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Olympics Advertising Sponsorship

A fifth of Brits probably won’t take any notice of the Olympic sponsors

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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

August 2, 2016 | 2 min read

The hallowed sponsorship of the Olympics is not as valuable as some would come to believe, according to research from digital marketing agency Greenlight.

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Olympics sponsorship

In a study of 1,065 UK adults, a fifth (18 per cent) said they wouldn’t notice if a brand was to sponsor the games.

While brands still have the chance to make an impression on respondents who say they won’t remember them, the data perhaps provides a worrying trend for those advertising in Rio.

Additionally, almost half of respondents (47 per cent) said that despite sponsoring the Olympics, their perception of participating brands will not be changed.

Looking back at the 2012 games, which were hosted much closer to home for UK viewers, not one of the respondents remembered Acer’s sponsorship, despite it being one of the biggest spenders.

Only 17 per cent remember Samsung’s ad campaign and 11 per cent remember P&G’s. Coca Cola and McDonald's however dominated, seeing recognition as high as 42 per cent and 38 per cent respectively.

Thirty per cent of those surveyed said they remembered a brand through the TV ad. Product design and packaging was responsible for 21 per cent of recognition, and 11 per cent through the brands’ social media footprint.

On how brands can make the most of their activations, Andreas Pouros, chief operating officer and co-founder at Greenlight, said: “Marketers can take advantage of the power of imagery for their 2016 games by ensuring their online content and social media channels use striking and thought provoking imagery.”

He warned against stunts however: “Considering its potentially high cost, marketers should consider longer running campaigns to ensure their brand isn’t forgotten once the summer is over, as only ten per cent of UK consumers remember stunts from the 2012 Olympics.”

Olympics Advertising Sponsorship

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