Despite some pandemic-related restrictions, the Beijing Olympics are in every single place. Small companies could need to benefit from all the hype surrounding the winter video games to advertise their operations, however it may be troublesome, expensive, and legally dangerous to take action.
Rule 40 is a by-law that is part of the Olympic Charter. It states that solely authorised sponsors could reference “Olympic-related terms” of their promotional actions. Rule 40 was carried out by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to forestall any sort of Olympic-related advertising and marketing by companies that aren’t official sponsors of the occasion. It additionally permits for promotional actions between athletes and unofficial sponsors throughout a blackout interval beginning 9 days earlier than the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games and lasting till three days after the closing ceremonies.
Because of Rule 40, companies that aren’t sponsors can’t use the Olympic rings, phrase Olympics, or different Olympic branded content material or belongings in ads, advertising and marketing, and content material.
And whereas small companies can’t afford the exorbitant quantities it prices to be an Olympic sponsor or host-related mega-events, there are nonetheless methods you possibly can legally leverage Olympic hype to market your small business and luxuriate in the financial affect it will possibly have. Simply come up with concepts that use a winter sports activities theme reflecting what’s occurring at the Olympic Games that gained’t get you into hassle.
Here are some potentialities:
- Promote a neighborhood athlete.
- Offer reductions and different promotions primarily based on medal counts, workforce wins, or occasion scores.
- Use sports-related phrases and themes in your advertising and marketing.
- Share Olympic information.
- Offer merchandise associated to the Olympics.
- Create an Olympic occasion.
- Create and share a humorous Olympic-style video or sequence of memes.
- Become an skilled at an esoteric sport.
- Sponsor a neighborhood workforce or athlete.
- Share outdated movies of athletes by way of social media.
Bonus: Don’t cease with the Olympics.
1. Promote a neighborhood athlete.
Do you’ve somebody out of your neighborhood collaborating in the Beijing video games? Why not help them by providing a promotion to your viewers if the athlete locations in his or her aggressive occasions? It may very well be something from an growing low cost relying on how they end or a bonus present with buy. It’s most likely a wise concept to supply a small low cost or profit even when they don’t medal. It’s a pleasant gesture and your clients gained’t really feel upset if the athlete doesn’t win.
Go for the gold: Invite the athlete to a meet and greet at your small business location for native residents after she or he returns residence from Olympic host nation China. It’s a good way to point out appreciation for the athlete’s efforts and a pleasant method to shut out your promotional exercise.
2. Offer reductions and different promotions primarily based on medal counts, workforce wins, or occasion scores.
Medal counts and different efficiency measures are a few of the most mentioned components of each Olympics, and they are going to be about the present one. Use this to your benefit. Offer a share or {dollars} off purchases primarily based on complete medal counts or scores for a selected athlete, sport, workforce, or something that you simply assume will get your clients excited. Make your promotion one thing that may final via the Olympics and that your clients can have interaction with repeatedly. Provide updates about it every day in your web site and on social media all through the run of the Olympic video games. Just don’t instantly reference the “Olympics”.
Go for the gold: Think about whether or not your Olympic promotion may very well be prolonged to the Super Bowl, World Cup, and different sports activities occasions. It might enhance the period of time you’re capable of have interaction with your clients who’re sports activities followers.
3. Use sports-related phrases and themes in your advertising and marketing.
You could not have the ability to instantly use Olympic phrases and symbols like the rings in your advertising and marketing and promoting. However, you should use “Olympic adjacent” phrases and pictures in your promotional efforts. After all, who doesn’t like going for the gold and seeing photos of gold medals? And everybody likes to be considered a winner or chief or torchbearer. It may very well be a great way to affiliate your small business with the Olympics and all the optimistic elements of it with out entering into hassle.
Go for the gold: If you leverage Olympic adjoining language or imagery in your web site or on social media, watch out about crossing the line. The Olympics makes billions of {dollars} on sponsorships and the IOC comes down laborious on corporations they view as interlopers.
4. Share Olympic information.
- Is there an American Olympian that you simply comply with?
- Are you a fan of an Olympic sport?
- Do you help workforce U.S.A. all the method?
Why not share your ardour with your clients? There’s nothing improper with sharing information about no matter side of the Olympics that you simply care about. Pass on Olympic-related content material via your social media. Add your distinctive spin on it. It could not generate quite a bit in the method of gross sales, however your love of the video games might join you extra carefully to clients who share your ardour for them.
Go for the gold: There’s numerous information on the market about the winter Olympics. When you share details about it, discover a distinctive take that may make your posts stand out from all the different stuff being shared. It might enable you to change into a neighborhood celeb or be considered as an Olympic authority.
