Olympic Marketing, Advertising & Sponsor Activation Panel
Olympic Marketing, Advertising & Sponsor Activation
By: MacAlister Steckler
The global virtual trek provided the unique opportunity to host two different panels in the day, touching on various aspects of the international sports world. The second panel focused on the upcoming Olympics. The 2020 Olympics was planned to take place this July to August, but due to COVID-19 was moved to 2021. This shift has created a complicated situation for corporations marketing in the Olympics and showcased the importance of the global sports world.
The second panel hosted was Olympic Marketing, Advertising & Sponsor Activation. The Olympics is the most significant international sporting event globally and provides tremendous learning opportunities for students. Panelists included David Cipullo, Management Board Member of InFront Sports and Media Group, Jochen Farber, Head of Swiss Division for the Olympic Channel, David Abrutyn, Executive Vice President and Principal of Bruin Sport Capital, and Paul Wilson, Senior Vice President at Olympic Sales at NBCUniversal.
The first question asked was, why are the Olympics so marketable? A significant point was the family aspect and storytelling involved with the games. The Olympics can craft a story based around the wide range of cultures involved allowing people to come together as a group to cheer on their country. Regarding the Olympics’ family aspect, Paul Wilson stated, “Nothing brings families together like the Olympics. The Olympics are watched as a group where everyone comes together as one to cheer on their country. This is a very different viewing experience than traditional stick and ball sports.” The unique aspect of the Olympics is they bring people together. David Cipullo described why this is unique to the games as it is, “ the storytelling aspect. There are so many different cultures and types of athletes at the Games, which creates a unique dynamic for storytelling. Stories about the athletes, their journeys, and the little things that happen at the Olympics garner an even greater appreciation for the Games across a wide range of viewers and keeps them engaged longer.” The panel showed us the strong ability international sports have in bringing people together and the desire of many corporations to reach the broad audience available from the games.
COVID-19 has also played a critical role in sponsorship activation and has changed the way marketers are looking at the game. Due to the games’ uncertainty, sponsorship activation has been put on pause as companies do not know when the games will happen, and the exact value each of these partnerships will have. David Abrutyn expanded on this idea as, “Traditionally, sponsorship activation is agreed upon about a year out from the start of the Olympics, but without confirmation that the Olympics will take place next year, or what they will actually look like if they do, it is difficult for marketers to agree upon these activations. The shift has put many activation discussions on hold as everyone involved attempts to assess the value of certain sponsorship activations for these unique Games. For example, the torch lighting ceremony is one of, if not the biggest, marketing/promotional tool for sponsorships in the entire Games.”
The global virtual career trek was an excellent opportunity for SBA members to meet and learn from some of the best representatives in the sports industry and provide a great networking opportunity. The SBA was able to bring on some of the biggest players in the sports world, and all provided information about the ever growing landscape and painted a roadmap on getting involved in the global industry. The international sports industry is becoming increasingly more connected with American sports growing the globalization of the industry. Students must develop an understanding of growing brands, marketing, and league operations on the international level. The panels were a significant step in teaching these crucial skills to SBA members.