The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics are officially underway and if brands are smart, they’ll capitalize on the trending event by creating content that proactively (and authentically) engages their audiences.
NBC Universal is planning to air 7,000 hours of coverage of the Games, with 5,000 hours available via its streaming platform Peacock. Back in 2020, more than 3 billion people tuned in to watch the Tokyo Olympics, with viewers generating an estimated 8.6 billion engagements and views across social media.
Not only are worldwide audiences quite literally tuned in to the Games, they’re actively looking for more related content to consume off-platform. That is where brands can shine.
Engage in trending conversations
From AI-generated broadcasters to celebrity appearances, to conversations around mental health and the overall wellbeing of Olympic athletes, we’ve witnessed a lot of trending topics emerging in the lead-up to the Games. All trends present strong opportunities for marketers to connect with viewers.
And perhaps one of the most compelling topics is the women in sports movement.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has dubbed the 2024 Paris Games the #GenderEqualOlympics, and there has been a lot of debate around whether or not that’s actually a fair name for it.
The last time Paris hosted the Summer Olympics in 1924, less than 5% of the athletes were women. Until 1976, less than 20% of competitors were women before rising to nearly 48% in 2021, according to IOC data.
So while the IOC has made progress, it’s taken 100 years to get to this point. Additionally, 2024 is the first time Team USA women athletes are guaranteed equal pay.
Whether or not your brand is poised to enter this conversation, you should consider showing your commitment to this important movement and these athletes.
“Partner with female athletes, celebrate their wins, and engage directly with their fanbases on social media,” says CEO Will Trowbridge of marketing agency Saylor. “There is a real opportunity today to get in early with these athletes, leagues and teams that won’t exist in the years ahead. Get involved in the movement now, show your commitment to these women and these sports. But don’t just capitalize, help these athletes drive the momentum forward.”
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Some of the most incredible and engaging content is around the athletes themselves. Throughout the Games, audiences love behind-the-scenes content and human interest stories showcasing how the athletes got to this point in history. The more insight into the human behind the athlete, the better.
When audiences know more about the athletes, they’re more likely to feel connected with them while watching them compete, and therefore more likely to engage on social media.
Collaborate with creators
Creators are playing a huge role in the Olympics this year, with NBC Universal partnering with Meta, Overtime, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube to establish a first-of-its-kind Paris Creator Collective.
The collective is a select group of 27 creators given exclusive on-the-ground access to the athletes and the events. While there, they’ll be tasked with telling the unique stories of the Games via social media.
The goal of the Collective, according to Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics, is to reach and engage with younger viewers while making the Games more accessible than ever before.
“Creators participating in this new program,” says Zenkel, “will bring a unique perspective to fans of the Olympic Games. From the athletes to the food to the celebration, creators will offer their communities of fans a truly unique, engaging look at this summer’s global gathering in Paris.”
It’s not just influencers getting in on the action, either. Perhaps some of the strongest content is coming straight from the Olympic Village. Athletes like rugby star Ilona Maher, married track-and-field couple Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall, and synchronized swimmer Daniella Ramirez are taking fans behind the scenes like never before.
Maher (with 2 million followers on Instagram and 1.6 million on TikTok) first went viral during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with her funny takes on small talk, flirting and the infamously awful “cardboard” beds. Now she’s back for the Paris Games, racking up millions of views with fit checks and celebrity encounters. The humor and versatility of this kind of content allows for brands to have fun with their partnerships and reach audiences in new and exciting ways.
As with any content strategy, of course, it’s imperative that the creators and/or athletes you work with are in tune with your existing audience and feel like natural extensions of your brand. Authenticity is everything.
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Adhere to Rule 40
The single most important thing for marketers and brands to be aware of when considering creating content around the Olympics is Rule 40. The Olympic Charter bylaw effectively limits the way athletes and companies can market their involvement with the Games in any form of advertisement.
For instance, during a specific time period, brands that are not an official sponsor of the Games cannot use the words Olympic, Olympics or Olympiad. They cannot use registered trademarks like the tagline “Let the Games Begin.” And they cannot use the name of the host city of the Games in conjunction with the year of the current Games (ie. Paris 2024).
Amongst many, many other rules.
Naturally, these limitations will cause headaches (and many extra rounds of approvals) for brands, but understanding how to navigate them is imperative to avoiding legal concerns.
By staying informed and adapting their strategies to the unique opportunities and challenges of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, brands can authentically engage with audiences and create memorable, impactful content that resonates long after the Games have ended.
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