Much like the Super Bowl or the holiday season, The Olympics have transformed into a pinnacle platform for brand marketing, campaigns, and advertising on a global scale – tapping into a sentiment of global celebration, connection, and virality that only rolls around every four years. While it might seem overwhelming for many smaller brands and less-indulgent marketing campaigns, the diversification of Olympics advertising content over the years is proof that there’s more than one avenue to reach these audiences than becoming one of the many Olympic sponsors. 

Whether you’re thinking about building a smaller-scale marketing plan during The Olympic Games or already planning a macro-campaign as one of the lucky Olympic sponsors – there’s several ways The Olympics fosters successful brand marketing techniques and successes, whether you’re a heritage brand like Ralph Lauren or a smaller e-commerce company like BrandCrowd. 

Why The Olympics are a Must-Have Platform for Brand Marketing

Much like the athletes and influencers that grow in popularity during this time of year, consumers are drawn to connection – especially Gen Z and other younger consumers who’ve been driven towards “the infinite loop” consumer cycle through brand marketing, in contrast to traditional funnels. With authentic athletes, already sharing and fostering genuine stories, and impactful influencers, brands can tap into the emotional storytelling and connection that defines The Games – and the entire culture of the hyped event. 

User Connection & Authenticity

As a symbolic framework for respecting athletic excellence, whilst recognizing the fragility of humanity, The Olympics are a uniquely different event for the marketing space – compared to other holidays and advertising powerhouse days – that can give brands a relatively easy way to truly connect with the people interested in their brand, products, or services. By utilizing The Olympics as a must-have platform for your brand marketing, you’re not only tapping into an entirely different audience, you’re expanding your brand awareness and engagement with that audience ten-fold – across state lines, country borders, and oceans. 

With a similar sentimental value across cultures, The Olympics already serve as a melting pot for shared experience, mutual respect, and celebration – even despite the competition. These spaces already cultivate that shared sentimentality and connection, which is one less thing brands need to achieve with their marketing vision – the platform is already there. By crafting a campaign – with goals, influencers, and content – that captures this aura of ingenuity and authenticity, you’re more likely to capture the attention of this audience and gain credibility amidst other brands grasping onto the event’s image. 

Marketing studies reveal that customers with an emotional connection or relationship with brands are 71% more likely to recommend their products to friends – and have a three times higher lifetime value. It’s this connection and aura of ingenuity that makes consumers feel like a part of the advertising process – so build those relationships, even if it’s just tapping into the already connection-driven Games. 

Virality of Olympic Athletes & Culture 

With legendary and famous athletes like Simon Biles and LeBron James, many brands can capture the influence of the Olympic Games by simply partnering with these household names or partnering with The Games themselves as one of the plethora of Olympic sponsors. However, the true nature of influencer marketing and collaboration can be less macro and more tailored toward individuality, storytelling, and authenticity. Capturing day-to-day lives of athletes, behind the scenes of competing, or a glimpse at the humanity of people despite the global platform can all be successful tactics for utilizing these athletes and influencers in campaigns. 

Of course, many athletes like Biles, have already grown massive platforms of their own online – increasing in virality as The Games approach – and can provide both engagement with their unique storytelling alongside a uniquely large reach.

@simonebilesowens

i messed up the transition so this is what y’all get now lmaoooo i need a tiktok tutorial😂😅🤎 #olympictrials #gymnastics

♬ original sound – Royal high🫶🏻

Dylan Beard’s story of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, while also working full-time at Walmart, has been an incredibly popular story online – with the kind of ingenuity that The Games fosters across borders. It’s stories like this, that both inspire and provide comfort for the average consumer, that draw people into marketing campaigns – and make them tailored toward connection, rather than isolation through consumerism. 

Consider the ways platforming real human stories, struggles, and experiences can benefit your brand image and marketing strategies – especially amidst The Olympic Season that’s founded on these principles of humanity. 

Diversification of Social Content & Avenues for Engagement

While there’s opportunities for athlete sponsorships and becoming Olympic sponsors, the truth is that those kinds of marketing opportunities are often secured by large-scale brands – like the Nikes and Gatorades. However, even without a legacy story in The Games, brands can reap the benefits of the massive platform, without breaking the bank. 

“Major international companies with substantial marketing budgets, such as adidas and Samsung, often secure the prime sponsorship slots, making it challenging for smaller, local brands to compete for visibility on the same platform. Sponsorship and advertising during the Olympics require substantial financial investment,” Jacopo Pesavento, the CEO of Branding Records admits.  

Source: Women’s Health Magazine

For smaller brands, or even companies looking to opt into the virality of The Olympic Games without being one of the huge Olympic sponsors, there’s a variety of successful content styles to adopt. From social media posts from the event – like behind the scenes shots, athletes outside of their sports, or the setting of the games – to advertisements that capture similar symbols, stories, or colors as the games, there’s millions of ways to engage. 

For the Paris 2024 Olympics, many brands have started to capture ways the city has changed to accommodate the massive stage in their advertising campaigns – including the ways it’s struggled to prepare. By noticing these trending stories and considering the nuances of The Olympics, even completely outside of the sports element, you’re more likely to capture the attention of their audience. 

Lastly, ensure that you’re choosing athletes and influencers for potential collaborations that align with your brand image, mission, and campaign goals. Set clear expectations for what you’re hoping to achieve, and ensure that you’re both comfortable with the content. Genuine and authentic content from creators is more likely to resonate with audiences.  

Closing Thoughts

The Olympic Games are a massive stage for collaboration, ingenuity, storytelling, and connection – and of course, for athletes to achieve excellence for their countries. As a brand, tapping into that aura of connection is essential to achieving a successful marketing campaign during The Games. With emotional storytelling and by grasping the star power of famous athletes and genuine storytellers, your brand marketing strategies can be both accessible and relatable to consumers. 

Tap into different audiences, niches, and content styles to figure out what makes the most sense for your brand – and of course, don’t underestimate the kind of audience The Olympics drives for brands and influencers alike. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to build real connections and relationships – and experience the humanity of The Olympic space.