The Paris Olympics are approaching. Which brands are already at the starting line?

With the Paris Olympics approaching, many brands have already started the full-line Olympic marketing model, striving to go abroad, open up overseas markets, and export Chinese culture to the world. Follow the article below to take a look at brand marketing cases, which are recommended for brand marketing friends to read.

It’s July now, and a major event is about to be held. Following the dismal performance of the Japanese Olympics during the epidemic, the Paris Olympics has finally returned to the public eye with a lively sports atmosphere.

The frequency of holding the Olympic Games every four years has destined the Olympic Games to attract worldwide attention. As an international phenomenal sports event, the Olympic Games have a high penetration rate, generate many hot topics, and provide people with high emotional value, making it one of the best nodes for brand marketing.

The "2024 Sports Marketing Value Insights" released by Tencent, Tencent Marketing Insights (TMI), Miaozhen Systems and Krypton Sports shows that the viewing penetration rate of the Paris Olympics will reach 62% .

Paris Olympics Heat Forecast

With such a high level of popularity, sports marketing is an important tool that cannot be missed. With less than three weeks to go before the Olympics, many brands have already started their full-line Olympic marketing mode, laying the groundwork for attracting the public's attention.

1. Reverse output attracts attention

When the Olympics are held in China, sports marketing for events such as the Beijing Olympics and the Beijing Winter Olympics can more easily attract the attention of Chinese people. However, if the venue is overseas, the brand's marketing actions are varied, one of which is to go abroad and reverse the export, which has attracted widespread attention in China.

For example, Heytea, a leading domestic tea brand, has set its sights on Paris. This is not only another step for the brand to go global, but also a successful first step in the Paris Olympics marketing campaign in the minds of domestic consumers.

Heytea's Paris Olympics promotional video is different from the style of co-branding and memes in the past few years. Instead, it shows the joy of drinking Heytea on the streets of Paris through the sports moments of several young people. This advertising film has also received a lot of praise from domestic consumers for its agility and vitality.

In addition, to correspond to the theme of the Paris Olympics, HEYTEA innovatively designed its brand logo, drawing inspiration from Chinese Song-style strokes to form a running figure and the English word HEYTEA; the pattern of the Olympic rings and the Chinese knot also symbolizes unity and friendship. The brand also projected this design near landmark buildings such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Galeries Lafayette to export Chinese culture to the world.

HEYTEA Outdoor Projection

In terms of products, HEYTEA launched Paris-limited packaging, badges, tea bowls and other peripherals, which were launched in the HEYTEA Paris Match Viewing Tea Room on July 5, attracting many overseas customers.

HEYTEA Paris Viewing Room

Starting from August 2023, Heytea will open its first stores in many overseas cities, and its overseas business partnership will also be officially launched. This linkage with the Paris Olympics will enhance the pride of domestic consumers and the sense of belonging of overseas Chinese to a certain extent. In terms of brand development, it will also take advantage of sports marketing to steadily expand into the circle and go overseas, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

2. Fancy poses to attract attention

While tea beverage brands are taking advantage of the opportunity to expand overseas, other brands are not to be outdone and are finding various ways to take advantage of the Olympic fever.

Coffee brand Luckin Coffee has teamed up with a classic domestic IP, Shanghai Animation Film Studio’s “Havoc in Heaven,” inviting people who recalled the Monkey King’s havoc in Paris in the same year, and launched a series of limited-edition peripheral products.

In this collaboration, Luckin Coffee incorporated the image of the Monkey King into Paris’ landmark buildings and also launched an animated short film produced with CGI technology, in which the Monkey King transformed into the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Louvre, creating a new and spectacular visual experience.

Luckin Coffee has launched two new products in the "Triumph Mai Mai Series" with limited packaging printed with images of Journey to the West: Monkey King. Consumers who purchase designated product packages may receive limited paper bags, cup sleeves, and Journey to the West: Monkey King themed co-branded stamps, stickers and postcards.

Luckin Coffee×"Havoc in Heaven"

In addition to linkage, another marketing action is to support national and regional teams by making their presence known in competitions.

