How Bookipi Took a Small Business Brand to the World Cup Stage

The FIFA World Cup creates something incredibly difficult for marketers to buy: millions of people paying attention to the same thing at the same time. That kind of concentrated attention is rare, and it presents an opportunity far beyond traditional advertising metrics. Rather than trying to buy more impressions online, one company decided to place their brand where the attention already existed.

Large international brands with deep pockets can afford to reach their audiences with advertising during the World Cup events and games. However, for small businesses, that kind of reach is literally out of reach. Too many businesses try to create attention from scratch. A better approach is to attach your business to moments that people already care about.

For one small business software company, the strategy was never about competing with the budgets of official sponsors. Instead, it focused on participating in the conversation surrounding the event rather than trying to become part of the event itself. The business deployed mobile LED advertising trucks outside major stadiums during three World Cup matches: USA vs. Paraguay and Australia vs. Paraguay in California, and England vs. Croatia in Dallas. The trucks were positioned outside SoFi Stadium for the USA match and AT&T Stadium for England vs. Croatia, one of the most anticipated fixtures of the group stage. Based on combined stadium attendance and surrounding match-day foot traffic in the stadium districts, Bookipi estimates the campaign reached more than 200,000 attendees.

As marketers often say, attention is the most valuable currency. Rather than investing heavily in additional digital impressions, the small business chose to position its brand in front of passionate fans already gathered around one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles.

The campaign was about more than visibility. For a company founded to serve small business owners, there was a personal dimension to the effort.

The company was founded by Tim Lee, who arrived in Australia more than a decade ago, worked as a tiler, and built the company from the ground up. Seeing a business that began with a tradie trying to solve his own invoicing problems now advertising around the World Cup is a reminder of how far small businesses can go when they think beyond traditional limits.

The response extended beyond external visibility. Employees, customers, and partners enjoyed seeing a small business software company show up alongside some of the world’s biggest brands at one of the world’s biggest sporting events. For a company dedicated to serving small business owners, there was something symbolic about proving that you don’t need a global-sized budget to participate in a global moment.

However, the company does not necessarily recommend that every small business rent LED trucks outside major stadiums. The real lesson lies in the strategy behind the activation rather than the tactic itself.

Too many businesses try to create attention from scratch. A more effective approach is to attach yourself to moments people already care about. Whether that’s a major sporting event, a local festival, a seasonal trend or an industry conference, the principle is the same: align with existing conversations rather than trying to manufacture new ones.

A local café introducing a World Cup match-day menu, a retailer launching a themed promotion, a tradesperson creating content about the tournament- these cost very little but generate disproportionate awareness because they tap into attention that already exists.

Small businesses succeed when they find leverage, and cultural moments provide exactly that.

One of the most rewarding parts of the campaign was creating advertising that felt like a natural extension of the event rather than an interruption. The creative was customised for each match, incorporating the competing nations and their flags into the Bookipi branding. We even played with the idea of one nation invoicing the other for a victory, tying the football rivalry back to our platform in a way that felt both relevant and memorable.

From an internal perspective, the campaign generated strong engagement and pride because it represented something bigger than advertising. Employees, customers, and partners enjoyed seeing a small business software company show up alongside some of the world’s biggest brands during one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

That approach reflects a broader marketing truth: the closer a brand gets to the emotion of the moment, the more likely people are to notice. Many brands try to stand apart from what people are experiencing. Bookipi leaned into the tension, excitement, and rivalry fans were already feeling.

The campaign reinforced an important truth about modern marketing: brands do not need to own an event to benefit from it. They simply need to participate in a way that feels authentic.

That is where small businesses have an advantage. They can move faster, take creative risks, and join conversations larger organisations may overlook. In a crowded marketplace, those qualities can be more valuable than the size of any advertising budget.