Navigating Brand Social Posting Rules Around The Olympics
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There is absolutely nothing in the history of modern civilization that draws more worldwide attention than the Olympic Games. Even The World Cup, has less of a media impact. Spanning countries, languages, cultures and demographics, everyone around the world tunes in to watch as people from every corner of the globe compete for legendary medals, commercial ad spots and even side-line branded moments.
Costs To Host Cities
The Olympics are underway in Beijing, the first city in the world to host both the Summer and Winter Games - ever.?China has spent an absolutely tremendous amount in building an infrastructure that provides terrain and venues that work for all events.??
This year the political controversies have led the US, UK and Australia to formally - at least on a government level - sit this one out, while still letting athletes compete.
In recent years, there is far less competition among countries to win this opportunity, due to the incredible costs required to participate. In many cases in recent years, the IOC is the only beneficiary. On one of my last big trips pre-Covid, we were in Greece on a private tour, (something I so highly recommend vs just cruise line sponsored shore excursions!) what was an interesting add-on was learning from a local viewpoint how much the investment to bring the Olympics to Athens negatively impacted their economy, and how many of the buildings were left for ruin after as there were no funds in place for maintenance. In Greece, their 2004 event cost almost $11 billion (with today's rates) which was more than double the initial amount budgeted.?The IOC however made $985 million.?
That's the issue with the Olympics - and why there is less of demand by countries to host.?The costs to build infrastructure to support is tremendous, and in more recent times of Covid, the benefits of increased tourism simply do not exist.?The Olympics for Japan were certainly not a financial win.?China is currently experiencing the same. We'll see first-hand how Los Angeles fares in 2028.
Partnerships With Olympic Athletes Are A Brand Dream
Those who do fare well during the Olympics are the athletes who medal, who as a result open the door to new opportunities for brand sponsorships over the next four years.??
That time - before and after the actual Games are an AWESOME opportunity to work with an Olympic athlete, send them a little monetary love, and continue to show your brand's patriotic support.?A lot of the athletes are actually priced quite reasonably - compared to the A-lister celebrity crowd.
What you might not know is that celebrity endorsers participating in the Olympics are actually BANNED for a specific blackout period leading up to and out of the Olympics from singing the praises of their sponsors.?So brands have to find another way to make an impact during those 2 weeks of the year when the Games are played.
It Is Illegal To Post About The Olympics If You Aren’t A Sponsor
Every four years, the biggest and most talked about event of the summer around the world unfolds – the Olympic Games.??People all over the world watch as the best athletes compete and root for their country to win. And they post, tweet snap and hashtag across their social media world.???
The Olympic Games are the perfect platform for brands to connect to a global audience, but unless the brand is one of the official sponsors of the games, there is very little you can post without official approval via a letter from International Olympic Committee (IOC)… and it won’t be a thank you for spreading the word.?
The Crackdown
The IOC and U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) have cracked down on non-sponsor companies who are looking to capitalize on the global reach of the games with a set of restrictions for social media during the event.
Which is something brands who sponsor athletes during the Olympic trials, where they are free to do so without the IOC involvement, have to remember to comply with the restrictions. It can be difficult for brands – as well as their athletes – to forget and stop the support for the two-week time period the years of partnership the two have had together as the athlete rose to being a potential Olympics medal winner.
But there is a reason for the crackdown.?Brands who are Official Sponsors pay millions and millions of dollars for those rights.?And they get a little steamed when their competition swoops in on what they consider 'hands off' content that they've paid more than a pretty penny for.
Playing It Safe
A few years ago I wrote an article providing brands a 12 step guide to how to post about The Olympics and not get sued.?Here's a recap:
So what CAN a brand do??Avoid the following, and toe the line of safety to avoid being sued.?Here’s a sample of the Olympic Committee’s many prohibitions against business activity during the big games:
1. Businesses can't use any of the?Olympics' trademarked words or phrases. These terms include: Olympic, Olympian, Team USA, Future Olympian, Gateway to gold, Go for the gold, Let the games begin, Paralympic, Pan Am Games, Olympiad, Paralympiad, Pan-American
?2. You can't use terms that reference the location of the Olympics, such as:
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3. You must not use words that incorporate the word "Olympic," such as Mathlympics, Aqualympics, Chicagolympics, Radiolympics, etc.
4. You can't use hashtags that include Olympics trademarks such as #TeamUSA or #Beijing2022.
5. You cannot use any official Olympics logos.
6. You cannot post any photos taken at the Olympics. (While not mentioned on the USOC's brand guidelines site, this rule has been mentioned by USOC chief marketing officer Lisa Baird.)
7. You can't feature Olympic athletes in your social posts.
8. You can't even wish Olympic athletes luck.
9. Don't post any Olympics results.
10. You can't share anything from official Olympics social media accounts. Even retweets are prohibited.
11. No creating your own version of Olympic symbols, "whether made from your own logo, triangles, hexagons, soda bottle tops, onion rings, car tires, drink coasters, basketballs, etc."
12. And this one... "Do not host an Olympic- or Paralympic-themed contest or team-building event for employees."
So What Can A Brand Post About Then?!? Flubs!
After reading that, a brand manager needs to take a big gulp of air and start thinking very creatively.?Organizers themselves had to jump over numerous hurdles such as economic and political strife, high crime, and numerous health concerns just to get the games going, and now brands and marketers have to make similar strides in their social strategies.
If you want to post, you need to be more creative. While the games and logos are trademarked and legally protected, moments and experiences are not. Take for example Oreo’s quick-witted tweet?during the Super Bowl blackout in 2013.
So if you are tweeting for your brand, pay close attention to the games for any slips and flubs to jump on before the IOC trademarks on those.
Post About Themed Travel Material
Also, look for spectacles outside the realm of sports during this event. For example, reach out to influencers who shine a light on your brand that just so happens around the games. For example, contact food bloggers to create local country-specific cuisine, beauty bloggers for tips to survive whatever weather conditions that country has (frizzy hair, humidity), and fitness bloggers on how to get to athletic shape.
Taking The Gold
The Olympics present a challenge with numerous restrictions, but a truly excellent marketer or creative agency will take the gold by clearing these restraints and convey your brands’ message during this eye-catching event.
Head on over to?my agency blog on pop culture partnership insights - go to?https://blog.hollywoodbranded.com?to read the latest from our team including:
We are headed into a stretch of somewhat yawn-able holidays to celebrate (President's Day anyone - St. Patrick's Day...)?But directly following is a stretch of red carpet-worthy events that your brand can take part of, or celebrate alongside influencers in their social posts.?Send me a note and our team can chat ideas.