Because the Olympics only come around once every four years,
it’s the perfect excuse for people to come together to rally around not only
their country, but also their favorite sports and Olympians. The Olympics are
always seen as a huge marketing coup to companies, with commercials popping up
every Olympic season stating that a company is a proud sponsor of the US
Olympic team. Examples of some companies that support the Olympics are Coca
Cola, GE, McDonalds, Panasonic, and Visa (watch Visa Olympics ad here). The
Olympics are used as a tool to market in many ways, with Olympic athletes become
sponsors of brands. These athletes get paid to wear a brand’s apparel in
public, which has proven to be a very effective form of marketing. When an
ordinary person sees an Olympic athlete wearing a North Face jacket as they
stand on the podium to accept their Olympic medal, this person gets the
brilliant idea that if they wear the same jacket, they will have the same
skiing abilities.
At this year’s Olympics, Mikaela Shiffrin, an 18 year old
from Vail California, won the gold medal in women’s slalom, becoming the first
American to win the event in 42 years.
After a costly stumble in her second run, Shiffrin and her coach were
sure she had ruined her chances of even placing. But her balance and speed were
enough to make up for lost time and she won by .53 of a second over her
childhood idol, Austrian Marlies Schild.
Recently, I stumbled upon a USA Today article in the
Burlington Free Press that discussed the future marketing prowess of Shiffrin
as compared to Lindsey Vonn, another big name in the ski sport. Being so
successful in her field at such a young age will definitely have its perks, but
none bigger than the potential of $1 million a year in new marketing
opportunities.
Being 11 years younger than Vonn, Shiffrin has the potential
to compete in more Olympics in her future. When looking for a new face of the
Games, many doubt an Alpine skier has the required name recognition, but if
there ever were to be one, Shiffrin would be a contender. Its very appealing to
companies that Shiffrin has so many years ahead of her in the sport and could
represent their brand with longevity. Peter Carlisle, who is the head of the
Octagon’s Olympic division, says that people should expect Shiffrin to land at
least one or two partnerships after her performance at the 2014 Games in Sochi,
being either an apparel or electronics deal. Carlisle also feels that his job
has become easier because he no longer has to work as hard to convince
companies that they can market an alpine skier for the duration of 10 years.
This article states that the largest obstacle in the way of
Shiffrin becoming the face of the Olympics is TV presence. Mike Jaquet, who is
the chief marketing officer of the US Ski and Snowboard Association, feels that
it is impossible for Shiffrin to stay relevant among her fellow Olympiads
because she competes in Europe for most of the year. These events are not
televised, and Jaquet feels that if you’re not on TV, you aren’t considered a
sport in America. Recently, however, the US Ski Federation made a big
investment likely to change this. With the acquisition of the domestic
television rights for the next three world championships, fans will be able to
watch Shiffrin compete in her event which will be aired on NBC or NBC Sports
Network. This is a big coup for the sport because fans can watch these athletes
compete on a regular basis, instead of catching up with them every four years
at the Olympic Games. With Shiffrin’s young age and athletic ability as a slalom
skier, she is a marketer’s dream in the sport. Read the article here.
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