Total 525 words used.
BACKGROUND
One of the biggest global sports events held every four years, the Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) World Cup was first hosted by the Philippines in 1978. After 45 years, the country was given the chance to host the tournament again in 2023.
Leading the country's FIBA World Cup (FBWC) 2023 hosting bid, the Philippines national sports association for basketball known as the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) introduced a multi-country hosting scheme, with Japan and Indonesia as co-hosts. After winning the bid, the three countries were subsequently awarded the right to host the tournament with the Philippines as the Lead Co-Host. The Philippines would host 16 Group Phase games and the Final Phase, while Japan and Indonesia would host 8 Group Phase games each.
The challenge then was to make the FBWC 2023 competition games run smoothly while generating excitement, exposure, and engagement among Filipino basketball enthusiasts and the international sports community across different platforms during the August 25 to September 10, 2023 tournament period.
EXECUTION
Managing logistics and coordination in a multi-country hosting scenario had been challenging. FIBA and the three hosts thus agreed on systems and procedures, ways of working, and timetables, taking into account different time zones. The three hosts acted as one team with solid coaching from FIBA.
Designated as the local host in the Philippines, SBP was tasked to handle the branding, marketing, and commercial aspects of the event. To be able to do these, SBP engaged the services of advertising and integrated marketing communications agency, DDB Group Philippines (DDB).
As SBP's creative and key partner, DDB worked with the latter and its counterparts in Japan and Indonesia, and was involved in the country's planning and execution of the World Cup and competition programs. Preparations started as early as 2019 and accelerated in the "post pandemic" years of 2022 and 2023.
DDB led the brand and campaign development and implementation, planning of ticket strategy and pricing, local sponsorships, hospitality program, and marketing. These also included handling the publicity efforts and social media management for the tournament, the SBP, and the Philippines' national basketball team Gilas Pilipinas.
RESULTS
FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 became the most-successful and most-followed event in the tournament's history with its duly completed games, record-breaking attendance and ticket sales, as well as phenomenal engagement levels across digital, social media, and broadcast.
FBWC 2023 remarkably garnered over 20 Billion impressions and 480 Million engagements across all platforms, more than triple the numbers recorded in 2019. When it came to views in social media, there was a stunning quadrupling of views reaching over 4.5 Billion. The FBWC-2023 website also had over 16 million users accounting for an unprecedented 33 million sessions.
Fans also came in big numbers to watch the games, with over 700,665 attending throughout the tournament, including the record-breaking FIBA Basketball World Cup crowd of 38,115 at the Philippine Arena for the game between Philippines and the Dominican Republic.
As imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, another proof of FBWC 2023's success is that the multi-country hosting introduced by the Philippines will be replicated at the next FIFA World Cup 2026.
Nomination Title: FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Multi-Country Hosting with Lead Co-Host Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and Key Partner DDB Group Philippines
