It’s less than a year until the London 2012 Olympics. Negative headlines about construction costs and ticket allocation are starting to fade and attention is now turning to the event itself. Now is the time for companies to start thinking about how they’ll get their brands on the PR-equivalent of the medal podium – which is why EDF is currently in the news as it hunts for an activation/experiential agency.

This issue is most acute for the 40 or so companies which have signed up as official partners, since they need to activate their investment. But there are plenty of other brands that will be hoping to make their mark. There are, for example, brands that have signed sponsorship and endorsement deals with sports federations and individual athletes. While they don't have the right to use Olympic imagery, they are strongly positioned to ride the wave of excitement that is likely to build from Spring 2012. Then there are brands that simply want to piggy-back the party. Again, they may not have official assets, but there’s nothing to prevent them trying to engage audiences.

Ambush marketers

There’s a tendency for official sponsors to regard this latter group as ambush marketers, encroaching on their turf. But this is a dangerous simplification that can distract brands from their own PR agenda.

The reason for this is that so-called ambush-marketer brands often have other forms of connection with consumers that are more powerful than those belonging to official Olympic sponsors. They might be more British, more youthful, cooler or better regarded for their customer service. In other words, consumers might like or expect to see them involved with the Olympic party, even if they don't have an official invite from the host.

This isn’t an argument in favour of ambush marketing or soft policing of sponsorship rights. Instead, it is a warning that official sponsors which want to create connections with consumers have to do more than turn up and wave their contracts in the air. They need to tap into the passion that events like the Olympics inspire. Failure to do so will mean their brand might be overlooked or ignored. But in the worst-case scenario, the advent of social media means lack of authenticity could result in negative PR.

True Value

In their favour, most official sponsors will get a ticket allocation, which they can use as the centre-piece of their PR and promotions strategy (as well as a mechanic for reaching out to other stakeholders such as staff and b2b partners). But this is offset by the fact that they get no stadium branding. This means that the emphasis is on compelling stories that can generate an emotional response. The IOC knows this, which is why it has developed activities like the Torch Relay that connect with communities beyond the host city. But getting true value out of an Olympic association will require brands to dig much deeper than this in search of relatable stories.

There’s another aspect to authenticity, which a few commentators have picked up on in recent weeks. And that’s legacy. Fans are quick to smell a rat and react adversely to brands that are not committed for the long haul. Aviva, not an Olympic sponsor, has banked a lot of goodwill because of its years supporting athletics. Official sponsors can’t turn back the clock. But they can make sure that their PR messaging contains a commitment to the future. After all, the big story in London this year has been the riots. Given that London 2012 has been positioned as an opportunity to regenerate the city, it seems logical that brands which can bridge the gap between inner city dislocation and Olympic aspiration will win hearts and minds.

Ideas for successful London 2012 PR

1. Read the Olympic Mission statement and think about how you can bring some aspect of it to life through your own brand positioning. Here it is: “The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play”.
2. Don’t obsess about ambush marketers. Focus on why your brand deserves to be involved in this huge event and how to tell that story. Don’t suppose that the price you paid for your rights is enough in itself to enthuse fans. EDF has decided to focus on sustainability and is placing this at the centre of all its major communications activities related to the 2012 Games. Choose an authentic line and then build a stunning creative idea around it.
3. Make sure there is some evidence of legacy inherent in your activity, so that consumers know you’re supporting them for the long term.
4. Remember that the event is in London but the audience and the athletes are national. Any sponsorship of PR activation will need a national agenda.
5. Anticipate the negatives. Will the press complain about the number of tickets allocated to sponsors? If so, how can you offset that criticism by making sure your allocation generates a positive PR message?
6. Think out of the box and creatively about Olympic story-telling. As a strategic exercise, for example, why not think about Dwain Chambers, the British sprinter who was banned for two years (2003-2005) for taking proscribed drugs. Six years on, isn’t it time to consider whether he has a role? Chambers may not compete in the London 2012 Olympics, but there’s certainly something Olympian about the way he has resurrected his career and confronted his demons. His is a powerful story, with a positive message of reconciliation and rehabilitation. Furthermore, a recent Telegraph poll on whether Chambers should be able to compete in London 2012 found more than 50% of respondents in favour. This suggests that a growing number of us want to see a resolution to this story. The issue for brands here is not, in the final analysis, whether they think it’s right or wrong for Chambers to compete at London 2012 - but whether they are willing to engage in the kind of authentic debate that sports fans relate to.