Ideas for marketing Olympic athletes
This post is for sponsors and marketing folks who are beginning to work with athletes! Sponsoring an Olympian is exciting. To help, her are a few examples of what we have seen work over the years for successful ways to integrate an athlete into your marketing.
Below are examples of successful marketing activation campaigns that companies have used to integrate athletes into their brand.
Professional photography: Schedule a photoshoot with the athlete to capture professional photos that can be used by both Sponsor and athlete. These images will have a lengthy life span and can enhance the relationship between athlete and sponsor.
Example 1: Olympian Elizabeth Beisel + Pentair
Example 2: UCAN + Olympic Captain Maggie Steffens
Integrate athlete in “out of home” marketing: Out of home advertising (OOH) is a form of advertising that can be found outside of a consumer’s home. Traditionally this includes everything from billboards to bus shelters, benches, and everything in-between. OOH ads are difficult to avoid, and they can have a significant impact on consumers due to their size and contrast to the real-world environment. Alongside this, OOH has a positive effect as a complement to digital advertising. One study found that consumers are 48% more likely to interact with a digital ad after being exposed to an OOH ad first.
Example 1: Natalie Hinds + City of Midland
Example 2: Clear Channel Outdoor + Swim Across America (NYC times square)
In-person engagements. Bring the athlete to your next big in-person event to engage with key stakeholders, VIPs, customers or community members. They can give a motivational speech, bring their medals and provide an unforgettable experience to the audience.
Community engagement. Bring your athlete into your next community event as your spokesperson.
