Once again the world is waiting for the start of the Olympic Games, set to begin February 6th on NBC. The games are to be held this year in Sochi, a place so precariously secure that some athletes are asking their families NOT to come. Yikes.
With that in mind, the games are still an event that draws a lot of popular attention, where we can see some incredible competition. This makes the games a great way to build connections between your business and the people around you. The competition and spirit remain and must never be overshadowed by hate.
With this in mind, we’ve rounded up the best suggestions for promoting your business during the 2014 Olympics, weeding out the duplicates. Let’s start with some very sensible suggestions drawn from a blog by one of American Express’ Top 10 Small Business Bloggers, G. B. Oliver who suggests…
- Use the hashtags #sochi2014 or #olympics when you tweet about the games. These are great additions to tweets when the US (or a local athlete) competes or wins an event or a world record is broken.
- Like the NBC Olympics Facebook page so you can comment on what appears here and get noticed by a lot of people.
- Offer discounts if the US wins gold, if a world record is broken, or off red, white and blue merchandise. If you can, find something (event, athlete, etc.) that ties to your type of business or special passion.
- If you have a mascot, dress him/her in red, white and blue, or decorate your business location with flags and bunting.
A blog post from 2008 by Josh Petersei for American’s Best Companies has some still relevant suggestions for how any small business can promote itself during the games.
- Give customers an Olympic event schedule that places your business name and logo somewhere on the sheet that you hand out.
- Keep track of the medal count for the U.S. and update it daily. Then display the information in your lobby, window or anywhere you’re sure customers can see it.
- Put the games on in your place of business, so that customers can check in anytime they come by. If you’re unable to broadcast the games, try recording the previous night’s events, and replay them during the next day.
- Give out items like pens, buttons, magnets with American flags and your own logo.
These are all great ideas. You might also try some of our other favorites…
- Promote the efforts of a local athlete attending the games and keep everyone updated on his/her progress.
- Hold a fund raiser to support Olympic training
- Run local newspaper ads or put up banners congratulating the winners
- Support local Special Olympics efforts
- Add a Olympic themed message to your invoice/statement comment area
The Olympics (security concerns and all), like other pop culture phenomenons, will be sure to generate a lot of interest. Listen to what people are saying. Watch what events you can. Keep an eye out for the stories that generate strong reaction. The suggestions we’ve offered here will help you stay connected to what’s happening and present your business as relevant, professional and involved with the world… all good things.
