Searches On Olympic Sporting Events Provide Insight Into Human Behavior

Olympic fever caught the attention of the world this past week, especially the sport of gymnastics, but what does it tell marketers about the lifestyle differences and brand preferences of fans?

Searches with the words "Olympics" or "Olympic" and "gymnastics" took 2.32% of search share in the week ending Aug. 13, 2016, according to data released Friday by Hitwise, a division of Connexity.

Fans following gymnastics are more likely to be "sipping on a Starbucks Frappuccino while browsing recipes on Yummly.com," per the data.

The analysis also reveals that 1.59% of all searches contained the word "swimming," along with "Olympics" or "Olympic" during the same time frame. These fans are more likely to eat carbs and are often found at places like The Olive Garden or Panera Bread. They also are much more likely than average to order from TV shopping sites QVC.com and HSN.com.

Fans of basketball -- which ranked No. 5 in the United States with 1.16% and No. 10 in the United Kingdom with 0.31% search share during the week engines Aug. 13 -- are most likely found at TacoBell.com, this group coming in at rates more than twice the national average. 

Interestingly that in the United Kingdom Hitwise data shows that British fans are most interested in tennis, cycling and rugby -- all sports that ranked between No. 7, No. 9, and No. 10, respectively, in the United States. In Australia based on searches Basketball ranked No. 1 with 2.83% share; swimming, 1.62% share; rugby, 1.45%

Hitwise also suggests that soccer and basketball fans are more than just spectators when it comes to sports. They typically make more visits to athletic apparel and sporting equipment sites like the Nike Store, Under Armour and REI.

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