The 2020 Tokyo Olympics captivated over 3 billion viewers worldwide, and experts predict that the upcoming Paris Olympics will see even greater engagement. NBCUniversal has already shattered records with $1.2 billion in ad sales for the Paris games, securing commitments from giants like Coca-Cola, Airbnb, and Toyota. These huge numbers and the exciting, eye-drawing nature of the Olympic events create massive platforms for marketers.

Advertising during the Olympics, or any high-profile event, can be a highly effective strategy for brands looking to capture global attention and enhance their image with a prestigious event. However, it requires careful planning to maximize the return on investment.

True value and success come when brands turn eyeballs and exposure during Olympic-sized events into lasting customer relationships. Brands must have a solution in place for ongoing paid media, prioritizing a data-focused approach that leverages effective personalization and real-time engagement.

Brands should aim to connect with new and existing customers – and convert them into loyal fans who will continue to engage with them long after the closing ceremonies. We’ve developed several strategies to make the most of your next big ticket ad spend, starting with building unified and complete customer profiles that lead to real-time, personalized and efficient paid ad campaigns that drive long-term engagement and loyalty.

Creating a Comprehensive First-Party Advertising Graph

Maintaining a robust and up-to-date first-party customer database is crucial for understanding the behaviors and interests of customers. By integrating data from various sources—demographic information, online and offline purchase history, emails and physical addresses—brands can build unified customer profiles. This comprehensive view is an important foundation that empowers marketers to create smart, highly effective digital advertising campaigns that resonate with audiences.

For example, if a fan frequently engages with Olympic swimming content and purchases related merchandise, marketers should send tailored updates and offers on swimming events and products. This personalization transforms campaigns into 1:1 experiences, enhancing the fan experience and fostering a greater connection to your brand.

A case study on the Seattle Sounders illustrates the power of this approach. The team increased ticket deposits by 80 percent by implementing a unified customer strategy for each fan, which allowed them to tailor marketing efforts more effectively by analyzing fans’ purchasing behaviors, preferences, and engagement patterns.

Knowing your customer allows marketers to target the right audience and allocate dollars in a smart, focused way. It also allows you to suppress those who are not interested in sports or the Olympics from advertising efforts, thereby maximizing the efficacy of ad spend. By laying a foundation of deep customer insights, brands will be able to make real-time connections and create customized, targeted content to optimize their advertising campaigns.

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Engage with Fans in Real Time

During live Olympic events, brands can analyze real-time social media conversations to understand what fans are discussing, allowing them to generate in-the-moment responses that resonate with fans. For example, if a particular event is trending, brands can quickly create and share relevant content, joining the conversation and engaging with fans on a deeper, more immediate level.

Real-time engagement also allows brands to address any negative feedback or issues promptly. By monitoring sentiment across social media and other channels, brands can respond to customer concerns and turn potential negative experiences into positive ones. This proactive approach improves customer satisfaction and fosters loyalty.

Moreover, real-time data can help brands identify emerging trends and preferences. This insight enables marketers to adjust their strategies quickly, ensuring that their paid campaigns, such as social media, search or video ads, remain relevant and impactful throughout the Olympics.

Develop Custom Ad Content

By using data on customer preferences and behaviors, marketers can create content for their paid ad campaigns that’s tailored to fan interests. For the Olympics, brands can leverage popular athletes, behind-the-scenes footage, and interactive experiences within their paid channels. This level of customization makes the brand experience more memorable and engaging.

For instance, a sports apparel brand could produce video ads featuring athletes discussing their training routines, diet plans and personal stories, offering fans an otherwise inaccessible experience with a personal touch. This approach strengthens the connection between the brand and its audience and encourages fans to share the content, amplifying reach.

Customization is particularly effective during large-scale events like the Olympics, where real-time engagement and relevant content can transform the fan experience. By quickly reacting to trending topics and incorporating them into their content, brands can maintain dynamic and interactive presences that hold fans’ attention, while cultivating loyalty and advocacy.

Implement Targeted Promotions

In pinpointing the most relevant products or services for different segments, brands can deliver targeted promotions that drive sales. For example, a sports apparel brand could create targeted ads featuring merchandise tied to a fans’ favorite sports or athletes, while a beverage company could roll out interactive ads with recipes for users to create their own Olympic-themed drinks.

Conversely, infusing customer data into targeting strategies allows marketers to know who to exclude in their promotions and ad campaigns. Fewer ad dollars go to waste thanks to efficient, data-driven targeting.

Targeted promotions aren’t just about selling products; they’re about creating experiences. By using data and AI-driven technology to understand customer preferences and behaviors, brands can design tailored and relevant promotions, increasing the likelihood of conversion and driving long-term loyalty.

Turning Olympic Ad Spend into Long-Term Success

The rise of AI in how consumers find and interact with information also makes creating a unified, up-to-date customer database even more important for marketers. Having a complete and consistent customer profile with an advertising graph database is fundamental for building ad campaigns that are efficient and successful – and will foster long-term connections with customers.

The Olympics are an opportunity to put your brand on the podium in front of a diverse and passionate global audience. By building a trusted data foundation and using it to create personalized, dynamic and impactful campaigns, brands can turn their Olympic ad spend into a golden opportunity for long-term success.

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