Now that England are through to the knockout stages, the 2026 World Cup can really start. The next couple of weeks will be filled with cheering the players, booing the ref and late nights (or super early mornings) to watch the matches.
For those of us working in B2B PR and marketing, it’s also an opportunity to connect with our audiences in a way that feels timely, relevant and engaging. The good news is that there are plenty of angles to choose from with a football twist. You could say, it’s the PR equivalent of a well-placed free kick.
As a team specialising in HR PR, we have been looking at how events like the World Cup can help marketers and communications professionals speak more effectively to HR decision makers. From flexibility and performance through to culture and fairness, this is a point where familiar challenges come into sharper focus.
The opportunity for marketers is not just to join the conversation, but to guide it. Here are seven common ‘fouls’ we see in how these topics are approached, and what HR marketers should be saying instead.
Foul one: talking about flexibility as a perk
Too many campaigns still position flexibility as something optional or discretionary. That framing weakens the argument before it has a chance to land. HR leaders are not looking for perks, they are trying to make flexibility work consistently across teams.
Red card: positioning flexibility as informal or manager-led
Goal: framing flexibility as part of core workforce design
What marketers should be saying
Make flexibility feel structured and intentional. Focus on consistency, planning and clear expectations, not individual exceptions.
Content to create
A short viewpoint article or LinkedIn series exploring what structured flexibility looks like in practice, backed by real examples or client insight.
Foul two: defaulting to attendance as the story
It is easy to build a narrative around absence, lateness or time off. It is familiar and easy to explain, but it is not what matters most. HR leaders are far more focused on output and performance.
Red card: leading with attendance metrics
Goal: shifting the narrative to performance and outcomes
What marketers should be saying
Build messaging around productivity and results. Help HR teams move beyond visibility as the main measure of work.
Content to create
An insight-led blog or data-backed commentary on how organisations measure performance beyond attendance, supported by expert views.
Foul three: reinforcing rigid working norms
Some messaging still leans heavily on traditional structures, fixed hours and uniform expectations. This can make brands feel out of step with the challenges HR teams are working through.
Red card: reinforcing inflexible ways of working
Goal: promoting structured flexibility and well-defined frameworks
What marketers should be saying
Show how flexibility can be managed with structure. Balance adaptability with clear frameworks that support delivery.
Content to create
An explainer guide or visual piece outlining different flexible working models, including core hours and outcome-based approaches.
Foul four: overlooking the engagement opportunity
The World Cup creates shared experiences that naturally bring people together. Yet many campaigns treat it as a distraction rather than something to build on. HR leaders are always looking for ways to strengthen connection across teams.
Red card: ignoring shared cultural moments
Goal: using them to support engagement and connection
What marketers should be saying
Highlight how informal, shared experiences can complement more structured engagement efforts.
Content to create
A thought leadership piece on low-effort ways to encourage connection at work, using cultural moments or noteworthy events as a starting point.
Foul five: assuming everyone relates to the theme
Football-led content can be engaging, but it can also exclude. Messages that assume universal interest risk narrowing their appeal. HR leaders are focused on inclusion, as well as engagement.
Red card: building messaging around a single shared interest
Goal: creating inclusive narratives with wider relevance
What marketers should be saying
Keep campaigns accessible. Treat the World Cup as a way in rather than the main message. Campaigns need to stand on their own, regardless of how engaged someone is with the tournament.
Content to create
A commentary piece on inclusive engagement, exploring how to create campaigns that allow people to participate on their own terms.
Foul six: leaning into control-based messaging
When disruption becomes part of the conversation, there is often a shift towards control, policy and enforcement. That approach can feel disconnected from what HR leaders are dealing with day to day.
Red card: overplaying restriction and control
Goal: emphasising fairness, consistency and trust
What marketers should be saying
Frame policies as supportive. Focus on balance and fairness, and not just enforcement.
Content to create
An expert-led article or interview with HR leaders on what makes policies feel fair and practical in real working environments.
Foul seven: treating it as a short-term campaign hook
The biggest mistake is using the World Cup as a one-off content opportunity, rather than a way into more meaningful, ongoing conversations.
HR leaders are thinking beyond the next few weeks, and messaging should reflect that.
Red card: keeping the narrative surface-level and time-bound
Goal: using it to open longer-term discussions
What marketers should be saying
Anchor messaging in wider themes such as flexibility, performance and culture so it continues to resonate beyond the tournament.
Content to create
A longer form trends piece or whitepaper linking current conversations to longer-term shifts in how work is organised.
Final whistle: where HR marketing earns its value
The World Cup gives marketers a timely way into conversations that already matter to HR leaders, but its value depends on how that opportunity is used. The strongest campaigns move beyond surface references and use the moment to sharpen their messaging, making it more practical, more relevant, and closely tied to the challenges HR teams are addressing every day. This is not about adding a football theme and hoping it resonates, but about using a shared moment to say something useful and grounded. Brands that approach it with this level of intent do more than join the conversation, they help shape it, and in a crowded market that’s the difference between taking a shot and finding the back of the net.
Being relevant means being both timely and timeless to your audience. From planned moments to breaking news, we help you tell the stories that land. Learn more about our approach here: https://skoutpr.com/approach/
