The Panini empire in the sports industry

Every four years the World Cup fever is reflected in the purchase of jerseys and in the fury to see the great figures of football on the pitch. It is also verified in the fans by filling out a booklet with stamps of each player and team participating in the World Cup.

Panini is the most important company in terms of the sale of trading cards and collectible stamps on a global scale. Thanks to its licenses with Disney, Manga, NFL, NBAamong other generators of intellectual property, Panini has become a relevant player in the world of collectors.

Grupo Panini was born in Italy in 1961, by the Guiseppe brothers, Benito and Umberto Panini. In the seventies there was a “boom” in the sports industry, specifically in soccer.

For the Mexico World Cup In 1970, the Italian company released its first edition of the World Cup album, after obtaining a license from FIFA, the largest soccer organization on the planet. In those years, the 50-page album was available for 2 Mexican pesos and the images of the Brazilian idol Pelé or the Mexican attacker Enrique Borja were the most valued and sought after.

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The cost of a hobby

Seeing the booklet completely filled is a great satisfaction for those who collect it, but doing this involves a significant investment.

For example, the famous Russian 2018 album Starter Pack included the hardcover version of the booklet and a box with 100 envelopes (5 stamps per envelope), for 1,400 pesos.

Now, for the 2022 World Cup that will take place in Arab lands, the box with 104 envelopes is at 1,872 pesos and without counting the normal or hardcover booklet. The “soft” pasta is at 89 pesos with 4 envelopes only.

From the World Cup in Russia to that of Qatar there has been an increase in the prices of the Panini soccer album and stamps.

The official FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 collection includes the 32 participating teams with a total of 670 stamps.

The passion of Mexicans to complete the most famous album of the World Cup is so great that it has led the country to stand out among the Top 10 countries that buy the album the most, according to Francisco Poch, head of Panini’s Marketing area. Mexico.

The panini empire

With a highly detailed process in the making of albums and stamps, Panini expects to top $1 billion in profits, according to site information Inside World Football.

Panini is not exempt from competition, and one of the most relevant is Álbum 3 Reyes, originally from Peru. This World Cup album is a cheaper option, easily accessible but without as much quality in presentation and, most importantly, without the FIFA license.

The commercial allies that Panini has, as well as the licenses and products, have collaborated so that this Italian company positions itself as the commercial leader that it is today.

Another of his great collaborations, following in the sporting and footballing line, It’s with Coca-Cola. The original strategy between Panini and this soft drink company includes inserts within their albums that must be occupied by stamps found on the packaging of this company’s products. But beware, not in all.

With this association, Panini and Coca-Cola have achieved great publicity not only for the stickers but also for promotions that involve t-shirts, trips and even the return of the famous and well-remembered “bigheads”.

digitized passion

Thanks to the technological progress that has driven digitization, the Italian publisher has adapted to the new needs of consumers and has created the digital version of the album, available on its Panini Digital Stickers app.

The application delivers two free envelopes per user daily and both FIFA and Panini post codes on their social networks that are used to obtain some benefits.

The exchange of digital figures is as simple as putting them in the corresponding space and the stamps are automatically exchanged with random users or with friends who use the app.

The album application is at the top of the popularity charts in the Google Play Store and the Apple AppStore, manufacturers of the most popular operating systems, thanks to its number of downloads and the proximity of the initial whistle.

daniela.munoz@eleconomista.mx