As retailers get set for a ‘Summer of Sport’, brands are preparing to capitalise on consumer spending and demand surges driven by the FIFA World Cup, new research from autonomous B2C CRM, Klaviyo, reveals.

Its poll of 435 UK marketing decision-makers showed that over half (53%) of UK brands will activate campaigns around the World Cup this year.

With data from VoucherCodes forecasting a £2.9 billion boost in UK retail sales off the back of the tournament, nearly nine in ten (88%) brands in Klaviyo’s study will increase their marketing budget to tap into World Cup opportunities, with 54% raising their marketing spend by more than a fifth.

This summer, brand campaigns will focus on discounts (61%), curated collections (48%) and reactive ‘fan moment’ content (37%).

Brands are also increasingly recognising that tapping into cultural opportunities around the World Cup will rely on speed, with 40% saying their most successful activations tend to launch within 1-3 days of a ‘moment’ happening.

However, 63% of marketing leaders also admit they have missed out on cultural moments because they couldn’t move fast enough.

“Brands globally are showing up for the World Cup and, when everyone’s in the market, budget alone doesn’t cut it,” said Jamie Domenici, CMO at Klaviyo. “What does is how quickly and how personally you can respond to the moments that genuinely move people.”

FIFA 2026 will also mark a turning point for World Cup marketing, becoming the first tournament where AI is available at scale. 88% of brand teams say they will use AI to power summer sporting activations to improve speed and personalisation.