Keynote, Bayfront B Room, InterContinental Miami

Infomedia’s Qatar 2022 Reputational Risk Project quantifies the interaction between corporate reputational risk exposure and global marketing events through the examination of traditional news sources covering the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Over 1 million news articles were analysed in the data processing for this report, providing insight overall adverse media trends as well as FIFA sponsor mentions. This combination of data points highlights the growing role of negative news management by corporates, and the need to mitigate reputational damage that often serve as a precursor for material business impacts.

Key takeaways include:

• Adverse media coverage of the Qatar World Cup was prominent, underscoring the increasingly critical lens placed on global sporting events, including notable discussions of human rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and worker conditions;
• Negative news varied significantly based on the language of publication and country of origin, highlighting the need for dynamic marketing/risk mitigation strategies taken by global/regional brands;
• The increasing value placed on reputation and its tangible implications for profits underscores a shift amongst corporates to reassess advertising investments and provide greater consideration to non-financial risks;
• Big data analysis and news data offer untapped potential in better evaluating and monitoring reputational risk exposure, opening up a new avenue of growth for media monitoring firms.