Half of marketing pros (including branding, design and creative specialists) believe that factors other than “athletic achievement” make an “iconic sporting moment” according to a new global poll from agency Designit, part of multinational IT firm Wipro.  

The research follows a summer of multiple sporting events attracting global interest including the Paris Olympics, Euro 2024 and others.  

25% of the 124 respondents believe an athlete’s personality is the determining factor in making a sports moment “iconic.”  During the Paris Olympics, for example, some athletes rose to prominence in part through channels outside the mainstream media. Turkey’s Yusuf Dikec, who won silver in the air pistol competition, went viral on Tik Tok for his lack of official gear, and “Aunti Ni” attracted outsized attention as the 61-year-old grandmother who won her first game in the women’s table tennis. 

21% of respondents believe that moments that transcend the sport itself are driven by their political or cultural significance such as the Egyptian Olympians Marwa Abdelhady and Doaa Elghobashy wearing hijabs during their volleyball match against Spain.  

5% of respondents believe that above all else, for a sporting moment to be deemed iconic, it needs to be “visually striking.”  

50% of respondents maintained that “athletic achievement” makes a sporting moment transcend the event and enter the cultural zeitgeist. 

“The ‘Summer of Sport’ may be drawing to a close, with the upcoming Paralympics,” said Kathryn Orr, brand strategy director at Designit. “But with the curtain coming down on a packed few months, brands should be looking to sport as a blueprint when it comes to forging emotional connections with consumers.” 

“Sport isn’t just about athletic prowess when it comes to making an impact,” added Orr. “It’s making a mark because of the personalities involved, and how it ignites global conversations on political and societal issues. It comes down to the story being told, something that brands can learn from--you need to have more than a great product for people to care. You need to be telling a great story to really resonate with consumers.”