IPA: nearly half of UK adults have ‘more respect’ for brands addressing issues in Qatar
The IPA has found 49% of all adults they surveyed would “respect brands more” for “addressing issues” around the Qatar World Cup.
This rose to two thirds (63%) of 18-34s, and was marginally higher in men (52%) than women (47%) across all ages.
This comes as many brands have been criticised for “hypocrisy” over their sponsorship and involvement in the event, which starts this Sunday.
Comedian Joe Lycett called out England footballing legend David Beckham on Twitter for accepting a reported multimillion deal with Qatar to be its ambassador, despite the nation’s record on human rights abuses, anti-LGBTQ+ policies, and its treatment of immigrant workers building stadiums for the event.
Nevertheless, 47% of 18-34s say they would prioritise watching the Qatar World Cup over other seasonal shows like Strictly Come Dancing and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here.
The same survey polled attitudes on Black Friday, which coincides with England and Wales’ group stage match. It found 56% of women surveyed would “restrict spending” to brands they trust, compared to 45% of men.
Damian Lord, head of insight at the IPA, commented: “How to manage activity during the Qatar World Cup is a significant problem and potential opportunity for brands to solve, both in terms of whether to comment on human rights issues and how to manage the disruption to the festive period.”
