Researchers Warm Up for World Cup

With the World Cup still 16 days away, MR companies are already rolling out related statistics and web site launches. Pulse Train has a World Cup stats system showcasing its Pulsar Web software; Research Now and NPD have released results on shirt purchase; and FIRM has launched a Confirmit-based World Cup predictions site.

Pulse Train has 'unearthed' a series of World Cup facts, 'fascinating reading for any lover of the beautiful game', by loading data from every World Cup Finals match (from the very first tournament in Uruguay 1930 to the most recent one in Japan/Korea in 2002) into the Pulsar Web system online. Actually we already knew that Hungary beat Germany 8-3 in 1950 and then lost to them in the final, but no doubt the demo, with the help of the widely used software, will turn up a few more unusual snippets: users interested in accessing the demo should apply to sales@pulsetrain.com for a password. More info is at www.pulsetrain.com/news/2006/pweb_world_cup.htm .


Meanwhile online software company FIRM has launched a non-profit web site, www.PredictWorldCup.com, inviting people around the world to submit their predictions of the scores of all of the games for the entire World Cup. To be eligible for the Grand Prize, submissions must be completed prior to the start of the first game on Friday, June 9, 2006. There is no cost to participate. Following the 2006 World Cup, one winner will be awarded the Grand Prize.

'The submission of predictions with point calculations illustrates the flexibility of the Confirmit survey and reporting platform' says VP of Marketing Kjell Øksendal, adding on a more general note that from 2004 to 2005, the percentage of market research agencies managing their community panels on internally developed legacy systems decreased 12% to a total of 72%.

FIRM (Future Information Research Management) is on the web at www.confirmit.com .


Also this week, Research Now and NPD Sports Tracking Europe have been polling their panel of sports enthusiasts to find out whose fans are putting their money where their mouth is and buying official team shirts. Some 14% of the 5,000 consumers interviewed have already purchased a national team shirt, and a further 30% say they will do so in the run up to the competition. The sample was evenly split between the five biggest European economies - the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain - and found UK consumers (England fans one assumes - although the Scots have always had a fine sense of irony) are the keenest in this respect. 21% of UK respondents claim they have already purchased an official national team shirt for the World Cup and a further 34% state they will buy one before the Finals start.

Fewer Italians have already bought a shirt, but adding those intending to buy, they are equally passionate (ie 55% one or the other), whereas French and Spanish consumers are less keen (30% and 37% respectively say they have bought or will buy a shirt), and in host nation Germany the figure is 41%.

Research Now is online at www.researchnow.co.uk and NPD Sports Tracking Europe, part of US-based NPD Group Inc., at www.npd.com . Yes, that's US-based - and this is 'soccer', by the way. The USA generally perform creditably, and above their seeding, in the Finals so let's hear from some researchers across the pond with an interest in the world's biggest sport...

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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