The Olympic Games remain the “biggest brand” in the world, and a huge marketing opportunity for advertisers, according to world record-holding former triple jumper Jonathan Edwards.
Speaking to M&M Global at the Festival of Media Global 2016, Edwards – now a TV presenter for Eurosport – argued that this summer’s Games in Rio will offer a spectacle for viewers, despite controversies around Brazilian politics, doping and the Zika virus in the build-up.
“If I think back to London 2012, part of the way the Games came alive for people around the country was the activation by some of the big brands, using athletes in innovative ways and associating [themselves] with the five rings,” said the former Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European champion.
“I think the Olympic Games is still the biggest brand – perhaps the most recognised brand in the world. And it stands for something. Despite all the controversies you get, the Olympic Games stand for something very pure, very human, striving to be as good as you can be, and those are great values to be associated with.”
Edwards has moved into the world of TV presenting since retiring from athletics, and has recently been recruited by Eurosport as the lead anchor on its flagship sports programming, including the Olympic Games from 2018.
“In a world where particularly younger people aren’t sitting in front of the television, sport is the one thing that brings people together”
Despite the rise of on-demand video viewing, and services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, Edwards believes that live sport retains a unique appeal for audiences and advertisers.
“In a world where particularly younger people aren’t sitting in front of the television, and they are grabbing five minutes [on mobile devices] where everything is on catch-up, sport is the one thing that brings people together,” he said.
“In a world where, particularly younger people, aren’t sitting in front of the television, and they are grabbing five minutes [on mobile devices] where everything is on catch-up, sport is the one thing that brings people together.”
