Would your brand strategy get you a gold medal?

How do you engage a global audience, while staying true to your brand story? The answer should be in your brand strategy.

The Olympic Games is the global stage for athletes and brands alike to perform at their very best. And as it only occurs once every four years, the Olympic Games combines the exposure and notoriety of Super Bowl and Christmas advertising in one. This means it’s a big deal for brands who need to make the most it and go for gold.

From brands to television networks and sponsors, each of them takes a different approach to maximising the Olympic Games’ popularity. How they approach an event like the Olympics in their brand strategy is important for showcasing who they are to the world.

We take a look at three 2016 Olympic Games ads from BBC Sport, P&G, and Coca Cola.

Brand Reach

The Greatest Show on Earth – BBC Sport

Greatest Show on earth

This year the BBC takes us on a journey through the Brazilian Rainforest with “The Greatest Show on Earth”. But among the high production value, we get a sense that the BBC doesn’t want us to miss a second of the event. With a strong online presence both socially and in online viewing, they can reach more people with their content to help them stay up to date with the action. Co-head of brand strategy at the BBC, Jane Clancy, sums up how key events can bolster a brand’s reach. She says, “There are moments, such as the Olympics or Jubilee, where we can aggregate content together to get across most powerfully what the BBC does.”

Brand tone of voice

Strong – P&G

Brand strategy

If you’ve watched the video before reading this then we’ll give you a minute to compose yourself. This latest execution in P&G’s “Thank you, Mum”, campaign is a real emotional rollercoaster. But what they’ve achieved in this whole campaign is how to effectively execute and maintain a tone of voice across many events. Within a brand strategy, there should be room for the brand to flex its voice, remaining relevant to what’s happening in the world.

Brand values

Good Feelings – Coca Cola

Brand strategy

Coca Cola is the longest standing sponsor of the Olympic Games. This relationship means they have naturally intertwined their values of unity and togetherness. And their latest ad further cements these shared brand values by aligning the feeling of winning a gold medal with the attributes of their beverage. This goes to show that brand values are key to any brand strategy, ensuring that the communication feels real and relatable.

All in all, with a strong brand strategy in place every brand has the ability to stand out and be noticed, even in the most crowded arena. When the stage is set, it’s all about how you use it.

If you’re looking to create a brand strategy that helps you stand out from the crowd, please get in touch.