It's Greater Than Gold

From Carissa Moore taking the first ever gold for surfing, to swimmer Caleb Dressel breaking his own world record, the Olympics are inspiring, community building, and speak to the power of human potential while igniting global conversations.

At Karsh Hagan, we view the Olympics as a time for brand building and going beyond the gold. Tapping into a viewership of more than 15 million, 7 out of 10 consumers give brands of the Tokyo Olympics credit for bringing people together (NBC). As stated by one viewer,  “These commercial breaks don’t feel like commercials."

A SMART ADVERTISING CHOICE BY THE NUMBERS

From a practical advertising perspective there are many reasons we recommend the Olympics for our clients.

• Aligns our clients' brands with a global narrative that sees a 10% increase in brand memorability, 33% increase in likeability and 20% increase in brand opinion.

• The Olympics deliver a scale in viewing audiences that is rarely found in today’s fragmented media landscape. 

• Olympic programming is unique in its ability to engage both men and women almost equally.

• Thanks to the drawn-out event schedule, viewers keep coming back for more. As stated by the Observer, “This is a unique chance to tell their brand story—and reinforce it—by airing multiple commercials over the 16-day course of the event. The cumulative effects of this sustained exposure can be remarkably powerful.”

• The platform the Olympics provide for storytelling aligns clients with a universally recognized celebration, positivity, and fosters conversations on difficult topics. 


THE VALUE OF THE OLYMPICS GOES DEEPER

The Olympics are effective in reaching large audiences, but their value extends beyond that. They also have the power to create an emotional connection with viewers by associating brands with the athletes, the events and the stories that captivate the world’s attention and hearts every four years.

The Olympics are a time to elevate what’s possible, a guiding principle of Karsh Hagan for the last 43 years. Our purpose is to solve real-world business problems that positively impact and add lasting value to people’s lives.

We believe that when brands act with intention, they can transcend what they make or do and stand for something greater. Jill Cain, Insights and Sponsorship Director at 9NEWS in Denver, said it well: “Investing in these types of events that bring the world together elevates the brand.” The power of the Olympics lies in the platform and is supported by the global collective it builds.  At present, Karsh Hagan is helping Bank of Colorado, Pinnacle Bank, Northern Light Health, and SonderMind capitalize on this momentum and memorability surrounding the games.

With the tumultuous climate of last year, purpose-driven business matters now more than ever. As people spend and consume more intentionally, they will support brands that align with their values. This relationship means that brands are expected to use commerce to positively impact a social good that’s authentic and timely. Purpose shows customers that a brand is more than just their products, services, or campaigns; it reveals they care about something more than dollar signs. The Olympics is the perfect partnership to support this theory.

For some of our clients, we had purchased Olympic packages in 2020 that were put on hold. For other clients, we recommended Olympic partnerships this year because the Tokyo games presented a quadrennial opportunity to connect -- and reconnect -- clients with customers and communities in a meaningful way.

69% of viewers say that brands that support the Games by advertising are helping the world come back together after the pandemic. The Olympics provide us with a positive and inspirational advertising environment, where we put down our ROIs and KPIs to unite under an event that showcases strength, courage, perseverance, community, and pride. And who doesn't support a world that celebrates individuals and partnerships alike?

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