Score Marketing Gold: Winning Strategies from the Olympics and Paralympics

Source: Parity

The recent Olympics and Paralympics in Paris weren’t just a showcase of athletic prowess —they were also a masterclass in marketing. Brands big and small leveraged the global stage to connect with audiences, tell compelling stories, and achieve their marketing objectives. 

In our recent webinar, "Gold Medal Marketing: Winning Strategies from the Olympics and Paralympics," we dove deep into these strategies with industry experts and athletes who made it happen. Here are some key takeaways that every marketer can learn from:

1. Keeping it real

The resounding message from our panelists was clear: authenticity is paramount (not the first time we’ve heard this from marketers!). Whether partnering with athletes, influencers, or any brand representative, allowing individuals to be their true selves fosters genuine connections with your audience.

Karen Chimal from Ipsy emphasized, "Brands can easily kill a campaign by being too involved and being too prescriptive in what they want them to say."

Nina Lussi, reflecting on her experience as both an athlete and a brand representative for On, stressed the importance of letting athletes' personalities shine through. 

“It's been so fascinating to get to know the athletes on a much deeper level than just performing. Fans are getting more access and love getting to know the people behind the stories." — Nina Lussi

2. Pick your team wisely

Successful marketing campaigns go beyond mere logo placements. It's about finding the right fit, building meaningful relationships, and telling compelling stories that resonate with your target audience.

Nate Harvey from AdventHealth shared their approach, "Our mission is to extend the healing ministry of Christ. And so faith obviously plays a big factor in who we try to work with and being comfortable talking about what your faith means to you as an individual, how it helps you feel whole is really big for us…Ultimately, we were really trying to find an athlete that strongly personified our brand values."

Karen Chimal echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of selecting moments and partnerships that genuinely align with your brand identity. 

"It has to make sense for your brand... Don't do something just to do it, just to be there because it's not going to resonate and you're not going to get the ROI on it." — Karen Chimal

3. Tailor your tactics

What works for one brand may not be a fit for another. By evaluating your goals and campaigns, you can take inspiration from your peers while ensuring it aligns with your brand. 

For Karen Chimal that means repurposing content across different platforms to maximize its reach and engagement. "We made sure to bake that into the deliverables… that we would be able to reshare two of those pieces of content."

Nate Harvey went in a different direction and focused on long-form content, based on previous success in other partnerships.

"We have utilized this approach of longer-form content in other series that we've done with other sports partners like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their players. To be able to tell the full story and share the brand message…we've just found that it's the best way for us to be authentic in our storytelling as a brand." — Nate Harvey

For On, product feedback is a huge value provided by athletes, beyond content. Nina Lussi explained, “Our athletes play a huge role in the development of the products. They are, from day one, testing the products out and giving us feedback. Who better to give us feedback than the ones that are tried and true in the field?” 

4. Master the rules of the game

The world of sports marketing comes with its own set of rules and challenges. Understanding the intricacies of regulations like Rule 40 is essential for success.

Karen Chimal's advice on Rule 40 when you aren’t an official sponsor? "It took a lot of coordination between the guidelines that Parity provided us, our legal team, our site marketing team, our social team to make sure that everything we said, everything we did was within the bounds of what we were allowed to do. I think having a really good partner that knows what's going on and knows how to keep you on track is really the key."

5. The heart of the matter

Storytelling has the power to captivate, inspire, and forge emotional connections with your audience. Tap into shared experiences and values to create a lasting impression.

Nate Harvey cited a Dick’s Sporting Goods campaign that showcased the joy of youth athletes. "It’s so important for brands to be able to connect on an emotional level, to their consumers, to really be memorable and stand out."

Some marketers may have a hard time getting buy-in for campaigns that aren’t directly tied to their product. Here’s a stat that might help you get approval: a survey of 5,000+ US adults found that 32% were likelier to purchase from brands that invest in women’s sports. Just having your brand in the conversation with women’s sports is going to move the needle, so imagine the impact you could have if you incorporate all of the best practices shared by our panelists. 

By incorporating these strategies into your marketing efforts, you can create campaigns that not only capture the excitement of major sporting events but also build lasting connections with your audience and drive real business results.

Want to learn more? Watch the full webinar replay here!

Ready to take your marketing to the next level? Contact Parity today to discuss how we can help you achieve your goals.

About Parity
Minority-founded in 2020, Parity's mission is to close the gender income and opportunity gap in professional sports. By developing high-impact collaborations between brands, professional women athletes and their fans, Parity has proudly put more than $3.5 million in the pockets of women athletes, attracting dozens of brands to the movement in the process. The platform offers connections to more than 1000 women athletes from 80+ sports, including well over 200 Olympians and Paralympians. For more information on how to tap into the rapidly rising influence and popularity of women athletes, visit https://paritynow.co or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Threads.