Why Scotland’s World Cup efforts will resonate long after the final whistle

The World Cup may be coming to a close this week, but for Emma Evans, executive director at VCCP Roar, the Tartan Army’s efforts will endure long after the tournament’s finale.

Watching forty thousand Scots make their way across the pond - pipes in tow - I knew Scotland’s first venture back onto the group stage at the FIFA World Cup in 28 years was going to be something special.

Brief though it was, when The Boston Globe penned its farewell to the Tartan Army with the words “For a week, you turned train stations into sing-alongs, Fenway into a football ground, and an ordinary June into something we’ll be talking about for years”, the feeling of pride was overwhelming.

The thing about being a Scottish football fan is there are zero expectations. 

We have a fan base formed of generations of supporters who hold passion and positivity above all else. We even booked our flights home with smiles on our faces and, save for having to explain why we still cannot actively get behind England - side note, my kids are English, so I do, genuinely, wish them well - we accepted defeat with grace and dignity.

Aside from what did or didn’t happen on the pitch, the real brilliance shone through on the streets of Massachusetts and then Miami. And it’s this exercise in "community engagement"/"brand affinity" (call it what you will) that I think marketeers and brand owners can seek inspiration from. 

While global brands spend millions trying to find the right ‘stunt’ or ‘moment’, the Tartan Army authentically showed up to the World Cup and, in doing so, redefined experiential PR.

Admittedly, there were significant volumes of lager poured into this heady marketing mix, but the brand values held true: passion, positivity and a place for everyone to bring their authentic selves.

We obsess over how true influence is earned, rather than just bought, and - personal allegiances aside - we’ve been tracking this one closely. For any brand manager or CMO looking to build a solid corporate reputation, here are the top three creative PR lessons I believe the Scottish takeover of Boston offers…

Expectation management is key

It's universally accepted that today’s PR campaigns must demonstrate robust results. Setting these can sometimes be challenging, especially when most corporate PR is, often with good reason, intent on staying firmly inside the lines. So agreeing upfront what success looks like and setting realistic metrics can help ensure everyone has a good experience.

The Tartan Army is a textbook example of expectation management.

They showed up loud, fiercely proud, full of cheer and were ready. Ready to celebrate. Regardless of the result. They filled the Boston air with sounds of the pipes and the brand slogan “No Scotland, No Party’ was in full force, win, lose or draw.

Takeaway: Expectation alignment is vital. Setting clear expectations of results at the outset of any campaign or the beginning of any partnership helps avoid any disappointments and ensures a shared vision.

Consistency builds reputation

In Financial Services, we talk widely about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Sadly, all too often, it manifests as box-ticking, residing in a glossy PDF buried on a corporate website.

The Tartan Army’s version of CSR was beautifully simple: leave the place better than you found it. 

Despite the staggering amount of alcohol consumed across Boston, there were zero incidents reported and, instead, social media was awash with clips of Scottish fans cleaning up the streets post-party and looking after the local community.

Takeaway: Reputation doesn't live and breathe in a boilerplate or a policy; it’s the cumulative impact of your everyday actions. Consistency counts, and goodwill takes time to build.

Immersion is everything

When a brand enters a new market, it often takes a blast approach, broadcasting its arrival loudly and expecting or forcing the local population to adapt to it. The Scots took the opposite approach.

Its iconic fan march for the Red Sox's "Scottish Celebration Night" saw fans seamlessly integrate into the fabric of Boston, effectively offering an invitation to party. And it worked too! Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced Boston and Glasgow are forming an official Sister City Partnership. A historic Return on Integrity, I mean Investment, if ever there was!

Takeaway: Brand fame isn’t just generating positive headlines - although they help too! - it’s about changing behaviours and challenging perceptions. We will always challenge brands to look at how they can earn real cultural relevance.

The Tartan Army’s brief sojourn at this year’s World Cup is testament to how to capture hearts and minds, bringing immense joy along the way! Maybe the next campaign metric we need in the mix is: what would the Tartan Army do?