Olympics 2024—how Team USA is targeting Gen Z with new marketing leaders and agency

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee has reset its marketing game as it approaches the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Looking to be more strategic in its outreach to fans, the organization behind Team USA has hired a new chief brand and fan engagement officer, and appointed Wieden+Kennedy to develop a creative platform. The moves come as the USOPC attempts to strike a balance between marketing to devoted Olympic fans and reaching Gen Z, a coveted demographic that tends to consume sports differently than older generations. That means aligning with Gen Z’s values—such as togetherness, hard work, ambition and excitement—and showing up where those fans are, so that they can see themselves in Team USA, executives say. Ad Age Breakout Brand Leaders New award honors the people behind emerging brands Enter here Jess Park, named chief of fan and brand engagement in January, previously held a similar role at the NBA. Park said Team USA was approaching Paris with a “flame to flame” view meant to keep Olympic athletes in the conversation between Games, while building for the future—including the Milan Winter Olympics in 2026, and particularly, the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028. “We have this opportunity as we head towards Paris, Milan and L.A. to really reinvent how we’re showing up in the world,” Park said. “We’re focused on how we can reignite fandom, and ultimately, increase relevance of the movement across the board.” Related: NBA CMO on marketing plans for the Finals, digital growth Relevance will come from inspiring fans to feel invested in athletes, and by driving the “talkability” about Team USA in culture, Park said. A TikTok page for Team USA features athletes as creators: Recent posts show the women’s rugby team remarking on fashion, and a synchronized swimmer demonstrating how to “Knox” her hair. @teamusa Brb grabbing our sunglasses for the shade 🕶️😂 #teamusa #olympics #rugby ♬ original sound - Team USA Sports highlights on the channel include breakdancing, a new sport in the 2024 Games. @teamusa Big screen ➡️ World’s biggest stage #teamusa #breaking #olympics ♬ original sound - Team USA “A massive opportunity exists to grow the overall audience for the Olympics through marketing efforts targeting younger consumers,” said Jon Stainer, managing director, Nielsen Sports, in an email. Gen Z consumers are 21% more likely than the U.S. general population to consume sports on social and video streaming platforms, Stainer added. “Given this, marketers can effectively meet younger audiences where they are through social media marketing and influencer activations,” Stainer added. “And because more than seven in 10 consumers trust opinions, ads and product placements by influencers, these activities have a high likelihood of moving the needle for Olympics consumption." The USOPC's Instagram page features a reel with athlete messages for Mental Health Awareness Month. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Team USA (@teamusa) Wieden+Kennedy is charged with driving creative strategy, with ads expected to debut later this year. Zeno Group will handle earned media strategy, and CSM, a sports and entertainment agency, has been engaged for experiential marketing. A revamped TeamUSA.org website is being developed by Next League, a technology solutions provider focused on sports organizations. Team USA sought to put athletes at the center of its marketing efforts in 2020 and 2022. But those Games were each compromised by the coronavirus pandemic, which significantly limited live spectators. The Paris Games—which run from July 26, 2024 to Aug. 11, 2024—represent “a very exciting return to normal,” said Katie Bynum, chief strategy and growth officer for the USOPC. Bynum said the organization decided to create the chief brand and fan engagement officer with an eye on becoming more strategic in fan outreach. The position represents an evolution of a traditional marketing role. The USOPC has been without a chief marketing officer since Luella Chavez D’Angelo, the former chief marketing and communications officer, resigned in 2020. Those duties are now divided between Park and Kate Hartman, chief of external affairs. Around 174 million Americans say they are fans of the Olympics and Team USA, Park said, “so when we think about the fan opportunity for the Olympics, I think we need to think about ways that we can tell a story from a very high level. But we also need to think about how we can engage subcultures to really increase that personal and cultural relevance and make people and fans really see themselves in the movement.” Park described Team USA’s diversity as its “superpower,” capable of providing fans inspiration on and off the field. “Our team is the most diverse team of incredible athletes in the world,” Park said, “And we think each of those athletes has an incredible story to tell. “As we think about the way that we’re building out our creative platform, we’re going to really lean into that idea of representation, and really think about the diverse stories that we can tell so that every single fan, young and old, can see themselves in Team USA,” Park added. New sports The International Olympic Committee and the Paris organizers are also moving to court younger viewers. The Games will feature four new sports—breakdancing, surfing, sport climbing and skateboarding—selected because they were youth-centered, gender-balanced and have communities of fans active on social media, organizers said. Events will take advantage of sights in and around Paris, including an opening ceremony to be held on a flotilla along the river Seine, equestrian events at Château de Versailles and beach volleyball in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. “The next generation of Olympic fans present a new consumer for the IOC [International Olympic Committee] and sponsors to consider, and they bring varied and differentiated interests which is why you are seeing the intentional introduction of new games such as breakdancing for Paris 2024,” Tuck Burch, head of brand marketing for Excel Sports Management, said in an email. “The committee, and brands activating around the Games, understand the importance of remaining relevant and engaging with younger audiences through the Games and the distribution of content around the Games.” Related: 20 brands catching Gen Z's attention The Paris Olympics will be the most streamable Olympics in history, with all 329 medal events to air on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming channel. Peacock will also feature full-event replays, all NBC programming, curated video clips, virtual channels and exclusive original programming. Because Paris is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time, the NBC broadcast network will air nine hours of live daytime coverage, as well as a curated three-hour primetime show featuring the day’s most popular events, behind-the-scenes coverage and features on athletes. “For those wanting to watch the competition as it happens, Peacock will have everything live, creating the greatest single destination in sports media history,” Pete Bevacqua, chairman of NBC Sports, said in a press release. “From the spectacular landmarks of Paris to the world’s greatest athletes performing in front of full stadiums and arenas for the first time in six years, viewers can expect one of the most extraordinary Olympics ever.”

Olympics 2024—how Team USA is targeting Gen Z with new marketing leaders and agency

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