Grabbing Olympic Gold (Olympics help brands)

GrabbingOlympic GoldHow the Olympics help brands

Intro The Olympics are well underway in London, and as we watch the competition on screen, we notice a slew of Olympic advertisements, sponsorships, and PR campaigns from companies looking to bolster their brands. Let’s explore what makes the Olympics such a powerful marketing tool and look at a few of the strategies companies use to leverage the Olympics to build equity.2

The addy Gr and-d of Events It’s no surprise that some of the worlds biggest and best brands make the Olympics a major part of their marketing focus every two to four years. It is truly a one-of-a-kind event. What are the 3 attributes that make the Olympics almost a sure-ﬁre win for any marketing department? vity lnerability ivity nge nvu Lo I Ex clus3

ngevity Lo The Olympic Games have been around for more than 100 years, reaching people’s hearts since 1896. Since the very ﬁrst event in Athens, Greece, the Games have taken place 49 times in 24 different countries, including London 2012. And they are still relevant. Rules may change, but the Olympic essence remains consistent.4

erab ility Invuln The rise of National Socialism in Germany (1936), Terrorism and bombings in Munich and Atlanta (1972, 1996), the boycotts of the 1980s, increasing commercialism (today) and a number of other mis-steps and accidents have marred individual Olympic events. No matter what kind of drama takes place, the Olympics themselves have always emerged unscathed from any scandal or mishap. The purity of the sport, the opportunity for humanity to come together, and the inspiring stories of the athletes always t r u m p n e g a t i v i t y s u r ro u n d i n g (o r interrupting) the games.5

xclus ivity E The IOC (International Olympic Committee) is notoriously protective of both the Olympics brand and the brands of its sponsors. On one hand, this can be seen as a knock against the Olympics — being overly aggressive in prosecuting potential infringers. On the other hand, brands beneﬁt from a partner who will go o u t o f t h e i r way t o e n s u re t h a t sponsorship money beneﬁts both parties. Olympic events are still noticeably less commercial than other mega-events such as the NFL Super Bowl or the FIFA World Cup, greatly enhancing the credibility of sponsors who participate.6

Oly mpian Values The fact that the Olympics take place on the world stage makes them a huge brand enhancer. However, global reach is only one dimension of Olympic brand-boosting power. The rich tapestry of values which come pre-packaged in the Olympics narrative are ready-made for brands with compatible values.7

INWARD Oly mpian alues Patriotism V Dynamism Teamwork Coming together Athleticism Global Village Victory Power Global party Physical ﬁtness We are all human Melting pot CompetitionTO BELONG TO DOMINATE Self discipline Dreams Peace Perfection Universalism Authenticity Focus Care of the planet True-to-yourself and environment Self awareness On the world Personal challenge stage Exactitude Equality OUTWARD8

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Go G reen Ethical and social expectations of Olympic sponsor companies is higher than non-sponsors. Sustainability and environmental stewardship also work hand-in-hand with the universalist values and ideals for which the Olympics stand. Going green has been a major theme of many recent Olympic games sponsorship campaigns.11

Go G reen Responding to Coca-Cola’s objective of promoting sustainability during Vancouver Winter Games in 2010, the company sponsored green corporate and public hospitality programs. For i n st a n ce, u s e o f 1 0 0 % re c yc l a b l e packaging, installation of energy efficient coolers and vending machines, use of hybrid vehicles, provision of bicycles for guests to get around, recycled uniform materials, and provision of one thousand four hundred recycling bins.12

Go G reen GE’s 2009 campaign focused on both ecology and the city of Beijing with dramatic visuals conveying the company’s push to solve numerous environmental challenges.13

He alth well ness and With the world fighting an obesity epidemic, the 2012 Olympics have proven a key opportunity for brands to take a stand on the side of exercise, good nutrition, and fitness. Its no wonder that some of the events sponsors, which normally find themselves on the wrong side of the obesity issue, are using their O l y m p i c s c a m p a i g n s t h i s ye a r a s platforms to promote (or create) fitness credentials for their brands.15

He alth well ness and Coca Cola introduced the Move to the Beat campaign, in which a 5-pack of a t h l e te s f ro m m u l t i p l e disciplines interacts with consumers, encouraging activity and exercise.16

He alth well ness and McDonalds is focusing on ﬁghting childhood obesity with their Champions of Play campaign, which encourages exercise on the global, regional, and local levels and tracks the results online.17

