Are you watching the Olympics? We are. And when we’re not busy checking out the pink catsuits or price-checking curling stones on Amazon, we’re analyzing all the content marketing going on with the athletes.
Having a long list of corporate sponsors is nothing new, but now more than ever the sponsors, NBC, and the athletes themselves are marketing the games and the drama that comes with them. Look at the NBC Olympics page, fully embracing the meme thing with pictures of figure skater Ashley Wagner’s reaction to her low scores, tied into the theme of Valentine’s Day.
Again, this is the official Facebook page for NBC’s coverage. But not all fans appreciate NBC’s humor there. “That is a mean thing to do to one of our athletes. She did have a brief bratty moment there, but this is too much,” reads one of the comments—with 26 Likes behind it.
But it’s not all wisecracks and silly pictures on the content marketing front. This Procter & Gamble ad crosses over into content territory by giving us nearly two minutes of fee-good footage before the logos come in.
http://youtu.be/57e4t-fhXDs
Samsung is also delivering content with its Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games app. The software lets you follow your favorite country, athlete or sport, delivering scores, schedules, medal counts, community discussions, photos and videos related to your preferences.
Even some of the controversies surrounding the games have been tapped into for marketing purposes. Google made its stance known on Russia’s anti-gay laws with its trademark home page ‘doodle’ on the first day of the games.
There you can see the Google logo backed by the colors of the rainbow, as in the colors of the gay pride flag. Clicking on the logo itself sent users to search results for “Olympic Charter.”
Really, content marketing is almost everywhere you look when it comes time for the Olympics; the only thing that changes is the delivery technique and perhaps the platforms used. And it gives us something else to watch, which is especially useful on the 6th straight night of figure skating.