The 2024 Summer Olympics may sound like something for tomorrow’s to-do list, but it’s best to get started on campaign opportunities sooner rather than later. While generating buzz for your brand during the Olympics is important, you’ll be competing for attention against some of the biggest companies on the planet.
So, how can smaller and mid-sized brands make their mark against these well-funded corporate behemoths? Put time on your side to get ahead right out of the gate and learn from past Olympics-focused campaigns.
To get you started, check out these campaign ideas, examples and tips, and then brainstorm with your team on ways to capitalize on the growing energy and excitement around the Paris-based athletic competition.
Campaign ideas and examples
Whether you’re promoting new product launches or existing items from your offerings, you’ll want to brainstorm around words, themes, and phrases tied to the 2024 Summer Olympics.
You’ll also need to think about the experience from the perspective of a viewer in your target audience. Present some questions around target personas for segmenting and get into their heads by asking questions, such as:
- Have they been to France, or would they like to go? (Eiffel Tower, French foods, champagne, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, Haute Couture, etc.)
- Why do they watch the Olympics? (personal experience as an athlete, love of a particular sport, family viewing tradition, patriotism, appreciation of physical prowess, and incredible feats of athletic achievement)
- How are they watching it (phone, tablet, TV), and are they watching it alone or with friends, family, or coworkers?
- Which particular athletes are your target audience members rooting for, and does that vary by age, gender, income, profession, or geography?
- What Olympics trends (hashtags, challenges, songs, dances) are consumers already seeing and adopting?
- Are there particular events that your target audience is already discussing, and if so, why?
Your team must work to research the viewership of the more recent Olympic games rather than making assumptions or relying on outdated data. Just consider how these updated statistics about the Olympics might open doors to reach your target audience:
- The 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, which were broadcast on television networks, saw a 42% decline in viewership compared to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. To increase viewership, NBC will stream the 2024 Summer Games by airing all events on Peacock.
- A survey of those who watched the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics found that 57% of 13- to 19-year-old viewers wanted to watch more Olympic Games coverage in the coming years.
- Four additional sports have been added: skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing, and breaking.
- Simone Biles, who is not only the most decorated U.S. women’s gymnast ever but also a Medal of Freedom recipient for her advocacy and outspokenness on mental health and abuse, will be returning to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Are you curious to see what other brands have done in terms of Olympic-themed campaigns? Check out these examples.
Viewing party
From “The Bachelor” to presidential debates, viewing parties are picking up steam again now that the lockdowns of the pandemic are over. For the 2024 Summer Olympics, these viewing parties may see gatherings of friends or family gathered around a large screen with plenty of food, various adult and non-alcoholic beverages, and possibly even games (think Olympic bingo sheets).
Now is the time to start planting the seeds for viewing parties, whether your brand sells chicken wings, cocktail mixers, comfy pajamas, or home theater systems.
How does a specialty paper company market to Olympic-watching audiences? PrintWorks captured the interest of viewing party hosts by inspiring food, decor, and games in a blog promoted via this Instagram post, complete with plenty of hashtags and bright visuals.
Mental health focus
Gen Z has earned a reputation for openly discussing mental health issues, including therapy, anxiety, depression, abuse, and the importance of self-care.
With the average Olympic athlete coming in around 25, you can expect to hear more advocacy around mental well-being. If you can ensure your brand’s messaging is authentic and informed, consider creating campaigns around positive, uplifting, and supportive content.
Look at popular hashtags that Gen Z and others are using on social media, add your own, and be sure to include reputable resources for those who may want to seek help or additional information on the topic.
When insurance solutions company Allianz partnered with the Olympics, it created “The Pause” campaign around mental health. Allianz hired a group of sports psychologists to explain the importance of mindfulness and well-being and shared the videos on its YouTube channel.
Challenges with an Olympic theme
TikTok has become well-known for its trending challenges, and few themes are as broad as the Olympics, allowing your brand to build momentum around a fun activity that could eventually go viral.
Brainstorm ideas that are as inclusive as possible regarding age, ability, and environment to provide more opportunities for involvement among your target audience. Use a mix of trending and unique hashtags, including a catchy name for your challenge.
Want to see an Olympic-themed challenge in action? Check out Halo Ball’s reflex challenge in their own version of the Olympics.
Campaign tips
- Use a mix of trending hashtags and unique hashtags created by your brand for the campaign.
- Identify where your target audience spends their time online and create content for those platforms.
- Set short-term and long-term goals for each campaign.
- Always follow best practices, including full disclosure on paid or sponsored posts.
- Partner with complementary brands to increase your exposure.
- Start monitoring social media now for keywords related to the Olympics to see what people are talking about.
- Partner with niche and lesser-known influencers who can reach your target audience.
- Analyze the results of your campaign and draw insights from the data.
- Stay engaged online with consumers who comment on your campaigns and answer questions as necessary.
- Stay authentic! Performative gestures to talk about mental health or other sensitive topics related to the Olympics (e.g., discrimination toward athletes) will fall flat with today’s younger generations.
Put these tips, examples, and ideas to work as you begin campaigns for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Don’t wait until you start seeing other brands promoting Olympic-themed content. “The early runner wins the race” may not always be true in the 400-meter dash, but in marketing, leaders break away from the pack right out of the gate.
