Our SponsorDNA research has tracked more than 50 events, creating brand and event profiles built from consumers’ perceptions. The Summer Olympics is perceived positively by respondents and is found to be the highest quality event within our study.
Sponsor DNA looks at a range of events from a UK consumer’s perspective including Six Nations, Champions League, and Formula One. Indeed, somewhat surprisingly based on current controversies with doping and ethics, nine out of ten respondents continue to rate the Olympics highly on quality, trust, democracy and inspiration measures.
The run up to this summer’s Olympics Games was littered with allegations of doping, organisational mishaps, and demonstrations in the host city, Rio. What impact has this had on UK consumers’ perceptions compared with their previous view of the Olympics a year ago?
It’s true that just half of consumers rate the Games as ethical, a significant decline from when the Olympic Games was last surveyed prior to the negative new stories surrounding Rio. Yet, although associations of Rio 2016 with ethical values is relatively low, nine out of ten respondents still trust the event.
Therefore, even following the controversies, the Olympics continues to appeal to viewers. Over half of fans are ‘passionate followers’, an increase on previous games, while there are fewer ‘passing interest’ fans. Some 64% say they specifically try to find news coverage and information about the event (versus an average of 40%). However, the increase in the search for information is more likely due to the time difference between the UK and Brazil rather than anything else.
It seems that respondents were impressed with the differences that emerged from the Rio games. They felt that the event was more unique than previous Olympics, with nine out of ten respondents stating that it’s “very different to other events”. One consumer stated: “Despite the poor press, Rio has put on a great games without as much money. London was spectacular but a lot of money was spent on it!”
So, is the Olympics brand stronger than the controversy that surrounds it? Yes, according to the Sponsor DNA results. Despite being hit by controversy and having a low ethics score, UK consumers remain passionate about the Olympic Games, partly perhaps due to the continued success of Team GB. Therefore it’s no surprise that global brands such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s continue to pay top dollar for the association.
Emily Williams is a senior account manager at Leo Burnett
This advertisement feature is brought to you by the Marketing Agencies Association, supporters of the Guardian Media & Tech Network’s Agencies hub.
