Winning Over Gen Z: How the Olympics is Embracing Social Media...
This July, the Summer Olympic Games will take place in the vibrant city of Paris. The last Summer Olympics were held three years ago in Tokyo, delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, the 2016 Rio Olympics were the last to occur without any restrictions, a time when Generation Z wasn't yet a focal point for sports or sponsors. Platforms like TikTok, Clubhouse, and Discord were either non-existent or in their infancy. Traditionally, brands relied heavily on TV advertising to reach their audiences, but the rise of social media has fundamentally shifted this landscape.
The Olympics, a blend of sports, entertainment, culture, and global unity, offers a prime opportunity for brands to engage with millennials and Gen Z in exciting new ways. This year's event in Paris is poised to be a significant opportunity for sponsors, provided they navigate the landscape correctly.
Historically viewership tends to be highest among baby boomers (50-64). However, millennials (born between 1981-1996) and Generation Z (born 1997-2012) are also highly interested in the Olympics and consume it very differently to baby boomers. There has been a drastic shift in how these younger demographics interact with and consume sports content. They prefer short form content, highlights on handheld devices and unique storytelling moments.
With changing viewer behaviours, this Olympics is predicted to be dominated by social media. Broadcasters like NBC are leveraging this shift to extend their coverage beyond traditional telecasts. NBC will be partnering with the platforms to feature social media superstars such as gymnast Olivia Dunne and streamer Kai Cenat as part of its coverage. In order to adapt to an evolving media world, executives have realised that streaming won't be enough to get younger viewers,
“If we don’t put it [on the social platforms], they will watch less Olympics, so we are putting it there,” said Gary Zenkel, the president of NBC Olympics.
The Olympic Board is also integrating social media into its strategy, predicting a significant surge in social media activity during the Paris Games. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach recently said the IOC has estimated that there will be more than 500 million posts from this summer’s Olympics. To make the Games more relevant, the IOC has introduced sports like breakdancing, climbing, skateboarding, and surfing, aiming to attract a younger audience.
In our Gen Z report we shared that Gen Z consumers are becoming player first fans. With some Olympic competitions being individual competitions, people want to see their favorite athletes compete on a global stage and get a glimpse of their personal lives, especially if it’s their first Olympics. Popular Gen Z athletes like Noah Lyles, Simone Biles, Coco Gauff, and Sha’Carri Richardson will be competing this year. Fans want to see more personal content from these athletes, and their sponsor brands should leverage this by creating content that shows them off the field.
British Olympic Champion Tom Daley has gained a massive following of 1.4M on Tiktok by sharing personal content, such as his journey of knitting an Olympic cardigan during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Similarly, American rugby players Cody Melphy and Ilona Maher have garnered huge followings by posting behind-the-scenes TikToks from the Olympic Village and answering questions from Gen Zers.
With the Olympics starting this Friday, I'm excited to see the content that will come out of this year's Olympics.While some sponsors may have missed the mark with their pre-Olympics marketing, there is still time to activate their sponsorships effectively during and after the Games. A notable missed opportunity is the geographical closeness of the Games to London; brands could have leveraged this to bring the Paris Olympic energy across the pond to London.
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