In late June, ANTA released the award-winning equipment for the Chinese sports delegation at the 2024 Paris Olympics, announcing its official status. This time, ANTA invited Chinese film master Zhang Yimou to serve as the creative consultant for the award-winning equipment for the Chinese sports delegation at the Paris Olympics. The classic red and white color scheme plus the new elements of dragon scales and dragon whiskers correspond to the "Spiritual Dragon" theme of ANTA's Olympic marketing this year.

Another company that has made a name for itself through clothing is FILA. The brand has teamed up with the Sports Association and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China to launch the uniform for the "Hong Kong Delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games" based on the brand's iconic Settanta Jacket.

In addition, spokesperson marketing can reach a wider range of consumers through nationally popular events and more popular athletes.

For example, Yili, which relies on a group of spokespersons to support the Yili Team, always feels very involved in every competition .

Team Erie

3. Major Updates to Platform Technologies

In terms of platforms, the actions of Kuaishou and Douyin this year are also worth paying attention to.

On June 14, Kuaishou and China Central Radio and Television announced that they had reached a licensing cooperation agreement, obtaining the on-demand and short video rights for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and officially becoming the rights-holding broadcaster of the 2024 Paris Olympics, bringing 700 million fans to "watch the Olympics on Kuaishou". This is the second time that Kuaishou has obtained the rights-holding broadcaster status for the Olympics after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

According to the news released by Kuaishou, in this Olympic Games, the platform will enhance the "sports +" effect by linking with the sports industry in multiple fields such as content, short dramas, e-commerce, and local areas. It will provide users with a comprehensive experience of event content, derivative programs, and interactive experiences through channels such as technology empowerment, gameplay innovation, and scene integration.

It is worth noting that Kuaishou, which previously held the Village Super League and Village BA in full swing, recently held a Kuaishou Village Olympics at the Village Super Stadium in Rongjiang, Guizhou, in order to heat up the atmosphere of the Olympics in advance . Through fierce competition in multiple events such as football, basketball, table tennis, track and field, and rural fun games, the association between Kuaishou and the Olympics was consolidated in the minds of users.

Kuaishou Village Olympic Games Picture

Coincidentally, Douyin Group recently announced that it has reached a cooperation with China Media Group and become the rights-holding broadcaster of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. This is also the first time that Douyin has obtained the Olympic broadcasting rights .

During the Paris Olympics, Douyin Group's Douyin, Toutiao and other platforms will provide users with event-related content such as on-demand events, full-game replays, and on- and off-field information. They have also prepared a number of exclusive sports programs such as "Hello Paris", "PICK My Sports Team" and "Watch the Olympics on Douyin" to enrich users' Olympic experience .

The two major platforms have obtained the broadcasting rights, which means that the short video platforms will receive huge traffic during the Olympics. It will also be worth looking forward to how brands will leverage the Olympic marketing on the site at that time .

4. The value of sportsmanship

Of course, sports marketing also requires basic skills - high-spirited commercials .

Procter & Gamble's advertisements ignite people's passion for sports through discussions about champions.

From a one-year-old baby who has not yet been weaned to a neighborhood uncle who is still in good shape, regardless of age or gender, this land has nurtured countless champions who always maintain their passion for competition. From the dining table at home to the desk at school, no matter whether the scene is suitable or not, no matter whether the surroundings are noisy or not, as long as you have the ball in your mind, you will know how to play.

P&G has many product lines such as Whisper, Pampers, Head & Shoulders, etc., which cater to consumers with different needs. The advertisement highlights the sports spirit of the Chinese people and also highlights P&G 's daily care for consumers .

Coca-Cola's commercial is short and sharp, directly pointing out the Olympic marketing theme: embrace differences and win everything .

Although these two brands were born abroad, they still adopted a conservative approach to sports marketing in China that is more suitable for Chinese consumers. They are passionate but lack novelty, but in the pre-Olympic marketing stage, simply using their face may be enough.

V. Conclusion

The importance of Olympic marketing is self-evident. Whether it is a brand with an official status that wants to make a big splash in the arena, or a brand without an official status that simply wants to take advantage of the momentum, it is a great opportunity that cannot be missed.

Currently, it is only the warm-up stage of Olympic marketing. Once the Paris Olympics officially begins, I believe that more excellent marketing campaigns will enter the public eye.

Author: TOP Jun

Source: WeChat official account: "TopMarketing (ID: TMarketing)"