• by Karlene Lukovitz , October 11, 2013

In its largest multi-brand marketing program to date, Mondelez International has announced a series of multi-year sponsorships and deals with North American soccer teams, organizations and players. 

The deals will form the basis for an integrated marketing campaign to launch in 2014.

The deals include a three-year sponsorship as the official snacks of U.S. Soccer (men’s and women’s national teams); and a three-year sponsorship as the official snacks of Club Deportivo Guadalajara (a Mexican team commonly known as Chivas) for games played within the U.S. 

These sponsorships also include rights to align with coaches, "legends of the game" and the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, reports Mondelez. 

In addition, Mondelez has inked individual marketing deals with Major League Soccer's Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC) and Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), and with Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan, who plays for the Portland Thorns in the National Women's Soccer League.  

The official snacks designations for U.S. Soccer and Chivas extend across the cookie, candy, cracker and gum categories, and will include Mondelez brands Oreo, Chips Ahoy, Ritz, Wheat Thins, Honey Maid, Newtons, Belvita, Trident, Dentyne, Stride and Sour Patch Kids, among others.

These deals will span media platforms (including social media), as well as retail, shopper marketing and consumer promotions, grassroots efforts and public relations.

Mondelez's plans include employing its global partnership with Twitter to garner consumer insights and engage with fans in real-time in North America and globally. 

The timing of Mondelez's soccer initiatives reflects the sport's unprecedented popularity in the U.S., which is being heightened by competitions leading up to major international soccer events over the next three years. 

As the company points out, soccer is now the number one participatory sport in North America among kids under age nine, and about a third of U.S. households now have kids who play soccer. Among U.S. Millennials, soccer ranks second in popularity only to the NFL, a recent survey showed. 

The U.S. Men's National Team has already qualified for the 2014 World Cup Tournament in Brazil, the U.S. Women's National Team is currently seeking to qualify for 2015's FIFA Women's World Cup Tournament in Canada, and both teams hope to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics, also in Brazil. All three events are expected to draw record U.S. television ratings. 

In addition, the U.S. Soccer Federation is celebrating its 100th year.

Mondelez's brands see soccer as a way to connect with consumers in their communities, summed up Stephen Chriss, senior director, North America consumer engagement and marketing services at Mondelez. The brands "will be perfectly positioned to help provide our snacks to consumers whether they are watching at home, cheering in person or taking the field themselves,” he said. 

In addition to the overall massive reach of the marketing surrounding these deals over time, closely associating the Mondelez brands with soccer, the Mexican Club Chivas and athletes like Omar Gonzalez will open up important opportunities to connect with and build loyalty among Hispanic consumers and multicultural soccer fans around the world. 

Mondelez confirmed that it will be implementing numerous marketing initiatives tailored to "a broad range of multicultural consumers." 

"Children Playing Soccer" photo from Shutterstock.