Advertisers misjudge lure of soccer for women

LONDON - Record numbers of women are watching the soccer World Cup but advertisers have overlooked the trend and almost exclusively pitched male-skewed brands using familiar methods.

"It's a new phenomenon, which has been undervalued and underestimated," said Maurice Levy, chief executive of Publicis Groupe, the world's fourth-largest advertising and marketing services conglomerate. "We've certainly missed an opportunity."

Viewership data from around the world, compiled by media-buying firm Initiative, shows that 39 per cent of the tournament's TV audience has been female.

That is the same percentage as for the entire 2002 World Cup. By the final in two weeks, the figures are expected to be higher.

- REUTERS