THE2018 WORLD CUP: PREPARATIONS OF THE HOST CITIES FOR THE MEDIA COVERAGE

Abstract

The 2018 FIFA World Cup will be the first World Cup to be held in Russia and in Eastern Europe. This international competition is not only a major sport event but also a catalyst for many social changes within the country: 11 host cities bear a heavy responsibility for organizing the World Cup at a decent level. Information technologies and event media coverage are essential part of a successful preparation of the event in the modern conditions. The paper considers the results of the study devoted to the media visibility of host cities’ brands in mass media and social media. The study suggests that the number of mentions of the host cities is not the main criterion when assessing the host city media visibility in the framework of the 2018 World Cup. It can also be shaped by a number of qualitative and quantitative indicators. The intensity of mass media and social media mentions across the 2018 World Cup host cities (according to size and status of the cities) is almost equal. A large portion of materials related to the 2018 World Cup in the media space is reprinted which shows a deficit of original copyright materials devoted to the topic. Generally, the study revealed a lack of systematic approach towards promoting the brands by the host cities in social media; this may have negative impact on the 2018 World Cup information campaign.