The organic growth of brand Iceland

Watching this Euro2016 from a footballing standpoint the standard hasn’t always been world class. Top players have been struggling with form after another strenuously long clubs football season, while match day media has been inundated with negative reports of rival fans fighting. One of the games was even temporarily halted as Croatian fans threw flares onto the pitch.However one thing has shone through and it has created the opportunity of a huge national sports brand.

That is the story of the Icelandic Viking underdogs coming overseas. First they drew a match with Portugal, then they kicked Austria and England out. They have triumphed over much bigger budgeted countries with household names and long football histories.The fairytale may come to an end when they meet the host, France, in Sundays Quarter Final clash in Saint-Denis. But that doesn’t really matter because the wheels are already in motion for Iceland’s football brand. When the Icelandic players orchestrated the crowds in victory after knocking out England, images and videos that captured the hearts of football fans across the world going viral in the process.Although for me, the less shared but more memorable moment was halfway through the second half when the Iceland roar silenced the usually raucous British fans, almost in intimidation. Similarly when Iceland previously faced Portugal, according to Wales Online , one Portuguese journalist remarked “”Don’t cross Iceland, their Viking football chant is terrifying.”

Part of the intrigue in their quarter final clash with France will now be not just if Iceland can beat France, but whether the Icelandic roar can also silence the home crowd.

The origins of the Viking chant

According to Icelandic newspaper Morgunblaðið who talked with the Irish Times, the Viking war cry actually originated withMotherwell fans in Scotland. During Icelandic side Stjarnan’s 2014 Europa League campaign, they were introduced to the chant when the two sides met in a playoff game. Since that moment the supporters group of Stjarnan adopted the chant for their club side. The fans of that same team then chanted it on national games and the rest is history.Although not as glamorous as actually being the descendent of a territorial war cry like the New Zealand’s Haka, it is none the less an organic adoption that seamlessly matches both the hardworking identity of the team and the Viking history of the country. It is also plausible to imagine that the Viking war cry would have been something similar, which is precisely why it has made such an impact.

Icelands Sporting Success

In hindsight the on-field performances of Iceland could have been foreseen to an extent. The Icelandic national team had already finished second in their Euro2016 Qualifying campaign beating the Netherlands twice and placing ahead of Turkey. But even before Euro2016 qualifying they had only narrowly missed out on World Cup 2014 qualifying, again finishing 2nd in their group before losing a playoff match against Croatia 2–0 on aggregate. Further research of the youth development implementations of the nation demonstrates that this is the payoff of a long term plan, with Vice Sports Documentary on Icelandic football being recommended viewing.Much like previous Cinderella stories, it is not an overnight success but a consistent progression of an underdog teams performances in the lead up to a major championship. Other examples include Senegal who beat France and also reached the Quarter Finals of the 2002 World Cup. They had reached the African Nations Cup Final in early 2002, narrowly losing on penalties.When Greece more miraculously won the Euro2004, they themselves won their Qualifying group 6 ahead of Spain, including a 1–0 away to Spain. Even their story didn’t start here, but rather at the end of the World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign where they drew away to England 2–2, having been the better side for much of the match.Even in club football the Leicester story started at the end of the 2014–2015 Premier League season where the club won 7 of their last 9 Premier League games of the season.

The Viking brand and football

All of the above demonstrate that every underdog story in football has a beginning and a path. But It represents opportunities for brands to bet upon low risk-high reward opportunities early if they are identified.

For example If you are the current shirt sponsor of Iceland, Errea, you must be thinking how can we create a campaign around this. Their previous “Unbreak the Ice” video is good, but it is not maximising the global buzz that Icelandic football is currently experiencing.While if you are Nike or Adidas, you just lost the football kit war by not spotting this potential development before the tournament started. Even if they do so after the tournament has ended, they have missed the initial buzz and the story development. For them, first will have to follow on this one.For football it is something that the sport has truly needed. A great underdog story that has grown naturally. In a game now dominated by money and profits, we now have an international team that the globe can get behind. Fans know that if they support the team in the stands, they can truly intimidate the opposition, and be a true 12th man. It is priceless.

For Iceland itself, it is the perfect vehicle to sell the national brand behind. The initial success of the team will no doubt increase eye balls onto the country. The values exported by the team represent the hardworking attitude of the country. The positive fandom of the stands and the chanting builds upon the islands history. Sporting wise, there are opportunities to build the Iceland national team’s presence with international friendlies through this success.

In terms of branding, Iceland can build upon this earned opportunity by creating their very own “All Blacks” in football. Other countries have attempted to manufacture this like the “Socceroos” of Australia and the “Azkals” of Philippines, but none have Iceland’s ingenuity. Currently nicknamed “Strákarnir okkar”, “Our boys” in English, it may be time to once again become the Vikings.

This article was originally published June 30th at enegi.com .