When the Qatar 2022 World Cup is just beginning, the first signs of the boom that it will cause when the kickoff is given are already clear. On the one hand, FIFA reported that the Argentine team is among the countries with the highest demand for tickets. On the other, Aerolineas Argentinas confirmed six flights for the days prior to each of the three group stage matches, while not ruling out adding more operations. “It is evident that the next World Cup is very exciting for Argentines and they keep it in mind. There is an expectation of improvement in values as the date of the World Cup approaches. There is a lack of time, but each novelty is a mobilizing factor that resonates with the desire to be present in Qatar”, explains Guido BouttetMarketing Manager of Travel Sale.
There is a fact that does not go unnoticed by the sector: the costs and the distances that separate Argentina from the headquarters of the World Cup 2022. On other occasions, such as in Brazil 2014, a two and a half hour flight separated an Argentine from the possibility of witnessing a match of his national team. “Being so far from the venue where it will be held and the difficulty that it presents to Argentines to be able to attend the event, the acquisition of a television represents the closest experience to the event experience that has an entire country waiting every four years.“, Explain Christian StuhldreherTV manager of Newsan. Then, that passion of crowds will be enjoyed to a much greater extent through the screens. The shock wave of each cry of Argentine goal will impact, among others, on the sale of televisions: The companies project that the market will grow up to 30% thanks to the euphoria of the Qatar World Cup to reach three million units sold in all of 2022.
Sales. Paul OssoMarketing Director of Libson Group (produces the Siera brand, with more than two million annual Smart TVs for 40 countries in the world), confirms the numbers: “Demand for this category is stable. Growth has consumption peaks in World Cup years”. And it projects an increase of between 20 and 30% in sales. “The World Cups provoke an exponential growth in the consumption of the category, and it stabilizes the following year. The Argentinian has a great passion for football”, he completes. Elisha OutesHead of Division of Samsung Argentina, agrees: “The World Cup is, without a doubt, a relevant event for the market and we must be vigilant to know how to take advantage of the opportunities, since sales will be concentrated between May, with the “hot sale”, and November, when the Cup begins. of the world”. From his vision,Consumers evaluate not only the inches, but the type of technology and the image and sound quality to have the best immersive experience. This year, our priority is on screens from 65” and on the new Neo QLED technology, the most innovative in image and sound quality”.
Osso points out a fact that describes the market, but that will change due to the fact that this World Cup will be held in November-December and not in the middle of the year, as is the tradition: “in general, the strongest season of consumption in the category occurs between April and June. As the date of the World Cup is going to be atypical, a very strong last quarter is expected”. Stuhldreher explains that “normally, andl 60% to 70% of demand is concentrated in the first semesterbut in this particular case, the trend indicates that it may be more balanced. We expect a market similar to that of 2021, with a slightly higher demand towards the second half, and with a higher screen average”.
projections. For Stuhldreher, “the World Cup doesn’t always push more volume, but it changes the seasonality a bit”. From his point of view, “we foresee an excellent year”, since he details that “We closed a very positive first quarter and we expect the trend to continue towards the end of the year. months prior to the World Cup, where we believe that sales increasedThey will grow exponentially, taking into account the urgency of people to go out and acquire new equipment to enjoy the World Cup”.
The phenomenon is not only local, but is also generated in other markets. “The trend occurs throughout the world, but in Argentina it is lived with another passion. The fanaticism with an event like the World Cup is unique in our country”, says Osso.
Market. Stuhldreher describes the before and after of the pandemic: “Prior to it, a person spent an average of 3 hours a day in front of the television, while, in the last year, an increase of 73% was registered, reaching an average of 5 ,2 total hours”. “From the pandemic and confinement, changes in consumer habits were generated. Being at home for so long, they began to seek to invest more in technology items to live an enriching experience at home. That is why for Samsung the versatility and customization of products is important, adapting to each type of consumer; as well as the interconnection between your devices to be able to manage your TV or other home appliances from your cell phone”, adds Outes. Months from Qatar 2022, the World Cup has not yet started to be played and a hot screen is already throbbing.
by Marcelo Alfano
