Media

It’s a somewhat tarnished event, of course. First of all: It’s in Russia, and the process by which the country won that honor was tied in with now-proven voting irregularities that ultimately cost then FIFA boss Sepp Blatter his job, and countless regional association leaders their freedom as they are either being prosecuted or are in jail.

 

Soccer is not only one of the most popular sports in the world, but it’s one that has become an integral part of describing our culture in most of the countries in Latin America. We have all experienced and talked about memorable moments of happiness, excitement, surprise and disappointment. Our passion for soccer unites us and helps us, for a moment, to take our mind off of difficult times our countries may be facing.  By: Claudia Gioia, Hill+Knowlton Strategies President, CEO Latin America & the Caribbean

In anticipation of this week’s 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ kickoff, Telemundo Deportes, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises’ sports division, announced digital activation plans and partnerships ensuring the most complete, digital and linear tournament experience for all fans. In addition to the Spanish-language live streaming of all 64 World Cup matches on Telemundo Deportes En Vivo and the NBC Sports apps, new digital initiatives surrounding the network’s coverage of the tournament will include a full-service virtual reality experience, which will be available on the Telemundo Deportes VR App, World Cup highlights customized with musical GIFs through Gifnote.com, a soccer Emoji keyboard with Sportsmania, GOAL! SHOOTOUT – for the Instant Games platform on Messenger and Facebook and an interactive bracket (or “quiniela”) experience.

The World Cup will account for one in ten of every new ad dollars spent on advertising globally this year. That's the takeaway from Zenith's report this year, which predicts the tournament will add $2.4bn to global advertising this year.

Mobile checkout is shaping up to be a big theme in 2018, but some restaurants are implementing digital kiosks in addition to offering mobile ordering apps. It's just one more option for customers to choose from in an increasingly consumer-focused world.

Wonderful Pistachios announced that sportscaster and TV personality, Carmen Boquín, will serve as the brand’s ambassador during the most important soccer event in the world. 

It is well known that the U.S. Census Bureau keeps track of state-to-state migration flows. But that’s not the case with Puerto Rico. Most of the publicly known numbers related to the post-Maria diaspora from the island to the continental U.S. were driven by estimates, and neither state nor federal institutions kept track of how many Puerto Ricans have left (or returned) after the storm ravaged the entire territory last September.