Sochi 2014: Digital Marketing Lessons Learned From The Winter Olympics

It is no secret that the 2014 Winter Olympics have not had the smoothest run. Political differences, technical glitches, and the overall conditions of the Olympic village raised questions  as to whether the city was ready for such a giant event. This attitude negatively affected several sponsor’s marketing campaigns. However, buzz of olympic energy is contagious, and many marketers thrived, creating original and dynamic digital campaigns. Here are some lessons we can take away from these olympics, no matter how small scale your digital marketing strategy may be.

Social Media Also Means Community Management

The first lesson to be learned, is to listening to your audience by being involved in the community management of your social networks. Much of the initial backlash from the conditions of the Olympic Village at Sochi were started by images shared through instagram and twitter. Due to the viral nature of these sites, these images turned into blog posts, buzzfeed lists, facebook memes and were spread across major news networks. One example of a campaign that backfired, is McDonald’s failed #cheersochi twitter handle. Activist took over the handle to protest McDonald’s involvement in the Olympics, and in turn created bad press for the company. Social media can be a platform that will work for or against your business, so reach out to those personally that have expressed negative comments, and constantly ask your audience how you can improve your business.

Involve Your Audience In Your Content Strategy

Creating new content can be time consuming, and hard to keep fresh. Involving your audience in your content creation can help overcome these obstacles.  One of the most successful digital marketing campaigns throughout the Olympics has been SamSung’s “Notes From Home” campaign in Canada.  Over 7,000 Canadians wrote notes of support for their favorite athletes, which were shown across multiple marketing platforms on the Samsung digital hub. Asking your audience to submit photos and testimonials can be a simple way to enhance your marketing collateral. Creating contests where winners can compete with personal submissions in return for gifts and services can also help create interest.

Target Niche Markets within your Audience

Due to the broad audience that tunes into the Olympics, marketers have found success by targeting niche demographics. For example Procter & Gamble created a mom-focused “Because of Mom” campaign based around athletes and their mothers. These ads have been viewed on YouTube up to 13 million times each, and have used twitter to further enhance the campaign. By taking a deep dive into Google Analytics, you can get a detailed breakdown of what kind of audience is visiting your site (based on age, sex, location, etc.), and what kinds of visitors you would like to attract. From those findings, you can tailor your marketing strategy to engage these different demographics.

The winter Olympics only comes around once every four years. For businesses that do not have that much time to plan a digital marketing strategy, EmoryDay can help. We offer full service marketing and web design services tailored to small businesses. Contact us today for a free consultation, and learn how we can take your business to the next level.