The Super Bowl is also economical for the groups competing on the field as well as the sponsors who purchase sponsorships and business spots for the great game. But even that single-day packaging Shangri-La pales in comparison to the 18 days and nights of the Summer Olympics.
On Wednesday, SponsorUnited published its 2024 Olympics Partnerships Preview, an examination of the companies on full screen during the Paris Games. The study examined how well-known companies like Visa, Delta, and Proctor & Gamble are utilizing the Summer Games to increase customer commitment. It even looked into the potential benefits of individual athletes and their sizable social media followings for rival brands looking for similar relationship without the high prices that the IOC charges.
The Olympic Partner Programme ( TOP) grants these brands exclusive global marketing rights to the Games and teams, and the Olympics are a kaleidoscope of branding commitments between athletes and businesses that are involved in the competition.
One of those TOP partners is Airbnb, which according to the study claims attempts to gain favour with politicians and government figures ( on local and global levels ) to demonstrate how it can help places for major events, especially in comparison to traditional accommodations. The vacation rental agency saw a 40 % increase in active listings in the Paris area and even offered an overnight stay at the Musée d’Orsay for a firsthand look at Friday’s Opening Ceremony.
Airbnb does n’t have a large presence in sports marketing, and certainly not much of one within the French sports community. However, Bob Lynch, the CEO of Sponsor United, believes the Games are an entryway to build long-term relationships beyond the IOC. You must consider the ecosystem created by the individual, fragmented trials and events before the Olympics,” Lynch said. I believe there are options to start extending that, rather than this being a one-time time for them to coincide, even within the framework of the Olympics and its institutions.
If NBCUniversal fulfills its promise of superior content products on Peacock, the streaming platform Comcast has invested billions of dollars into over the past few years, marketers in Paris if anticipate a significant increase in contact. ” In Tokyo, frankly, we did n’t do a very good job for our customers ( with Peacock )”, said Mark Lazarus, the chairman of the NBCUniversal Media Group, in a recent conference call about the COVID-delayed 2021 Summer Games. We did n’t exactly deliver what we promised, and we have learned a lot from that. Everything will be on Peacock this day, with the exception of some extra shows and special programs.
When Tokyo or Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer and 2022 Winter Games, Lynch said marketers had to consider how accessible their messages do be. The Asia-Pacific region has long been viewed as one that ripe for major growth for international brands. ” There’s the question of if ( an event ) is going to be picked up on the East Coast live, versus if this is pre-recorded”.
It should also help that the world is not in the throes of a pandemic, though COVID-19 has n’t gone away. Tokyo’s involvement in the pandemic may have been for a time, but Chinese partners continue to support them.
Sponsor United’s study stated that 86 % of the sponsoring during the Tokyo Games were predominantly local, with a quarter of them coming from the tech industry.
In contrast, two-thirds of Paris donors may come from foreign businesses, with the financing and clothes industries taking starring roles.
Importantly, one-third of the TOP collaborations will be renewed after Paris, giving businesses the chance to hop aboard for upcoming Games in Europe and the United States.
Milan, Salt Lake City, and the French Alps will number the following three Winter Games, while Paris may pass the torch to Los Angeles in two to three weeks for the 2028 Summer Games.
But Lynch does n’t forecast American-based firms using LA28 to field out different models, including some of the opponents that have support deals with Olympic athletes.
That’s because ways to reach fans, viewers and consumers keep evolving. There have never been more options and opportunities to tie a knot with the Olympics, he said, in any way or form.
He also makes the point that the social media followings of contemporary athletes are comparable to those of broadcast and cable television in the past. ” The athletes in four years are the 16-year-olds who are savvy on content, grew up around NIL, and in many cases, are already doing endorsements. The barrier to entry is now much simpler than it was in the past, and in four years, it will be much simpler than it was in the past to have a relationship and do things that are really compelling,” as brands look at this space.