He alth well ness and GE is also getting in on the health and wellness trend, creating the Healthy Share application in which users can track healthy eating and ﬁtness activities. The TV campaign focuses on products and innovations which keep people healthy, ﬁt, or alive across the globe.18

cali zing Lo A one-size-ﬁts all solution is not the only approach to branding the Olympics. Brands with a multinational footprint can capitalize on national pride and cultural motivations in individual countries or regions. Brands in a single country can lead the way cheerleading local athletes and teams or use the global stage to call attention to local causes.20

cali zing Lo As sponsor of the Beijing Olympics, McDonald’s built most of its global marketing campaign around the idea of people from all over the world coming together in a festival of sport. The company’s ads encouraged people to ‘Celebrate the Olympics with McDonald’s’. Cheer for China, with its adjusted slogan , But within China, where pride in hosting ‘I’m loving it when China wins’, was a very the games ran high and feelings were successful localized campaign. particularly sensitive due to recent events, a different approach, focusing on Chinese successes, was selected.21

oodwill G GE partnered with local authorities to revitalize the Robson Square ice-rink in Vancouver. Th e g a m e s h ave a l ways b e e n a n incomparable opportunity for brands to engage and associate themselves with communities. Cultural events, infrastructure (also a legacy after the games), education, welfare, and even public health efforts can be truly rewarding ways for a brand to interact with the public during the competition.23

oodwill G The fate of venues after the competition The Helsinki Tennis Palace and the ANZ Stadium are two venues in which private is also a concern of host communities. companies have attached themselves to Rotting and abandoned stadiums have Olympic venues. become a painful reminder of the burden left after the cheering crowds have moved on. Companies which are able to privatize or at least subsidize these sites can potentially garner a great deal of long- term goodwill without needing to become ‘official’ sponsors of the games. Rather, they become integral parts of the community.24

ialym pics Soc London 2012 is considered the ﬁrst truly digital Olympics, with many opportunities for brands to connect through social media. Sochi 2014 will probably be even more so with the growth of the social media user-base. (Today, around 2 million people are connected to some kind of social media platform, against 100 thousand in Beijing). This huge and growing audience needs to be taken into account in any future Olympics.26

ialym pics Soc Already in 2008 in Beijing, Lenovo Pavilion visitors had the chance to see and try the brand’s innovative technologies. VIP guests were offered a hospitality suite including an Internet lounge, bar/food service, and ﬂoor-to- ceiling windows overlooking the Olympic Green. The experience led to visitors initiating a viral campaign disseminating the brands’ messages through texting, online sharing and word-of-mouth.27

ialym pics Soc For this 2012 Olympics, almost every major campaign has an online component. Samsung’s campaigns actually center around the social connections between us. The Samsung Genome Project, hosted on Facebook and via a series of mobile apps, allows visitors to discover how ‘Olympic’ they are, by uncovering shared interests, traits, and connections to competing athletes.28

bus hing Am Many brands have decided that a potential scolding is a fair price to pay for the impact that their unsponsored association with the games will provide. I n t h e p a st a n d i n o t h e r eve n t s , ambushing tactics have included guerilla actions, use of sponsored athletes, and distribution of materials which are somewhat ambiguous about Olympic involvement.Of course some witty sponsors willgo out of their way to poke fun at the Given the honor of appearing in thefact they are not sponsors. games, it is unlikely we will see individual athletes knowingly ambushing events in the same way that Brent Celek ambushed the NFL Playoffs in 2009 on behalf of Captain Morgan (shown above). However, were already seeing a number of companies developing creative workarounds to official sponsorship restrictions.30

bus hing Am Among the big international brands, Nike h a s b e co m e a n o to r i o u s O l y m p i c ambusher, and 2012 is no exception. The Find Greatness Campaign focuses on greatness achieved in every city or township named London except the one where the Olympics is being held. Nike has also taken advantage of the fact that athletes are not required to use Adidas (official sponsor) footwear. Every pair of Nike shoes that appear in the games is an eye-catching neon yellow or green with an instantly recognizable non- Adidas logo.31

bus hing Am One word of warning that if your ambushing PR stunt does not fit with the overall vibe of the event itself, you will find yourself the target of huge backlash — as experienced by Krug champagne. In 2011, they ambushed the Burning Man festival for an invitation only champagne dinner, itself a clear violation of festival values against corporatism. This was exacerbated when the PR firm hosting the event didnt bother to clean up afterward.32

Edit ions mite d Li One sure ﬁre, affordable tool almost guaranteed to increase a sponsor’s bottom line is the limited edition pack or product. Limited Editions, depending on the campaign and design, satisﬁes many important criteria, including novelty, national pride, goodwill, collectability, and (with the socially responsible promotional tie-in) universalism. A great limited edition pack or product brings your full Olympic presence to life on supermarket shelves, allowing shoppers to take a small piece of your campaign home with them.34

Edit ions mited Li35

nclu sion Co Not every company has the massive resources required to leverage the Olympics on a global level. However, the biggest sponsors do represent the top trends and best-in-class case studies which any company can emulate. We hope that this quick overview has provided you with inspiration to consider if you do plan to use the Olympics to help build your brand. If you would like more information or ideas of how you can best utilize your own Olympics sponsorship, please don’t hesitate to contact Cocoon Group.36

