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.

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.

Cassie has over five years of digital and traditional media experience. She joined NLA after working as a television news producer in both Milwaukee and Chicago, and now specializes in aligning strategies across the board for her clients, ultimately building buzz and telling compelling stories through content marketing, social media, digital campaigns and traditional PR. Cassie has a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast and Electronic Communications from Marquette University.

In her spare time, Cassie enjoys traveling and exploring what new cities have to offer in addition to spending time with her friends and family.