As the Beijing dust settles on what has been undoubtedly a very successful Olympic games for Team GB, we at the Sales Promotion Blog find ourselves asking as many questions as our athletes appeared to answer:
- Why did we only get gold in the sit down sports (apart from Rebecca Adlington and Christine Ohuruogu)?
- Can Team GB improve on 4th?
- Will namedropping your sponsor become a new Olympic sport?
Interesting though these issues are; this is a sales promotion blog after all; of more concern to marketeers right now is “how does my brand capitalise on Team GB’s Beijing gold rush for 2012?”
Distant finish line...
An important consideration is whether you commit to a campaign now to run for the next four years? Even a matter of weeks after Beijing, the games are out of the news and are soon consigned to fond memories. So, will the British public really be that bothered for 3 non-Olympic years? Despite a slight swing in support of the 2012 games in the UK, there are many that criticise the already London-centric bias in all walks of British life. One obvious way to get around this is to focus on the many examples of successful Olympians on a local level which bring a great sense of pride to these communities.
Take the plunge...
If you do decide to join the race, the first hurdle you’ll face is the considerable brand protection surrounding London 2012. The next games looks set to be the most brand-precious event ever; special laws have even been passed to enforce it. Obviously, unless you are an official sponsor, you cannot use any of the associated logos for the Olympics, or indeed any of the following keywords: London 2012, 2012, LOCOG, Javelin, Team GB, Games for a Connected World, Olympic, Olympian, Olympiad, Paralympic, Paralympian or Paralympiad plus their plurals, translations and anything similar to them.
So, assuming you can’t afford sponsorship (about £80 million for tier 1 sponsorship) and the LOCOG don’t give you permission for your planned campaign, you will have to opt for a more generic approach. But even here, you will face an uphill struggle.
Don’t mention the....
From the rings below, you cannot use any two blue words together, or any blue word with one or more green words without permission.
If you’re in any doubt, it would be worth checking out the regulations for yourself.
First out of the blocks...
Already this year a number of companies have thrown their hats into the Olympic ring. McCain has announced £5 million support for British Athletics over the next 5 years. As well as financial provision, this summer saw a series of 4 roadshows providing free opportunities to try out your athletics skills, fronted by former golden girl Sally Gunnell.
Asda have also joined the fray, with their Asda Sporting Chance. This scheme is totally free to participate in - just pick up a voucher in store. This gives customers a chance to participate in local activities across the UK including martial arts, swimming, football and dance. Not a mention of the Olympics in sight.
Government initiatives
With the seemingly regular announcements of new government initiatives to provide free swimming and free sports activities the equity in providing a free activity-based promotion on an Olympic ticket or otherwise, would appear to be greatly de-valued.
What’s left?
Without supporting one of the British sports governing bodies outright or stumping up for games sponsorship, marketeers will need to box clever to make any capital out of London 2012. If you want to explore any ways of delivering an Olympic or generic Free Activity promotion, contact us at our sister site, Mosaic Marketing & Promotions.
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