With every passing day, the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics draws nearer, and my fear of what awkward and embarrassing moments of NBC’s Today Show coverage we will have to endure, grows.
My eyeballs are still burning from these 2010 gems:
No one, repeat – NO ONE – should have to see Al Roker in a spandex suit. Given this is the summer Olympics, the threat of Al & Matt in Speedos is more real and scary than any terrorist activity.
Clearly, there have been “hits” and “misses” when it comes to Olympic coverage. The same can be said for marketing. The IOC has taken great pains to protect “official” sponsors and increase the value of their efforts. The organization took a hard stance on “ambush” marketing to try to prevent non-official sponsors from budging in on the fanfare and notoriety of the games. They also initiated a “blackout” which forbids athletes from just about any contact with, or communication about, brands that are not official sponsors.
Still, whether marketers achieve gold, or fail to reach the medal ceremony, is determined by their own efforts and execution. Does the Olympic tie-in make sense for the brand? Does it resonate with consumers?
Two examples illustrate my point – one reaches Gold, while the other falls short of the podium.
Check out this one from P & G:
And this one from BP:
What is interesting about these two examples is the one which has the most obvious potential - BP fueling Olympic athletes - is the one which falls flat. Why? Because BP focuses too much on itself and loses sight of the customer. In Marketing 101 classes we call this MARKETING MYOPIA because it is a dangerous form of nearsightedness many brands fall prey to.
The P & G ad, on the other hand, performs much stronger. It constantly keeps the consumer - P & G's consumer - in its sight. P & G knows exactly who it is targeting, what this target cares about, and through years of research, has figured out how to talk to her. What better way to resonate with Moms than through her kids? In a sense, Moms are more relevant a "fuel" to Olympic athletes than BP is, so the ad rings true as it tugs on our heartstrings. Add to that the universal values of Motherhood, and P & G grabs gold on a global level, appealing to consumers around the world.
The deluge of Olympic marketing has barely begun, but I am sure that, as with the competition itself, it will provide both moments of glory and defeat. Join the anticipated 8 billion devices connected to the games via the IOC's Athlete's Hub. Have fun with the games - and keep an eye out for great (and not so great) marketing!
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