Rice expert available to comment on 2014 World Cup

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
713-348-6327
david@rice.edu

Jeff Falk
713-348-6775
jfalk@rice.edu

Rice expert available to comment on 2014 World Cup

HOUSTON – (June 17, 2014) – The 2014 World Cup is underway in Brazil. It’s also the beginning of what will be a major marketing effort by global companies hoping to cater to the millions of soccer fans worldwide. Meanwhile, at home, many Brazilians are upset that the government has spent an estimated $11 billion to build stadiums at a time when the nation’s economy is struggling.

A Rice University expert can weigh in on the business and marketing side of the World Cup: Wagner Kamakura, the Jesse H. Jones Professor of Marketing at the Jones Graduate School of Business, is a native of Brazil and speaks Portuguese.

“I agree with the consensus being built in the country that the World Cup will be great business for FIFA, the international football association, but not as much for Brazil,” Kamakura said.

“The Brazilian government had to invest a fortune in new stadiums (private investors were wise enough to stay away from them), many of which will become ‘white elephants’ immediately after the games are over,” Kamakura said. “More than 70 percent of all 3 million tickets were sold internally, and therefore revenues from tourism will be limited, while FIFA makes a bundle from all ticket sales, media rights, etc.”

To schedule an interview with Kamakura, contact Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

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Related materials:

Kamakura bio: http://business.rice.edu/Wagner_Kamakura.

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