SHELTON, Conn., June 10 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- With World Cup 2010 just days away, soccer fans the world over are preparing for the event with markedly different degrees of enthusiasm, according to a recent study by Survey Sampling International (SSI). SSI recently conducted 3,500 online interviews with approximately 400 adults per country in Australia, China, France, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK and the US.
People in South Korea have a strong interest in the championship event beginning June 11th-93% of consumers there say they will certainly or probably watch one or more of the games live on television or on the Internet. Chinese consumers are close behind with 83% saying they will certainly or probably watch one or more of the games live. Half (50%) of consumers in the US say they plan to watch one or more of the games live.
SSI's World Cup 2010 survey reveals that Brazil is expected to claim the trophy, according to consumers in China (44%), Korea (44%), Singapore (35%), Japan (32%), the UK (29%), New Zealand (28%), Australia (27%), US (22%) and France (19%). After Brazil, the predicted winner is not as clear cut. In the US, 18% of consumers believe their home team will be the victor; 17% of Brits expect England to walk away with the trophy; 16% of Chinese consumers expect Argentina to take the Cup; and 16% of Korean consumers believe Spain will be the winner.
"To some," notes Rene Bos, SSI Managing Director, Asia Pacific, "it's not about who will win the game or even how the game is played. To official World Cup 2010 sponsors and partners, it comes down to recouping the hundreds of millions of dollars spent to feature the coveted World Cup logo. They want to know that their brand is visible to the millions of people following this celebrated event."
SSI's survey shows a strong awareness that Coca-Cola is a World Cup 2010 sponsor by consumers in Japan (63%), China (51%), Singapore (42%), South Korea (39%), France (37%) and the UK (33%). Adidas is recognized as a sponsor by consumers in Japan (50%), China (39%), Singapore (36%), South Korea (31%) and France (28%).
SSI's study also reveals a strong perception that Toyota-not a sponsor this year-is an official sponsor by 47% of Japanese consumers. To a lesser degree, MasterCard-also not a sponsor-is thought to be an official sponsor by consumers in Japan (36%), the UK (22%), Singapore (20%), China (19%) and France (19%).
About Survey Sampling International
Survey Sampling International (http://www.surveysampling.com) is the premier global provider of sampling solutions for survey research. SSI reaches respondents in 72 countries via Internet, telephone and mobile/wireless. Client services include questionnaire design consultation, programming and hosting, and data processing. SSI serves more than 2,000 clients, including 48 of the top 50 research organizations. Founded in 1977, SSI has 17 offices in 15 countries.
