Olympic Marketing

The Dos and Don'ts of Olympic Marketing for Restaurants

Since the first modern Olympics in 1896, companies have been advertising at the games, but exclusivity rights first implemented in the 1980s have made it all but impossible for any companies but the largest with the deepest pockets to become associated with the prestigious event. The amount of money spent by the sponsors is staggering – sponsors for recent games have spent hundreds of millions of dollars for multi-year deals1 – but how can smaller businesses take advantage of the marketing opportunities the Olympic Games present?

Navigating the Marketing Minefield

Advertising anything about the Olympics is difficult if you're not an official sponsor, though the rules were loosened prior to the 2020 games for brands sponsoring athletes. Traditionally, though, the Olympic advertising rules2 forbid the use of "Olympic properties or any NOC [National Olympic Committee] related symbol or design protected under national legislation, trademark, or copyright law, or of any symbol, design, or terminology or expression creating a risk of confusion with these properties."

Included in the list of terms and expressions that must be avoided are phrases such as 'Olympics' and 'Olympic Games,' and even references to the hosting city and year must be used with care when discussing anything related to the games, or you might find yourself on the receiving end of a cease-and-desist letter.3

The tight restrictions on words, phrases, and the iconic interlocked rings logo means that any advertising that references the games directly is out. However, you may be able to find creative ways to reference the games without directly mentioning them. Additionally, if you have televisions in your restaurant, you could make an event of it. Let customers know you'll be airing the games to draw in those who might otherwise stay home to watch.

Creating menu specials4 or custom cocktails that correspond with the games can create a festive, more immersive experience for your customers and offer an additional boost to sales. You can even offer sales such as a percentage off or a buy-one-get-one deal based on how the American Olympians place.

Hashtag Hijacking

Tide Super Bowl tweet

The difficulties in marketing in and around the Olympics are enough to push some brands to extreme lengths. In the past, brands like Nike have resorted to ambush marketing tactics5. While not every business can find a way to slide into the Olympics like that, social media provides a way to insert yourself into the Olympic conversation in order to make your brand visible.

Many people communicate on social media with hashtags, allowing others to easily find the conversation they want to engage in. For example, some of the hashtags expected to trend during the 2016 Olympics were #Rio2016, #RioOlympics2016, and #Olympics. While you still want to keep your posts on-topic for the Olympics, you can find creative ways to tie the events into your restaurant. One great example of this is when Tide jumped on a trending hashtag after a blackout at the Superbowl.

A survey by RadiumOne6 shows that 59 percent of people watching the games will also be using a smartphone while they watch, and many of them will be following the hashtags about the games they're watching. Using the appropriate hashtags with a timely social media post can get your restaurant in front of the eyes of thousands and, if you're lucky, spike your engagement with customers, which could have an effect on sales.

References

  1. Olympic Sponsorships Are About to Get More Expensive. Bloomberg. Accessed September 2021.
  2. Olympic Advertising Rules Scaled Back Prior to 2020 Games. Lexology. Accessed September 2021.
  3. Olympic Provisions to change name after cease-and-desist notice from Olympic Committee. Oregon Live. Accessed September 2021.
  4. Local restaurants at the starting line for Olympic specials and events. ALX Now. Accessed September 2021.
  5. How Nike pulled off brilliant ambush marketing in the Olympics. The Drum. Accessed September 2021.
  6. How brands can target sports fans ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Marketing Week. Accessed September 2021.