The 2015 Special Olympics, in Los Angeles, started on July 25 and ended on August 2. The event featured thousands of athletes and was sponsored by many world renowned corporations (Special Olympics, 2015). Hosted at both USC and UCLA, the games brought many to the LA community from all over the world. While on campus yesterday, I could not help but notice the high level of integration found among the event’s marketing communications. Analyzing both primary and secondary research indicates, the Special Olympics did a fantastic job of promoting and executing the games.
In order to get to campus, I took the Metro from Los Angeles Union Station. While purchasing my TAP card, I was pleasantly surprised to note that the card featured the Special Olympics World Games logo. Digging deeper I discovered that the Metro was an official transportation sponsor of the games (Chen, 2015). While the novelty cards are just one small detail, they are a great example of effective marketing.
Once on site, the university was buzzing. The campus was filled with partners and sponsors that created additional awareness for the event. Partners such as Coca-Cola, ESPN, and Deloitte had their own displays on USC grounds. These displays were both fun and a strategic way to market the companies’ products. For example, at the Coca-Cola tent the company offered soft drinks and a place where children could participate in fun activities. ESPN not only broadcasted the event, the organization featured a jumbo screen for visitors. Other partners included, Mattel, Bank of America, Toyota, and Kaiser Permanente (Special Olympics, 2015).
From the Special Olympics’ website, one can see other sources of integration. The site offers detailed information about the event and how to get involved (Special Olympics, 2015). An occasion of this magnitude demands maximum exposure, and the Special Olympics did a good job of utilizing all media outlets to generate awareness and promote engagement. A social media campaign was created on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Hashtags such as #ReachUpLA were incorporated across platforms and were very successful.
From looking at the event’s Twitter page I discovered that 14.4 thousand individuals have subscribed to receiving updates on their feed. Additionally, the Special Olympics’ partners were also very active on Twitter throughout the duration of the games. Coca-Cola actively tweeted live from the games and provided followers with images. The industry giant, known for its creative and effective marketing, has 363 thousand followers on Twitter alone.
The Special Olympics also had several celebrity supporters, including former professional football player Terrell Owens, pop star Justin Bieber and Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps (Dawson, 2015). These prominent public figures used their local and global connections to increase social awareness for the Special Olympics. Phelps showcased his dedication for the event on his social media pages.
The Special Olympics also used YouTube to highlight the games and build support. The YouTube channel has several videos that are empowering and insightful. The most recent video featured five unforgettable moments from the event, and allowed individuals the opportunity to stay informed. Other videos focused on specific sports and exclusive interviews. The videos are an effective way of ensuring repeat viewership and consumer participation.
Overall, the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles was a success. The games brought in an awe-inspiring 6,500 athletes from 160 countries (Rogers, 2015). With the support of over 500,000 spectators and strategic marketing efforts, these individuals made history (Rogers, 2015).
References:
Chen, A. (2015, July 16). Going to the Special Olympics opening ceremony? Better go Metro. Retrieved from http://thesource.metro.net/2015/07/16/going-to-the-special-olympics-opening-ceremony-better-go-metro/
Rogers, J. (2015, August 2). Closing ceremonies held as Los Angeles says goodbye to 6,500 Special Olympics athletes. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2015/08/02/special-olympics-2015-is-winding-down-on-an-emotional-note
Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.la2015.org/
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