What small business owners can learn from the marketing genius of the Olympics
The next time a small business owner asks you for an advertising tip that’s guaranteed to work, tell him to follow the strategy used to promote the Olympics. That’s how it is. Olympic Games.
There is a very specific model, introduced by American television networks more than a quarter of a century ago, that is followed in all rounds of the Olympic Games. Winter Games, Summer Games. It doesn’t matter. The same “magic beans” are used over and over again. So what’s the secret? Do they focus on glamor sports? No. Do they promote big matchups? No. Do they advertise the Olympic Games show? Not.
They do something much more important: establish a emotional connection between the audience and the athletes by broadcasting, before the games, poignant profiles of the athletes, highlighting their struggles, fears, dreams. When the Games come around, the unknown athletes are living people who matter to the audience, which was the goal from the beginning. Get viewers to watch by making them worry about athletes.
Note that there is no hard sell, which is typically what you see in small business advertising. Instead, the goal is establish an emotional connection. This is not easy or simple. It doesn’t happen overnight. And it only works if you dare to be… human.
Stop being a rigid corporate business “bot” and start being yourself. People tell me that my website is “just like me”. I take it as a huge compliment because it means I was able to connect with a complete stranger. It also means that my web pages don’t look like any other. I have them they are me
It makes a difference that goes directly to my bottom line. For example, we caught the interest of a major advertiser because the business owner liked that our “Meet the Staff web page” included a photo of our dog and text indicating it was our “Safety Directory.” He thought it was creative and fun, which is exactly what he wanted for his campaign. Most importantly, he had connected with us as people. We were no longer just another advertising agency.
You will always do better if you remember this simple marketing rule, which is at the heart of the marketing strategy of the Olympic Games: People connect with people, they don’t connect with things, not even with something as big as games. Olympic Games.
