• by July 22, 2008

Sport and competition bind society and are part of the fabric of our everyday lives. The digital age has brought greater levels of involvement and excitement around sports. The IOC (International Olympic Committee), having concluded a four-year multi-national study, is excited to announce that it has chosen to extend its marketing and promotional activities to ensure that the Olympics will be as relevant in the future as they are currently.

Taking a page from successful franchises such as Major League Baseball, Aussie Rules Football, NASCAR and American Idol, the IOC will add programs that will guarantee that the Olympics will be an ongoing and relevant part of the lives of sports enthusiasts the world over.

As the head of the 2016 Olympic Committee, I am pleased to announce that the oldest tradition in sport is taking Olympian-size strides in embracing new media. We have always endeavored to stay current, adding new events to keep in lockstep with the times, such as the 1998 addition of snowboarding. The following provides the IOC's latest and groundbreaking new marketing and promotional initiatives, in place for the 2016 Games.

Working with new IOC partner Google, the IOC will feature through YouTube, live and on demand, more than 1,100 events, including some sports new to the games. The five new events with the most views, after a thorough review process by the IOOSFSC (International Online Olympic Standards and Future Standards Committee), will become permanent additions to the games.
This will not only make the games relevant to a broader audience and introduce an unprecedented range of athleticism, but will also open the Olympic doors to an extraordinary number and range of advertisers. Our online buzz metrics research already indicates tremendous interest in the foosball and freestyle walking (or free running) events. Isotoner is developing the official Olympic foosball collector's glove, and Nike is designing a freestyle walking line to provide the ankle support that asphalt roof jumps so often require.

In NASCAR they say, "What wins on Sunday sells on Monday." Well, our Sunday is two weeks long. Leveraging technology that overlays images atop existing video, and taking a page from our NASCAR colleagues, the IOC is pleased to launch our Brand Real Estate Program. Interactive video technology will allow brands to become fully integrated into the games and onto nearly every square inch of real estate on key equipment. (Body-part overlays must be negotiated with the individual athletes and approved by the IOC.)

Further, we are excited to offer sponsors naming rights to both stadiums and events. Athletic events like the "Quiznos Melty 500 Men's Freestyle" or the "Dr. Pepper Pole Vault" will bring new energy to the games, reflecting the vibrancy and excitement of the events themselves.

In 2008, we introduced RFID chips into event tickets to circumvent counterfeiting. In 2016, we will unlock the potential of RFID technology to extend the Olympic experience. Welcome screens near stadium entrances will be equipped with RFID readers. When ticket holders walk by, they will see advertising specifically targeted to them.

In addition, because the RFID chips in the tickets contain attendees' basic information and photo, attendees will this year automatically be e-mailed video of the events they attend, with the option of inserting themselves into the video. Advanced 3D rendering technology makes it possible to create the illusion that you are competing against your favorite athletes in your favorite sports.

After years of controversy emanating from the judging process, the IOC will, with select events, experiment with augmenting the traditional judging process with audience text-to-vote participation, similar to the ever popular American Idol. Judges will determine the three final medalists, and the fans will determine who wins gold, silver and bronze ($1.99 plus standard text messaging rates apply).

The Olympic Committee welcomes the future with open arms. New technology will allow the games to reach new heights. The future of sport is here, and we are excited to embrace it.

Dave Rosner is director, innovations at Initiative. (dave.rosner@us.initiative.com)