• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, August 5, 2024

With about two-thirds of the Paris Olympic Games behind us, the 2024 Summer Olympics have already solidified its popularity with viewers. NBCUniversal says that, through the 9^th day, it had reached 32.6 million average viewers, 77% more than the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics.

A handful of athletes, like gymnast Simone Biles and swimmers Katie Ledecky and Leon Marchand, further cemented their super-stardom. But as America settles more fully into streaming culture, alternately watching the games on NBC, Peacock and TikTok, it’s harder to say who the breakout brands are. Dipanjan Chatterjee, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, gives Marketing Daily his take.

Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Marketing Daily: Forrester’s research, going into the games, found that 41% of online adults planned to follow the Olympics, a little above the 38% who say they follow other sporting events with equal interest. Now that we are approaching the end, how would you say the games have delivered?

Dipanjan Chatterjee: I’d give this Olympics an A. The start was soggy, but so far, there hasn't been any strong negative news or publicity -- no scandals, no huge political issues. That’s good for the Olympics. All the good things I hoped would happen did, and the bad things didn’t happen.

Marketing Daily: What brands are the big winners so far?

Chatterjee: I’m struck by LVMH and how much that company has draped itself all over these Olympics, right down to the trunks carrying the medals. And that makes sense, given its French roots. But it’s also interesting that it wants to convey this kind of overall democratization of luxury, migrating downward to the Olympics. We usually only see luxury brands in the realms of golf and tennis.

It strikes me that luxury is moving into the mainstream, which is odd -- the entire premise of luxury is predicated upon having a group of people who cannot afford it.

Marketing Daily: How about specific ads?

Chatterjee: I always feel like there are three types of ads for these events. Some are just taking advantage of millions of eyeballs, like Apple advertising its MacBook because it’s back-to-school time.

Some are about the Olympics, linking products and ads directly to the games. A good example is Reese’s Medals, the Peanut Butter Cup ads starring Olympic athletes, or Delta, showing Olympians boarding their planes.

Then there’s a third type, which has noble intentions. They aim to be more meaningful and memorable, like those Toyota is running. I’m not a fan. Those ads make for good copy and an emotional experience, but don’t link to the company. You’re left thinking, “Was that a car ad? A bank ad?”

I’m also interested in how much more integrated marketing we’re seeing. Sephora, owned by LVMH, had pop-up stores along the torch relay route. Or Team Bridgestone, which is supplying so much more than tires, including bicycles for athletes, volunteers and staff.

Marketing Daily: Many breakout stars and feel-good stories are about women. Not just the obvious ones, like Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky, but the women’s gymnastics team, basketball, soccer -- and rugby! What does that mean for brands?

Chatterjee: Lots of opportunities. Especially in the U.S., women’s sports and leagues always get second billing. So, when the spotlight is on them, it creates a unique targeting opportunity. Athleta is capitalizing on its relationship with Biles, of course, but overall, I think it will change the kinds of endorsements and ads we see two years from now.

Marketing Daily: I assume my family is typical in that we’re switching back and forth from NBC to NBC’s Peacock, helping us avoid many of the ads. America is more skillful at streaming than we were two years ago. What should CMOs be doing about that?

Chatterjee: There’s no denying that ads interrupt the experience, and I hate when the network cuts away to an ad right in the middle of an event. Live sports are the last bastion for captive audiences. I’ve watched more ads the previous week than all of last year, all while grumbling and cursing. But we all know that the more exposure people have to a brand, the more likely it is to be in your consideration set. You won’t remember that it distracted you from the uneven bars.

Marketing Daily: What do you think of the enormous social media presence some of the athletes have, like gymnast @FrederickFlips, the amazing @ilhonamaher, the rugby player who has become such a spokesperson for body positivity, or, of course, Pommel Horse Guy?

Chatterjee: I confess I'm not much of a social media person. But the data around social media usage, not just specific to this Olympics, is that it keeps playing a bigger role in how people discover brands. People are looking at multiple devices when they’re watching. So again, in this context, it's not surprising that people will find athletes on social media, and those athletes will accelerate much faster.

Marketing Daily: Anything else strike you?

Chatterjee: The flags. In this day and age, nationalism has become a bad word. But in these games, you see the positive side of patriotism. The idea of the gymnastics team jumping up with their flags when they hear they’ve won their medal -- it’s a different sense than when you see pickup trucks driving around your town with a flag.