Olympic athletes—they’re just like us! No, really. Like PR and marketing professionals, our friends in Sochi are using Twitter to share content that informs, entertains, inspires and even calls followers and fans to action. Though Twitter is just one tool in Team USA’s social media arsenal, it’s provided a cross-section of branding practices we communicators could stand to learn from. Unless you’d rather learn, say, how to survive 50km of cross-country skiing?
Education. Luger Erin Hamlin, bobsled driver Steven Holcomb and ice hockey forward Monique Lamoureaux are just three Olympians who have been educating fans about their sports, the Games and—oh yes—what goes on in Olympic Village. The takeaway? PR pros should aspire to keep their audiences informed and shouldn’t be afraid to provide a transparent, behind-the-scenes look at what they do.
@lpenny33 both! Some sports &/or countries have to leave. .. others have choice.
— Erin Hamlin (@erinhamlin) February 16, 2014
@BigTys01 took me 8 years
— Steven Holcomb (@StevenHolcomb) February 20, 2014
What do #Olympic athletes do w/ free time? Play catch from their balconies @SimonShnapir @Meryl_Davis @CharlieaWhite pic.twitter.com/WwLVep9O0m
— Monique Lamoureux (@moniquelam7) February 15, 2014
Advocacy. Slopestyle skier Gus Kenworthy went viral –even earning a nod from Miley Cyrus—when he posted photos of himself with adorable puppies he intended to adopt. More importantly, he used his social presence and reach to shine a light on Sochi’s stray dog problem, and has inspired many Olympians and non-Olympians to consider pet adoption. The takeaway? With cause-based messages being crucial to today’s brands and important to today’s audiences, PR people should use social handles as an extension to do good.
Oh my glob, look who I just found! 🙂 #sochistrays pic.twitter.com/ne66y7jN6Z
— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) February 11, 2014
Also, for the people wondering, I've lined up kennels 4 the pups & made vaccination appointments. Doing all I can to bring them home w/ me!
— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) February 12, 2014
Engagement. I’m hard-pressed to find a member of Team USA who has used humor and candor to interact with fans in the way that slopestyle snowboarder Sage Kotsenburg has. He relates with his audience, answers fan questions and has even expressed his desire for an Olympic medal made out of bacon. The takeaway? Be real and have fun with it. Twitter is just another platform to tell a story—scrap pretense and don’t be afraid to put a face on the person behind your brand’s Twitter account.
“@lisarec: @sagekotsenburg if you could be any kitchen utensil what would you be and why?” Spatula, no reason
— sage kotsenburg (@sagekotsenburg) February 18, 2014
Oh yea and this happened today too hahaha pic.twitter.com/Bo81mGNROa
— sage kotsenburg (@sagekotsenburg) February 10, 2014
Curation. You want ice dancer Alex Shibutani in your corner. He’s a master of curation—he retweeets the people who influence him, stories that inspire him and he’s not afraid to tell the world how much he loves Jimmy Fallon. Giving props has only reflected positively on his personal brand. The takeaway? Curation is an important component of content strategy. PR pros should leverage curation to establish thought leadership, build credibility and create engagement and awareness.
I think I've been watching too much figure skating. At Starbucks this morning I ordered a triple salchow mochaccino.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) February 19, 2014
This is what it's all about! “@KendallCoyne: Such an inspiration. No medal is as important as being a good person
Promotion. Ice dancer Meryl Davis and speed skater J.R. Celski are just two of the many Olympians who share content related to the brands that sponsor them, as well as content that is self-promotional. The takeaway? Being promotional is an inevitable part of your branded Twitter account. Just remember that promotional content should be relatable, reflective of your PR goals and shouldn’t take up more than one-third of your Twitter content.
Home, sweet home…in Sochi! Thanks for giving us a day to relax @Puffs & P&G! #passthepuffs
— Meryl Davis (@Meryl_Davis) February 5, 2014
Time for a @reddit_AMA with me tomorrow at 9am PST. Ask me anything that tickles your fancy. See you then.
— J.R. Celski (@jrcelski) February 5, 2014
Looking for more Olympic-sized content? Check out our latest tip sheet, 5 Tips For Pitching Your Story Internationally.
