Embrace the boost in national pride
The Olympics has a special way of uniting populations and fostering a sense of national pride that other events rarely achieve.
As retailers, national spirit is a powerful tool for your brand. Patriotic branding was a big win when the Olympic Games headed to London in 2012. British flags appeared on everything from retail bags and shop window displays, to websites and product ranges.
Confectionary giant Nestlé rebranded its hugely popular KitKat as ‘BritKat’ for the summer of 2012, which also happened to include Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Whether you decide to create limited edition product lines or packaging that incorporates your national colours or symbols, there are plenty of opportunities to get creative for big sporting events (speak to us if you need some inspiration!).
There are opportunities for smaller, independent retailers too. Many retailers opt to sponsor local athletes that have a connection to their area. This is a fantastic way of boosting your brand’s visibility, credibility and even sales.
Athlete appearances in-store can help to drive footfall to your retail outlets, where you can launch exclusive ranges or products. This approach is also a way to drive social media and online engagement. Asking athletes to promote your brand via their personal platforms can expose you to new audiences and potential customers – and this year, athletes have greater social media freedom at the Olympics and beyond.
Get creative by holding viewing parties for key athlete or national events or host an Olympic-themed flash sale event to encourage sales. If a more low-key approach is achievable for your retail brand, then offering additional loyalty rewards or points during the Olympic and Paralympic Games on particular product lines can be effective in driving sales.
Taking an Inclusive Approach
The Paralympics are an integral part of the Olympic Games, celebrating the achievements of athletes with disabilities. If your brand is looking to improve, or is already championing, its commitment to inclusivity then embracing the opportunities of the Paralympics is important.
The Paralympics gives accessibility and inclusion a big platform. And a chance for you to shout about what’s important to you. And you won’t be alone. Plenty of big brands are doing the same this year.
How are your stores looking from an accessibility point of view? Making sure that your retail outlets can be used by everyone is important. And it doesn’t just come down to whether customers can get in and out of your store. Having wheelchair-friendly layouts, with wider aisles and larger changing rooms, providing braille and large-print signage, and having voice-assist search points could all be changes you need to make.
Representation matters, so use the Paralympics as an important reminder that you can always do more. How many people with disabilities do you feature in your advertising campaigns, employ, or have mannequins of in store? Reflecting the diversity of your customer base is important for customers to feel seen and heard.
In addition to this, the Paralympics is a good opportunity to prompt a review of your staff training and employment policies. Ensuring that all your staff are trained appropriately and have awareness of disabilities, and what appropriate assistance can be offered when needed, can lead to inclusive store environments and a much better brand experience for customers – and staff.
Grab emerging trends with both hands
Modern-day Olympic Games are often the starting point for emerging trends. Whether it’s Usain Bolt’s signature pose or a fashion statement from an athlete that catches on (who can forget American sprinter Flo Jo’s unique running outfits and long, painted nails?), the Olympics are a launch pad for brands wanting to take advantage of new trends.
Paris 2024 is aiming to be the most sustainable Olympic Games in history. The organisers have gone out of their way to make intentional efforts to reduce waste and carbon emissions. Something that retailers can also jump on board with.
If sustainability is part of your retail strategy, why not run a sustainability campaign to support the efforts of the Olympic Games? You could offer rewards for customers recycling, repurposing or even returning items to your store for re-use. And you could use the opportunity to highlight your own existing efforts, showcasing reduced plastic use and packaging, and your ethical procurement processes.
You could even tie in sustainability with the inevitable boom in sport and fitness activities. By encouraging shoppers to walk or cycle to your store and get a discount, you could incentivise eco-friendly delivery options.
Aside from sustainability, innovations in technology during Olympic Games are inevitable. The use of wearable sports gadgets, immersive viewing experiences, and digitisation of previously manual processes can also help you to set new consumer expectations.
Integrating similar technology into your customer experience, like augmented reality (AR) for virtual try-ons in fashion or interactive displays in electronics stores, can help you create a stand-out experience for your customers.
Broadcasters are experimenting with incredible immersive experiences for viewers in Paris 2024, from viewing gymnastics routines from angles of your choice to AI-generated summaries of the day’s events.
The Olympic and Paralympic Games are an opportunity to step-up areas of your retail game, capitalising on new trends, showing similar values, core brand beliefs and embracing national pride. Retailers everywhere can benefit from using the games as a springboard to success.
Are you looking for a partner that can help you grow your retail brand around sporting events? Speak to our team on +31 (0) 88 494 20 80 or email us at online@worldpack.eu.
