How can brands maximise opportunities around the Olympic Games?
The summer of sports is well underway with the Olympic Games around the corner, and brands have more unique opportunities than ever to engage with consumers. But how can they get it right and maximise these opportunities?
When talking with Snapchat’s senior manager for international sports partnerships, Kahlen Macaulay, we uncovered three key principles: authenticity, innovation, and transforming customers into advocates.
But what do they mean in reality, and how can brands that want to connect with sports fans follow best practice.
Know your audience
Authenticity starts with knowing your audience. The brands that stand out at sporting events are those who deliver authentic and credible stories, which supporters can connect with. It’s clear that these brands understand fans engage with sports beyond the duration of the game, and so they create new ways for fans to follow their teams or favourite players.
Gone are the days of merely badging an event with a logo. Today, it’s about creating meaningful connections with consumers that give them something new. For instance, partnerships should be designed to add value to the fan experience, recognising the advantage of being an intermediary between fans and their beloved sports.
The Euros, which culminates this weekend, announced a partnership with Unilever earlier this year. It’s a win for everyone: the sport receives revenue; the brand gets the association and the opportunity to leverage the Euros to engage existing and new audiences, and fans get opportunities to interact with their favourite players in a unique way through elements like competitions
Olympic activation
Successful brands not only understand their target audience and messaging but also embrace the tools required to communicate effectively.
Innovation enables brands to stand out. One of Snapchat’s recent activations in collaboration with Coca-Cola in France saw how scanning a Coke can via Snapchat’s AR feature brought an animated player to life singing the French national anthem. This innovative approach not only captivated fans but also created a highly shareable and memorable experience.
Governing bodies of the sports play a vital part in enabling brands to get creative. For example, the International Olympic Committee is famously strict with granting permission to use the five Olympic rings, but it allowed AR lenses that let fans “train like Olympians” during Tokyo 2020.
The transformation
The shareable nature of the Snapchat and Coca-Cola example is fundamental to the third point too. Transforming customers into advocates is the ultimate goal of any sports partnership. This requires a combination of good storytelling, providing engagement tools, and offering products that resonate with fans. Younger consumers, in particular, are looking for brands that align with their values and are quick to recognise insincere or tokenistic marketing efforts.
In addition, the power of fun should not be underestimated. When paired with playful and innovative marketing techniques, a marketing partnership can effectively place a brand between fans following and sharing their love for sport and other target audience members.
Adidas used AR try-ons for their World Cup shirts, allowing fans to virtually wear the merchandise. This not only reduced returns by ensuring the correct size but also fostered organic sharing among fans to drive sales.
Cutting through
In a landscape where simply badging an event will no longer cut through, it’s deeper, more meaningful connections that will drive long-term success in sports partnerships.
The potential for brands partnering with sports institutions is endless but must be done with care. By delivering credible stories, embracing cutting-edge technology, and being creative brands can foster lasting and meaningful connections with their audience.
Mark Scott is the Director of Marketing and Communications at The Chartered Institute Marketing