5. Offer merchandise associated to the Olympics.
You don’t have to personal a sporting items retailer, skating rink, or health heart to capitalize on the Olympics. The occasion isn’t just about sports activities, but additionally the folks, the nations collaborating, and the medals. If you personal a restaurant, add some genuine Chinese dishes to your menu. If you promote food and drinks merchandise, low cost and promote ones athletes may use. Do you supply travel-related providers? Create a novel bundle match for an Olympian to a metropolis that’s hosted the Olympics in the previous akin to Munich, Seoul, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Tokyo, Rio, PyeongChang, or Salt Lake City. The final dream journey may very well be to the authentic Olympic host metropolis of Athens.
Go for the gold: Offer a deal a day associated to a well timed Olympic information story. Promote it via a time-based platform akin to Instagram Stories. It will preserve clients coming again for extra on daily basis. It may very well be a good way to generate numerous repeat enterprise and enhance gross sales.
6. Create an Olympic occasion.
Why not use the Olympics to work together with your clients? It might be a good way to construct relationships and enhance gross sales. Your choices are solely restricted by your creativeness.
- A bar might supply discounted ethnic meals and drinks from a nation taking part in that day, or a former Olympic host nation akin to South Korea, Japan, Russia, or Canada at a viewing celebration.
- A youngsters’s retailer might maintain a winter sports-related coloring occasion for teenagers in the neighborhood.
- A skating rink might promote an exhibition.
- A restaurant might maintain a winter sports activities trivia night time.
- A craft retailer may contemplate sponsoring a sports-themed arts and crafts present.
Whatever you select to do ought to be deliberate with a watch to partaking with clients and producing enterprise, not simply creating goodwill.
Go for the gold: Promote your occasion via social media and encourage individuals to share their expertise on social via a novel hashtag.
7. Create and share a humorous Olympic-style video or sequence of memes.
The Olympics are all about critical competitors till they’re not. Overwrought tv drama and complete wipeouts add a little bit of levity from time to time. Why not produce an Olympic parody video or sequence of memes that includes the folks in your workforce? Figure skating and curling are examples of sports activities which are straightforward to spoof. This is a good concept for companies that need to exhibit to prospects and clients that they’re pleasant and approachable.
Go for the gold: Chapterize your video or create a sequence of memes which you can distribute over a number of days. It will preserve clients and prospects coming again to see what’s subsequent.
8. Become an skilled at an esoteric sport.
Another concept is to change into an skilled in a selected sport that’s a part of the video games. (Does anybody actually perceive curling?) Explain the sport in your weblog, via movies, and with social media posts. Generate a dialog about it on-line. Give away prizes or reductions for answering trivia questions appropriately. Offer promotions throughout occasions when the sport is being televised. Host digital viewing events. This is a good possibility for professionals on the lookout for enjoyable, low-pressure methods to work together with shoppers.
Go for the gold: Close out your promotional effort by internet hosting a viewing celebration at a neighborhood bar or restaurant throughout the medal spherical in your sport. Invite your most actively engaged followers. It’s a pleasant method to thank your clients and get some in-person face time.
9. Sponsor a neighborhood workforce or athlete.
You could not have the money to be a big-time winter Olympic video games sponsor, however you possibly can probably afford to sponsor a neighborhood athlete or workforce. Whether it’s a single skater or a whole hockey workforce, it’s a good way to get your small business title on the market and exhibit your dedication to sports activities and your local people. If you use a neighborhood enterprise, this may very well be a extra invaluable type of sponsorship than paying to be part of the 2022 winter Olympics.
Go for the gold: Don’t conceal your mild below a bushel whenever you sponsor an athlete or sports activities workforce. Make certain you negotiate signage, enterprise mentions, entry to social media, and different promotional actions as a part of your sponsorship deal.
10. Share outdated movies of athletes by way of social media.
That sizzling Olympic athlete received their begin someplace. Consider discovering and sharing older (non-Olympic) movies of them practising or competing. It’s a good way to affiliate your small business with a champion whereas not breaking any Olympic agreements. Just guarantee that whenever you share outdated movies, you don’t break any copyrights or power folks to get a subscription to view them (one thing usually required whenever you share content material from massive and well-known publications like the New York Times). Also, place it as one thing you’re sharing since you discover it attention-grabbing and assume your followers will, as effectively. Never try and affiliate your small business with the athlete.
Go for the gold: Find a sequence of older movies you possibly can share with your followers. Posting one or two a day will enhance engagement with them and make an even bigger impression on them.
Bonus: Don’t cease with the Olympics.
Continue your promotion actions with the Paralympics. It’s the athletic occasion that follows the Beijing Olympics which is targeted on different abled athletes. The tales are sometimes extra profound and your help and promotion of them will exhibit what your small business actually values.
Tip: Keep notes about your Olympic-related promotional actions, together with what went effectively and what didn’t. The 2024 summer time video games in Paris are simply round the nook, and it’ll quickly be time for summer time Olympic-related promotions.