Here’s a fun fact from the Olympics—90% of programmatic sales made by NBCU for the Paris competition came from brands that were new to the games. That’s according to a new study from Havas Play that offers marketer lessons learned in Paris that can be applied to planning for the 2028 games in Los Angeles.   

And as the new report states, just like the athletes, brands need to start preparing years in advance to win marketing “gold” with their Olympic activations.  

“Brands aiming to engage with LA 2028 should focus on building and maintaining a clear and consistent brand narrative, and ensure it permeates every aspect of your involvement, from marketing to on the-ground activations,” the report states.   

One lesson learned from some of the brands new to the games in Paris: They “realized too late that they had underestimated the potential for innovative, omnichannel activations.”  

“While the Olympics offer invaluable branding and opportunities to demonstrate your organization’s mission and values, they are also a prime opportunity to showcase your products and solutions,” the report advises.  

In that regard the report cites P&G & Coca-Cola. “After prioritizing its corporate brand over the last four Olympics ... P&G shifted focus at Paris to prioritize its product brands. So did Coca-Cola.”  

Toyota went even further, per the report, “testing and showcasing 5,000 vehicles of different types in the streets of Paris to demonstrate live their ‘multipath’ strategy.”  

“Whether it’s testing products on millions of visitors or creating incentive programs for sales teams, the Games can be a powerful business tool. For LA 2028, ensure that your activations have a clear commercial dimension that aligns with your broader business goals.”  

The full report has more insights, and can be accessed here.