The Olympics are here! People are excited to support their favorite athletes, watching the back stories, and cheering them on from the couch (or the computer or iPad). It’s also the time for great Olympic marketing and advertising. There are several ways to bring the Olympic spirit into your business, from creating employee morale programs to company branding. Take a cue from some of the major Olympic sponsors and networks to get great results. Here are three ideas to help you do just that. 
Incorporating the Olympics into marketing materials does not always mean paying for the official logo or using images of gold medals. You can use the spirit of the Olympics instead. Take a moment to make a list of words that describe the spirit of the Olympics; words like competition, world-class, perseverance, performance, teamwork, overcoming odds, training, and strength, triumph. Choose several that naturally apply to your business and then celebrate your business by highlighting what makes you a world-class company.
Another thing that makes Olympic coverage so great is that we are brought into the lives of the athletes away from the London games. We get glimpses of what they are like at home, with their families, and how they train to become world class athletes.
Think of your employees as your athletes, and find ways to introduce them to your customers on a more personal level. A simple example of this is the sign at a coffee shop that says, “Amanda is your barista today. Her favorite drink: caramel macchiato. Her favorite Olympic sport: fencing.” It’s a simple and effective way to personalize the woman behind the counter and bring Olympic enthusiasm to the daily grind. You could incorporate employee predictions of winners or share what sports they play.
You can also incorporate the spirit of the Olympics behind the scenes, holding contests and awards for great employee performance. Beyond awards related to sales and service, use your original list of words to come up with ways to recognize employees that embody the spirit of the games. Create “countries” of employees and have them compete for prizes in team competitions. You may even want to host your own games as a team building event. Getting creative, like having relay races that include trash removal, restocking, and window cleaning can work well for taking care of daily tasks that lack excitement.
The Olympic games bring people together across the world in the spirit of competition. What better way than to use this milestone event to celebrate with your customers and employees? Using the Olympics as a backdrop for fun promotions and employee incentives can improve sales, customer relationships and employee satisfaction. Enjoying the games while improving your business will earn you a gold medal in management.
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