These side - show attractions are just like the "cheerleading atmosphere group" in their eyes.

Of course, this is not a problem unique to Xiaohongshu. For all general entertainment content platforms or community platforms when dealing with the World Cup, the greater incremental space lies in competing for the general audience who don't usually watch football but want to join in the fun during the World Cup. The ability to retain them is the real key to success.

Let's start with Douyin and Kuaishou.

It has to be said that short - videos have completely changed the traffic dissemination logic of the World Cup. Rhino Jun asked some female friends around who don't watch football much, and many of them claimed that they haven't watched a single second of the actual game, but they are very familiar with topics such as the visa issue of the Iranian team in the United States and the story of someone losing $1 million due to the upset of Cape Verde, which are hotly discussed on Douyin.

Although Douyin didn't spend billions on the copyright, it doesn't seem to have significantly affected the overall enthusiasm of users on the platform to discuss World Cup topics. Firstly, it can create big news around off - field gossip of the World Cup, such as #The Iranian team was required to leave the United States immediately after the game#. Secondly, it can ride on the daily traffic of popular star players. For example, it invited @Erling Haaland and 8 other active World Cup players to join Douyin, and #Erling Haaland's first appearance in the World Cup# topped the hot list. Thirdly, it can take advantage of the derivative hotspots of well - known commentators. For example, you can watch commentator @Yu Xinmiao exclusively reveal the story of Just, a second - generation Chinese - New Zealander player who scored a goal...

From this perspective, even if it can't broadcast a single second of the actual game, Douyin, which doesn't lack traffic, can still layout "World Cup programs" around multi - track account resources. For example, it joined hands with former national team player Dong Fangzhuo, cross - border commentator Guan Zeyuan and 51 other football celebrities and Douyin influencers to launch a debate - style live program "Football Knowledge Conference". Another example is that it collaborated with top - notch commentator Huang Jianxiang and Deyun Society to create "Huang's Football Class", which got the exclusive sponsorship of Jiannanchun. And "Watch the Game Together Now!", which was co - produced with his former CCTV colleague Liu Jianhong and invited guests like Zhou Hongyi and Shui Junyi to talk about football, even went to the stadium with Hisense, the global sponsor of this FIFA World Cup...

The traffic dissemination logic of Kuaishou is similar to that of Douyin, but the World Cup topics discussed on this platform are more down - to - earth and have a lower threshold. It can be said that it is the most "bold to talk" among all social media platforms.

The most Kuaishou - style live World Cup derivative program is "Yilu Winning the Cup". Dong Lu, who has attracted a lot of controversy and traffic for taking young football players abroad for youth training, has a high popularity among the public. This time, he unexpectedly invited top - notch basketball commentator Yang Yi to cross - over and talk about the World Cup. This kind of relaxed chat show, which is more in line with the taste of grass - roots users, is much more user - friendly than live broadcasts that often analyze tactics. It's all about having fun for both football fans and non - fans.

Now let's look at Bilibili's strategy.

From the selected official Weibo videos such as "The first experience of 'Refund Guy' in the World Cup: was he scammed by Mexicans right after landing?" and "Before the World Cup, Chinese head referee Ma Ning said 'Let history remember'", it can be seen that since the platform has a large number of "self - organized on - site reporters" and "professional off - site football commentators" among its UP owners, Bilibili, which didn't buy the copyright, follows the route of daily and lightweight second - creation content fermentation for the World Cup.

Although Bilibili's official didn't launch self - made programs, it widely cooperated with KOLs such as @Xie Yuning who loves football, @Guan Zeyuan, @HC Wang Chuqi, @Blackened Square, @He Yu in the Attacking Third, @Commentator Zhan Jun, @Sima Chen, who have great influence among real football fans, to have a "hardcore World Cup viewing experience". In addition, it invited a large number of industry - authoritative UP owners represented by @Ma Ning_Ref, a Chinese referee who will officiate this World Cup, to open accounts on the platform. In Rhino Jun's view, Bilibili is currently the best World Cup football - commenting and chatting community on the Chinese - language Internet that balances professional threshold and entertainment effect.

Which of the three copyright giants is the winner?

After talking about the "non - copyright platforms", we also need to look at the platforms that have spent money on the copyright.

We have to admit that although non - copyright platforms can break down the World Cup into star - player hot searches and second - creation of side - show content, they can never bring the excitement and thrill of a last - minute comeback and victory in a live game just before the final whistle.

So, which of the three copyright giants will have the last laugh?

In fact, since the start of the tournament, the performances of CCTV, Migu, and Xiaohongshu can be compared. The three platforms have presented three completely different ways to approach the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

CCTV's strategy is "to let the most people watch". For example, the pre - game warm - up program "The Football Craze · City Stories · Mexico City" uses documentary - style shots to explore the host cities of this tournament, presenting information inside and outside the games from cultural landmarks to football traditions layer by layer. This way of telling the World Cup story with the most cultural heritage has no rivals.

Migu's strategy is "to let football viewers understand the game". For example, during the opening game, on the commentary panel, instructor Zhang Lu analyzed tactics, commentator Zhan Jun reported data, and former national team player Xu Yunlong provided a first - hand perspective. Their high level of familiarity with the players, coaches, and even the behind - the - scenes stories of the teams made the professional commentary a real - time live football knowledge master class.

Xiaohongshu's strategy is "to let people who don't understand football have something to talk about". For example, female commentators Liu Chang and Wu Tong have attracted wide attention from non - football audiences. The World Cup has served as a catalyst for bloggers in various fields on the platform to produce original content. The battle report shows that the exposure of football - related content has reached 2.7 billion times, indicating that Xiaohongshu may have already submitted a satisfactory answer sheet of "N new ways to experience the World Cup".

In conclusion, different content platforms have their own unique strategies and data achievements in the competition for the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The "copyright - holding platforms" are playing a long - term battle to stabilize user minds, while the "non - copyright platforms" are playing a traffic game by seizing hot topics and creating second - creation content. Who is leading? Who is falling behind? It's still too early to draw a conclusion as the group stage is not even halfway through.

But one thing is clear: copyright is a ticket, but not a necessity. After the heat of this World Cup fades, for any platform, attracting new users and retaining existing users are equally important. Whether they can broadcast the games or not, platforms like Douyin, Kuaishou, and Bilibili, and the copyright - holding broadcasters are actually playing the same game.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Rhino Entertainment" (ID: piaofangtoushijing), written by Fang Zheng and edited by Piao Fang. It is reprinted by 36Kr with authorization.