With consumers
reeling from many months of gloomy predictions about forthcoming austerity,
hosting a major global sporting event is set to provide one of the main
anti-depressants in the coming two years – and to extend through the decade.
London’s staging of
the 2012 Olympics is set to provide a major boost to morale with rising
expectations of the event itself and its impact. Over a third of adults
consider winning the 2012 Olympics as boosting their confidence about the
prospects for the UK economy and growing numbers expect the London Olympics to
leave a lasting sporting legacy and boost sports participation in the UK.*
At the same time
national interest is building up in the outcome of England‘s bid to stage the
2018 World Cup. Research by GfK NOP for financial and business research
specialist JGFR found that just under 4 out of 10 adults (some 20 million
people aged 16 or over) believe that England winning the World Cup will be the
perfect boost to consumer confidence.
As economists and
politicians debate where growth is going to come from in the coming years, the
role of sport is set to play a major part, particularly hosting global sporting
events and the economic stimulus expected to be generated from them. Management
consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers calculate the economic benefits of England
hosting the 2018 World Cup at £3.2 billion, creating thousands of new jobs and
opportunities nationwide.
Success in winning
the World Cup bid would boost confidence, especially among people in lower
income households (under £25,000 per annum) who would hope to benefit from new
jobs created: 44% agreeing that their confidence would be boosted compared to
39% overall.
Compared to the
London Olympics the 2018 World Cup would be spread out to a much greater extent
regionally. There are 12 host cities stretching from Newcastle to Plymouth.
Regionally there are notable differences in the boost to confidence a
successful bid would have. More people believe in the positive impact of
winning the bid in the North West (54% support – two staging cities Manchester
and Liverpool), London (46%) and the East Midlands (46% - Nottingham and Milton
Keynes). Support is lowest outside England – 32% in Wales, 27% in Northern
Ireland and only 20% in Scotland, although the latter will have a sporting
boost from the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The part staging of the 2015
Rugby World Cup in Wales will be a similar boost to the economy there.
Commented John
Gilbert, Chief Executive of JGFR:
“Despite the
disappointment of the England team’s performances in the World Cup in South
Africa, winning the bid to stage the 2018 World Cup would provide considerable
compensation. Such a success would build on the UK’s hosting of global sporting
events in the coming decade – notably the 2012 Olympics, 2014 Commonwealth
Games and 2015 Rugby World Cup – and do much to make sport one of the key growth
areas in economic recovery”
Enquiries: John
Gilbert 0208 944 7510 / 07740 027968
*JGFR has tracked consumer attitudes towards the London Olympics since June 2005. Among the issues tracked are:
· Winning the Olympic bid and confidence about the economy
· Ticket applications
· Boosting sports participation
· The greatest sporting event of my lifetime
· Switch to / purchase from / regularly use a brand sponsoring the Olympics
· Leave a lasting sporting legacy
· The NHS should use the London Olympics to promote sport/exercise
· Helping at Olympic events
A short report: ‘Consumer Attitudes towards the London Olympics’ was published in May (cost £200+VAT) and an update will be published in December using data collected in September.
Charts relating to responses to ‘England winning the World Cup bid will be the perfect boost to consumer confidence’ across various demographic segments are available on request, cost £50 +VAT