The Olympics are the biggest sporting event in the world so when the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro start (despite getting off to a rocky start), athletes won’t be the only ones competing. Brands have been beefing up their marketing and advertising efforts in preparation for the events long before the lighting of the torch. But how can brands overcome hurdles and make it to the podium with their efforts? We’ve got three ways that your brand can maximize your marketing during the Olympics and strike sales gold.

How To Maximize Your Marketing During The Olympics

The Newest Olympic Sport: Social Media

The social media “event” will be one for the books this year, with the Rio 2016 social media accounts already breaking audience records  at 1.6 million Facebook, 334,000 Twitter and 214,000 Instagram followers. With such large social followings, even if a brand is not sponsoring the Olympics, they can still take advantage of the hype by staying updated about the games, engaging with other brands, and staying relevant in the conversation and events. Here are some ideas:

• Offer personalized support for athletes and “cheer” them on as a brand by sending out “Go [insert country]” posts and tweets before their competitions.

• Be the “official” Olympic event planner and create calendar events to remind your audience about upcoming competitions.

• Make everyone feel involved by utilizing Snapchat or livestream and host an Olympic-themed party.

When engaging with your audience on social media, especially on a global scale, be sure to be timely, authentic, and relevant.

Sports!

Obviously when you think of the Olympics, you think of sports, but the games are much bigger than that. The Olympics are about more than just running, swimming, and ribbon-dancing; they encompass everything from culture, community, pride, hard work, inspiration and more.

As a brand, get creative and develop content that focuses on these other aspects. Some ideas can be:

• Inspire students and faculty with a story about a graduate of your school or university and their journey to get to the Olympics.

• Promote cultural differences and community by having your employees describe their different traditions, nationalities and heritages.

• Utilize the host city’s theme. This year’s slogan is “Live Your Passion” so find out what your customers, your audience, and your employees are passionate about.

Remember, you don’t need Olympic athletes to create content during the Games. A little UGC never hurt anyone so show your brand’s personality by highlighting employees and customers.

Be A Brand Champion With SocialToaster

The Olympics have a theme every year so when it comes to your SocialToaster program, theme your contests, creative, messaging, and everything else that you can think of, around the Olympics and its theme. You can also tap into your audience’s competitiveness with “the games.” Here are some ideas:

• Conduct a survey to find out what your audience’s favorite sport to watch will be.

• Post a quiz to test their knowledge of all things Olympics.

• Host a Pic Challenge and ask your audience to submit pictures to show what makes them a brand Olympian.

Naturally prizes can be Olympic-themed and badges can be gold, silver, and bronze. While your audience may not be competing at the actual Games, winning a medal is a fun way to make them feel like an Olympian.

The Closing Ceremony: Bonus Tip Blitz

• Don’t forget about the Paralympics. They are just as important.

• Take advantage of video content with Instagram video and Snapchat. Both platforms offer brand exposure at very little cost depending on your campaign.

• Remember, with the Olympics you can go big or small – don’t be afraid to choose a handful of sports that align with your brand to drive a deeper connection with audiences.

• Viewers will be using multiple devices, such as smartphones, tablets and more, while watching the Games, so there’s major opportunity to engage and interact with your global audience via mobile.

Take Your Place On The Podium

While we’re not suggesting steroid usage, get a leg up on your competition and contact us at SocialToaster: send us an email, request a free demo, or give us a call at 855.62.TOAST today!