Commentary

Why CPG Brands Are Letting the Games Begin on Social: #Rio2016 Content

In late July, I was joined by my kids and a group of friends for Team USA’s Diving send-off in Atlanta. The male teens shared on Instagram, the girl tween posted on musical.ly and the mom (that’s me!) shared on Facebook and posted to Instagram. I think I was the only one to use the suggested hashtag, but the appeal of sharing the content crossed generations. 

With The Olympic Games now underway in Rio, your social media feeds are likely full of Rio-related content. (And if you’re like me, you’re loving it and sharing it too!) What makes the content so shareable and compelling? It’s dramatic, it’s live and it’s patriotic! 

Numerous CPG companies are activating around the Games. Many are official sponsors and partners with specific access and rights to use the logos and marks. YouTube recently shared stats that views of official sponsor ads on YouTube are through the roof.  

advertisement

advertisement

Real People, Real Drama! 
Part of the appeal is the “real people” involved. Sure, some (like Phelps and Lochte) have attained semi-celebrity status, but a lot of the athletes are like people we all know, or wish we know. P&G’s Thank you Mom campaign, revived for these Games, shows the backstory of the athletes and how they were driven to early morning practices just like a lot of us were. Minute Maid’s ad with Missy Franklin thanking her parents is raw and emotional, words that every parent imagines their children thinking. 

It’s LIVE! (and it’s Sports!)
NBC has plans for unsurpassed coverage of the Games, both online and on-network. Between the time difference, the NBC app and their live-streaming, many workers will be able to sneak a look at the action during office hours. Although we’ve all DVR-ed some sporting event or another, there’s nothing equal to the appeal of watching sports live. We don’t want to miss the action! Remember that one of the industry’s best incidents of real-time social marketing came via Oreo and #DunkintheDark, which took place at another crown jewel of sports, the Superbowl in 2013. 

Olympic Sponsor Coca-Cola’s #ThatsGold campaign is certainly banking on the shareability of the live action. Their combination of influencers creating content plus the 40-person “newsroom” team in Rio means we should all keep an eye on their hashtag and Snapchat story, focused on teens. 

Modern-day patriotism! 
As we are looking towards elections, folks are posting a lot of political commentary on social. I’ve had more than one Facebook friend say they are taking a hiatus until mid-November. Sharing about the Olympics will be a nice wholesome, patriotic addition to the feeds. Cheering on your home country, wherever it may be, is fun! 

Team USA has a daily feature called Red, White and Trending, where they are sharing top five social posts from #TeamUSA athletes competing in Rio. Upon logging into Facebook, I’ve been prompted to share my enthusiasm for the Games, and create a temporary profile frame (and yes, I’ve done both). I can’t wait to see what Snapchat filters pop up! 

Ford, though not an Olympic sponsor, has some creative Snapchat antics planned, including a red, white and blue filter. Whether brands have an official affiliation or not, they can join in by voicing their support of the Games as long as they take care not to break any of the official rules. It’s time to get creative! 

Are you excited for the Games? Tweet me at @CarolMilliron and let me know! (Or, if you’re not into it, you should probably unfollow me now!) USA, USA! 

Next story loading loading..