Marketing Beat: Beyond the Olympic Podium
As the Olympics drew to a close with the women’s marathon, some of the loudest cheers were for Kinzang Lhamo of Bhutan – the last women to cross the finish line. She completed the race an hour and a half after the winner and nearly an hour after the next closest runner, but the crowds stayed to properly celebrate her and her achievement as an Olympian.
Understandably, brands are keen to hike their bandwagon to the most successful stars of any major global sporting event. But with those medal winners in hot demand, are many of them missing a trick?
Catrin Tyler, head of new business at Dark Horses, explains why brands should look beyond the podium and towards those who made their own stories and touched hearts through the tournament.
When you think about success at the Olympics and Paralympics, our minds immediately jump to medals, GOATs and breaking records. For weeks now we’ve been tallying up points, times and medal totals, while the media has been quick to predict how much individual athletes are expected to make in endorsements following their victories.
For the most part the maths is simple – more medals = more money.
But as we look back on one competition and focus on the next, it’s worth reminding ourselves that the athletes who won our hearts and grabbed the media’s attention aren’t always those with the bling around their necks.
Some athletes missed out on an Olympic medal but undoubtedly won the hearts of the global audience.
Take Andy McDonald the 51-year-old skateboarder, competing for GB. He finished 18th out of 22 competitors but was worshiped by the crowd and later described the competition as the best experience of his life.
Or Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, who finished 6th in the synchronised 10m diving but opened up about her mental health struggles and reminded everyone that ‘sometimes the Olympic medal isn’t everything’.
Or the Derry twins competing in the PTVI 3 class triathlon for Ireland. The sisters have a sibling rivalry reminiscent of the Brownlee brothers and both finished in the top ten. But their relationship and support for each other was what really stood out in race coverage with Chloe stating afterwards: “We were going to be proud of each other no matter where we finished and who finished first”.
And who can forget Rachael Gunn, the Australian Olympic breakdancer who became an internet sensation with her unconventional routine and proudly stated “My sick moves shut down an entire event. How many Olympians can say that?”
When looking for the star of their next campaign brands need to think about who is best suited to their audience, message and even timings before jumping straight to the top of the podium. Doing this will mean they can find a talent that more authentically fits who they are and can genuinely support going forward.
Look for someone relatable
For most consumers using a name that they see as real and relatable will be more impactful than simply working with someone who they have no connection with but crossed the finish line first.
Social media has shown that people could see themselves in Kinzang Lhamo, relating to her grit and determination to get to the end of the race in a way they didn’t necessarily with other athletes.
Jump on a tie-in
This will admittedly come about through luck more than anything, but any brands that spot an obvious tie-in with their product should seize the opportunity.
Quaker Oats did this wonderfully with its print, but no-one has yet capitalised on Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen who became famous in the athlete’s village and across global media for his love of confectionery.
Think about timing
Are you looking for an immediate campaign or someone you can work with and support long-term? If it’s the latter there’s no better place than the younger superstars competing in everything from skateboarding to athletics.
Tom Daley didn’t win any sort of medal in his first Olympics and took four competitions to get to gold but is, and has been for a long time, one of the most famous Olympians of his generation.
Find an athlete that shares your beliefs
Consumers can see right through a disingenuous partnership so it’s important to work with people who share your values both in and out of sport.
As well as being a phenomenal table tennis player, Great Britain’s Anna Hursery is also a United nations Young Champion for climate change.
Think of the impact
Not all Olympic athletes are high earners. Many have to work full or part time jobs around their intensive training just to be able to stay in their sports.
Genuine, long term support from big brands can make an incredible amount of difference to those on their way up and could even be what allows them to secure a medal in 2028.