Thank you for your attention! Slide 1: http://reachforthewall.com/2012/07/31/michael-phelps-sets-medals-record-with-golden-anchor-leg-for-u-s/ Slide 2: http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/news/2012/07/26/will-any-good-come-from-london-2012/ Slide 4: http://www.historytoday.com/david-runciman/londons-olympics-political-games http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/athletics/story/2008/05/01/f-olympics-100m-history.html Slide 5: http://www.tracesofevil.com/2008/01/berlin-brandenburg-gate.html http://articles.philly.com/2012-07-23/sports/32789025_1_connollystrasse-moshe-weinberg-duane-bobick http://framework.latimes.com/2012/08/04/2012-london-olympics-day-8/#/1 Slide 6: http://www.mysocialagency.com/mobile-apps/coca-cola-olympics-app-development-strategy http://www.wardrobe-stylist.co.uk/#!advertising Slide 9: http://swoosh0018.com/2012/07/30/london-2012-opening-ceremony-your-thoughts/ Slide 11: http://www.london2012.com/about-us/sustainability/our-responsibility/ http://www.greenwala.com/channels/green-business/blog/12944-4-Ways-The-Olympics-Are-Going-Greener Slide 12: http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/olympic-games/sustainable-games/ http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/olympic-games/sustainable-games/zero-waste-games.htmlFor more information, http://fusionmd.blogspot.cz/2010/02/coca-cola-ecologista-en-vancouver.html Slide 13: http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2008/ge-ecomagination-for-the-olympics/please contact: Slide 15: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/08/02/sports/olympics/20120804-OLYPOD.html#/?slide=8 Slide 16: http://www.ryling.com/2012/06/coca-cola-move-to-the-beat-global-advertising-campaign-costume-design/ Slide 17: http://blog.omy.sg/alvinology/2012/04/03/mcdonald%E2%80%99s-champions-of-play-contest-win-a-trip-to-london-2012- olympics/ http://www.mcdolympics.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Olympic-post-e1343058068720.pngCocoon Group Slide 18: http://geforcee.geblogs.com/ge-spins-the-wheels-for-london-olympics-2012/ http://www.healthyshare.com/Douglas Kaufman Slide 20: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/133498 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Sponsorship.jpg Slide 21: http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/interactive/2009/10/cheer-for-china.jpg http://images.beijing2008.cn/20080424/Img214322279.jpgd.kaufman@cg-eu.com Slide 23: http://www.flickr.com/photos/michael-wong/4126181577/in/photostream http://sparksheet.com/brand-olympics-the-best-marketing-campaigns-of-the-2010-vancouver-winter-games/(+420) 222 998 598 Slide 24: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Australia_stadium_aka_ANZ_stadium.jpg http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/07/pictures/120726-2012-olympics-games-london-sports-venues-world- sports/#/london-olympics-past-venues-finland_57298_600x450.jpg Slide 26: http://www.Facebook.com/proctergamble Instagram @adidas http://statigr.am/p/183707513383450088_20269764www.cg-eu.com Slide 27: http://www.gpj.com/experience-marketing/lenovo-olympic-pavilion/ Slide 28: http://www.freshnessmag.com/2012/05/22/samsung-genome-project-mobile/ http://socialfresh.com/social-media-olympics/ Slide 30: http://www.capnito.cz/userfiles/image/ČapniTo%205/captain_morgan_logo_b71h.jpg http://associatedmedia.blogspot.cz/2009/11/captain-morgan-prohibited-in-nfl.html http://www.flickr.com/photos/susangittins/4191250719/ Slide 31: http://counterkicks.com/2012/07/are-you-even-trying-to-find-your-greatness/ http://static.ryanseacrest.com/wp-content/gallery/team-usa-sport-neon-on-olympic-podium/149810007.jpg http://www.runblogger.com/ http://assets.ecouterre.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/nike-2012-olympics-usa-track-and-field-7-537x402.jpg Slide 32: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11226583@N06/6176263400/ http://laughingsquid.com/krug-champagne-exploits-burning-man-event-with-staged-photoshoot/ Slide 34: http://popsop.com/32209 http://www.cadburygiftsdirect.co.uk/images/thumbs/0001078_470-Dairy-Milk-Medal-Easter-Egg.png Slide 35: http://hypebeast.cz/nike-air-max-90-hyperfuse-olympic/boty© Cocoon Group 2012 All Rights Reserved http://www.men-access.com/london-2012-olympic-games-watch-by-omega/ http://www.braun.com/us/braun-olympic-games-limited-editions.html

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Grabbing Olympic Gold (Olympics help brands)

by Cocoon Group on Aug 09, 2012

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