The Thank-You Note That Beat the Scoreline
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What Jordan’s World Cup debut teaches brands about reputation, customer experience and the moments after the main event.
In this article
Jordan lost 2–1 to Algeria at its first World Cup in June 2026. But a moment after the match gave people something else to talk about.
The Nashama left their dressing room clean, with traditional Jordanian sweets, gifts and a thank-you note for the hosts. FIFA shared the scene on 23 June with the words “Ultimate respect”. You can see FIFA’s original post.
A clean room. A box of sweets. A thank-you.
For me, that’s the part marketers should pay attention to. The scoreline tells you what happened on the pitch. The gesture gives you a reason to remember the people who played.
What actually happened?
The gesture followed Jordan’s 2–1 defeat to Algeria during its World Cup debut. The Jordan Times covered the match, and Khaleej Times reported the note, sweets and souvenirs, alongside FIFA’s post.
What interests me is simpler: a team had lost, and still made an effort to thank the people looking after them. That’s a useful place to start a conversation about brand behaviour.
Why does a small gesture help build brand reputation?
Because it gives people something concrete to judge.
Most brands say they are respectful, grateful or customer-focused. It’s in the values slide and the About page. Readers skim past it because everyone says it.
The Nashama gave those qualities a visible form. There was care for a shared space, appreciation for the hosts and a local touch in the sweets. You didn’t need a brand presentation to understand the gesture.
My reading is that it was memorable because it happened after disappointment. A thank-you after a win feels easy. Making the effort after a loss says something too.
That doesn’t mean a kind gesture makes the result irrelevant. It means performance and behaviour leave different impressions. People can remember both.
What is the marketing lesson?
Your reputation is also built in the moments after the main event.
We put most of our budget and attention into the moments we control: the launch, the campaign, the big announcement. Those matter. But people also form an opinion of a business through the smaller interactions around them.
Think about the last time a brand surprised you, good or bad. Was it an advert? Or was it how someone handled a mistake, a refund or a goodbye?
Customer experience includes the parts where you’ve already been paid, where a sale is no longer possible or where the relationship is ending. Those moments deserve as much care as the welcome.
Where are your brand’s “dressing room moments”?
Every business has moments when someone is leaving and there is no immediate sale to chase. Those are your dressing room moments.
- After the sale. Delivery, setup and the first time something goes wrong. I wrote more about this in The Sale Is Over. The Brand Experience Isn’t.
- When you say no. Turning down a request or a client, and how they feel walking away. See Your Brand Is Also the Way You Say No.
- When a customer leaves. A cancellation, a lost tender or an unsubscribe. Is the exit as straightforward as the signup?
- When you lose. A pitch you didn’t win, a difficult review or a launch that underperformed. How do you respond once the good news has run out?
- When you reject someone. A job applicant, a supplier or a potential partner. A clear, considerate answer can still respect their time.
It’s easy to file these under admin. The person on the receiving end experiences them as part of your brand.
How do you put this into practice?
You don’t need a big budget. Start by paying attention.
- List your exits. Write down the moments when a customer, candidate or partner leaves your business, happy or not.
- Look at what happens now. Read the actual messages. Is it a useful reply, a template that says nothing or silence?
- Pick one moment to improve. One is enough to start. Choose something you can make better and keep doing properly.
- Make it human and specific. A real thank-you from a real person, a useful follow-up or a small local touch. The Jordanian sweets gave the team’s gesture a sense of place.
- Keep it honest. Make the experience useful even if nobody photographs it. A warm message won’t rescue an unfair refund policy or a difficult cancellation process.
For example, imagine a client chooses another agency after a pitch. You can send a short note thanking them for the time, acknowledge their decision and close out any outstanding questions. No guilt, no awkward attempt to reopen the sale. Just a decent ending.
That’s an example, not a formula. The right gesture depends on the relationship and what the other person needs.
The goal isn’t to go viral. Most of these moments will never be shared publicly. They can still give someone a reason to think well of you.
Should brands post about moments like this?
When a national moment lands, many brands rush to attach themselves to it: the team colours, a quick post, a slogan about pride.
Sometimes there is a real connection. A sponsor, a player or a community the business serves may give the brand something useful to say. Without that connection, it can feel like borrowing someone else’s story.
Before you post, ask:
- Do we have a real link to this moment? What gives us a reason to join the conversation?
- Are we adding anything? A useful perspective, a relevant action or something beyond repeating everyone else?
- Would our own behaviour pass the dressing room test? If customers saw how we handle a cancellation, rejection or complaint, would the post feel believable?
The last question matters most. A message about respect is easier to believe when people have already experienced it from you.
What should you take away?
Campaigns tell people who you want to be. Everyday behaviour gives them something to check that message against.
Look at what happens after the main event. Choose one ending that feels rushed, cold or unnecessarily difficult, and improve it. That’s a practical place to start building a better brand reputation.
The Nashama lost 2–1 to Algeria. They still gave people something worth remembering.
Sources
- FIFA’s original post about Jordan’s changing room, 23 June 2026
- Jordan Times: Jordan lose 2–1 to Algeria in second World Cup match
- Khaleej Times: Jordan team leaves sweets and a thank-you note
Frequently asked questions
What did Jordan’s team leave after the Algeria match?
After the 2–1 defeat in June 2026, Jordan left a clean dressing room, traditional sweets, gifts and a thank-you note. FIFA shared the scene publicly on 23 June.
What does this teach brands about reputation?
It’s a useful example of how behaviour can make values visible. The marketing lesson is to put care into the experience people have after the main event, as well as the message before it.
What is a “dressing room moment” for a brand?
It’s a moment after the main transaction, or when a relationship ends: a refund, cancellation, rejection or lost pitch. How you handle it contributes to how people remember your business.
Should brands post about national moments like the World Cup?
A real connection and something useful to add give a brand a better reason to participate. Check that your own customer experience supports the values you want to celebrate.
Can small gestures replace good customer service?
No. A thoughtful note can support a good experience, but it can’t fix an unfair policy or repeated poor service. Improve the underlying experience first.
Brand & Communications Strategist — Based in Amman. I help organisations clarify their value and connect strategy to practical communication.