LOCOG need to get into the 21st Century with their sponsorship

Tonight sees the opening ceremony of the Olympics – an event which, overall, I think encourages people to get involved in sport in some way.  I say that as someone who has never been particuarly ‘sporty’.

 

Much of my attention in the lead-up, however, has been on the sponsors, and LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games )

 

In fact, mainly it’s been on their draconian attempts to - what seems to be - stop people enjoying the Games, all in the guise of ‘protecting the Olympic Brand.  I realise that the Olympic Brand is now reckoned to be the second most valuable in the world, (behind Apple, and just ahead of Google), but all the brand police’ are succeeding in doing is detracting from the event.

 

Instead of using a latest generation approach to sponsorship, and helping their sponsors to leverage their  sponsorship, LOCOG have decided to take us back to the 80s.  1984perhaps.

 

I can understand that it can be very valuable to be associated with the games, Mark Pritchard of P&G says that the company generated more than $100m in incremental sales with their Vancouver Games sponsorship (side note, surprised that he is still even interested in ‘6bn consumer impressions’), but for sponsorship to be done properly – See Kim Skildum-Reid - it’s supposed to ADD to the experience.  And LOCOG is not doing that.  By trying to stop non-sponsor brands from ‘ambushing’ the games, all they’re doing is opening the door to alternative ambushes, while

 

I’ll be very surprised if we don’t see at least one successful (in terms of get your brand noticed- which isn’t what sponsorship should be about anyway) ambush during the games.  Meanwhile, the smart money is elsewhere, and only the eople who want to enjoy the games are missing out.

 

Ordering a newsagent to take down bunting, a butchers to remove 5 rings of sausages from his window display and a host of other well-publicised acts of nonsense, hasn’t stopped Oddbins, Paddy Power and the indomitable Ling of Ling’s cars from garnering press coverage already.

 

I hope that once the Games begin, and the fun starts, that I’ll be able to put up bunting or a banner saying ‘Supporting the Olympic Games’.  After all, I am, I’m watching, I’m talking, I’m encouraging.  I’ve paid taxes towards it, I’ve seen lottery funds go to cover it, which could have been used to boost sport in my area, and we’ve even had the Cameroon Olympic team in town preparing (not paid for by any of the LOCG sponsors)

 

Here’s my appeal to LOCOG. Let people, enjoy the games,  feel involved the games, let them feel it’s THEIR games, help your sponsors to help people feel this. That’ll do more for the games than any amount of brand policing.

 

Hat tip to @seancallanan, @KimSkildumReid for tips!

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