Media Intelligence Insights - July 2024 | Paris Olympics: Everything That Went Wrong

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Stick around for a quick analysis of the top stories and happenings on social media below!

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be in a perpetual PR crisis for the entire planning and duration of your event??

The Paris Organising Committee for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games has been experiencing a bumpy ride, especially given that these days, you cannot scroll through the internet or social media without hearing that something went wrong at the 2024 Paris Olympics.?

And oh, so much has been happening—from the Seine poop protests that started weeks ahead of the games, to a controversial opening ceremony during which operational mistakes were made (including raising the Olympics flag upside down and wrongly introducing South Korea as North Korea), all the way to rumoured power blackouts in Paris.?

It sure has not been boring.???

When it comes to global events of this magnitude, you cannot expect everything to sail smoothly. Still, on social media, the 2024 Paris Olympics have been referred to as the most controversial and flawed Olympics season.?

Of course, we have to take into consideration the fact that we are currently living in the most digitally connected era, where even the smallest details by both spectators and athletes are captured and shared on social media.?

Also, it is safe to assume that, by now, most online users understand what it takes to generate virality, so we are not unfamiliar with purposely designed video openings to hook viewers and the spread of misinformation or disinformation to gain views. This, coupled with drastically dropping levels of media literacy has led to a heightened level of scrutiny of the Olympics, making it almost impossible for the event to proceed without significant commentary and analysis from the global audience.

In the July issue of our newsletter, we are looking at a small sample of big social media conversations related to the Olympics (from 40+ million mentions in English only??) that could make any PR professional cry.

Interested in receiving tailored media monitoring and analysis services in over 50 languages??

Check out our Media Intelligence solutions!

The Opening Ceremony: Mistakes and Backlash

The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics passed without flying colours (get it?). For starters, South Korean athletes were mistakenly presented as North Korean during the opening ceremony. TikTok users wondered how the organisers could confuse the two countries and suggested that they were not well prepared to host the Olympics, while others called the act “inexcusable”.?

Putting aside operational mistakes, which were seen as a direct result of poor planning, many Twitter users and celebrities, including actor James Woods, took to X to voice their displeasure with the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

For reference, the opening ceremony featured a scene with drag queens and French entertainer Philippe Katerine painted in blue and acting as the Greek god of wine Dionysus. This scene, presented against the backdrop of the River Seine, instantly generated backlash as many religious and conservative groups viewed it as a parody of “The Last Supper” and thought it to be disrespectful to religious beliefs.

It is important to mention, however, that the organisers clarified that the opening scene was an interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus, “who makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings” - and not a parody of “The Last Supper”.

Eagle-eyed users on X pointed out that Elon Musk unfollowed the official account of the Olympics. Users also protested against the alleged censorship by NBC and the Olympics, who deleted all videos of the opening ceremony based on copyright violation claims, while the YouTube account of the Olympics deleted the video of the ceremony, because it was allegedly being criticised too much.?

Many commended boxer Ryan Garcia, who called for a boycott of the event, while others criticised Thomas Jolly, the man who directed the opening ceremony, which sparked multiple instances of homophobia and antisemitism.

No More Advertising

C Spire, an American privately owned telecommunications and technology company, pulled all of its advertising from the Olympics following the controversial opening ceremony with many X users commending the company for its decision and saying they were proud of its decision and for representing the values of its customers. Mississippi governor Tate Reeves also chimed in following the announcement and said he was proud to see that the private sector in Mississippi stepped up and put its foot down.

Is the Seine Clean Enough? Not Many Think So.

On social media, there were ongoing debates about whether the river Seine is clean enough after the first swimming training session for triathletes was cancelled because of pollution. Some wondered why there was no backup plan for the triathlon, while others reminded people that preparations to get the Seine ready for the Olympics began in 2015.

Political Controversies

French politician Thomas Portes sparked a political controversy when he said that Israeli athletes are not welcome to the Olympics due to the Gaza war. On X, users argued fiercely, as they took either the side of Palestine and Israel, with some saying that Jews should leave Paris and France, since it is not a safe place for them and others likening his statement to similar ones from Nazi leaders.

Another story that generated a lot of engagement involved Palestinian boxer Waseem Abu Sal who allegedly wore a shirt depicting planes dropping bombs on children playing football, as X users furiously debated whether this was done to commemorate the Palestinians who died in the war or if this was done to mock the Israeli children who died during a bomb attack while playing football.

Backlash Against Steven van de Velde

Convicted child rapist Steven van de Velde was booed after making his Olympic beach volleyball debut, as Twitter users compared his case to that of Sha’carri Richardson, who was banned from the Olympics after testing positive for cannabis. Some users called for his immediate ban and wondered how his Dutch teammates felt about his inclusion on the team.

No to Sexism at the Olympics

Eurosport commentator Bob Ballard was removed from coverage after his inappropriate comments about the Australian women’s swimming team. He was quoted as saying: “Well, the women are just finishing up. You know what women are like … hanging around, doing their makeup.” Some social media users said the decision was fair, while others questioned the inconsistency by pointing out that Steven van de Velde is still allowed to compete.

The Hijab Ban?Viewed as Unnecessary and Unfair

American female athletes criticised Nike’s sports kits calling it “A costume born of patriarchal forces”, while France saw backlash over its decision to prohibit its sportswomen from using a hijab. Many X users insisted that the hijab ban was a show of bigotry and racism and claimed that wearing it does not produce an unfair advantage or disadvantage, which is why there is no reason to ban it.?

Power Outages in Paris

X users reflected on the reported power outages in Paris, with some claiming this was a Russian infrastructure attack, while others insisted this was divine intervention caused by the opening ceremony. There were also users who suggested this was caused by the system being weakened by green energy policies.

Any space left for positivity?

Oh, plenty, but before we go into that:

Having a timely insight into the different opinions that are bounced around on social media and how they affect your brand image is exactly why you should always have a robust media monitoring process in place.?

In times of PR crisis, information is power.

Having real-time visibility into what is being said about your brand and how the narrative is unfolding can mean the difference between effective damage control and reputational disaster.?

Check out our Crisis Management solution.

When it comes to the 2024 Paris Olympics, not all has been bad. In fact, the AI-generated sentiment score says that the negative is heavily balanced by the positive.?

We have seen amazing and talented athletes pushing their boundaries, with a lot of people celebrating them online. Many of them have gone viral. From Simone Biles winning her eighth Olympic gold on her Paris 2024 ‘redemption tour’, to South Korean pistol shooter Kim Ye-ji’s unparalleled charisma - there is a lot of positivity and excitement circulating online.?

We, of course, cannot forget Henrik Christiansen - the Norwegian swimmer, or now forever known as the Olympic Muffin man - who went viral for his hilarious TikTok videos about his love for the chocolate muffins from the Olympic Village cafeteria.?

Also, the Gen Z-style promotion of the upcoming Paralympic games on their official profile on TikTok is definitely on another level of marketing. Some users called it “insane” and “so wrong”, but many find it hilarious and are discussing riding the same bus to hell for finding the videos of the athletes coupled with trending sounds entertaining.?

What about you? Which Olympics-related story captured your attention?

See you next month! ????