QSR Magazine: How Food Brands Are Capitalizing on the Rio Olympics

Say what you will about Americans’ relative indifference to international sports, but the excitement ahead of the Olympic Summer Games, held this year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is palpable. The 2012 London Olympics were the most watched television event in U.S. history, with 219.4 million viewers. The 2008 Beijing and 1996 Atlanta games took the second and third places, respectively.

There’s no doubt that, with billions of eyeballs watching the games globally and millions in the U.S., the Olympics represent a rare opportunity for partner brands to gain valuable exposure. But Olympics promotion has diversified over the years, and the opportunities available to brands in leveraging the Games are varied.

Here’s a look at how food brands are gearing up for this year’s Olympic Games.

The evolution of big sponsorship

For decades, the Olympics have tightly controlled those brands that can formally ride the Games’ coattails as event sponsors.

But the upcoming Rio Olympics are changing the advertising landscape. Under new International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules, companies not affiliated with the Olympics or sponsors can apply for special waivers, allowing them to run ads featuring Olympic athletes without paying the sponsorship premium. Technology has also changed the game. Compared with the London Olympics only four years ago, the world has become even more connected, with mobile activation playing a key role in any successful campaign.

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