February 17, 2014
2012 Summer Olympics in London, affectionately coined as the ‘Twitter Olympics’, saw the use of social media as a tool to bridge the gap between athletes and their fans. Social has garnered a new kind of enthusiasm around the Olympic Games, changing the way we consume and talk about the competition. The games have really come alive since the switch from a political narrative to an interest in the Olympians themselves.
Social media has paved the way to behind-the-scenes access to the Olympics, directly from our favourite athletes, where we can also join the #Sochi2014 conversation to show our support.
Unfortunately, the start of the Winter Olympics in Sochi saw a swell of negative attention surrounding unfinished hotels and dirty water, to name a few, which brought about the amusing trend #SochiProblems, now with its own Twitter account beating the follower numbers of the official Sochi 2014 account! Despite the controversy, brands are still taking to social media to cash in on the event.
The interesting infographic below, by Offerpop shows how brands have joined in on the Sochi 2014 buzz:
Unlike the US, Winter Games aren’t as popular in the UK, and brands have been a little slower to bank on the event. However we did see a turn in activity following wins for Team GB:
YarGold! First Gold for @TeamGB! Congratulations @TheYarnold #allin pic.twitter.com/6gsp115v8v
— adidas UK (@adidasUK) February 14, 2014
Ostensibly, the post doesn’t look like an ad, just an image with a small positive message relating to the Olympic Games, however the branding has subtly been added in. With an impressive 1773 retweets, the strategy has proved to be highly effective in capturing the audience’s attention. Just imagine the reach!
Social media has transformed the way we interact and discuss the Olympic Games, but do you think it will become more gripping than the games itself?
© Image “Winter Olympics”. Paul Hudson