The 2024 Olympics in Paris has begun, and with it comes a golden opportunity for businesses to align their stories with one of the most-watched global events. Whether you’re a small business owner, a marketer, or a PR professional, the excitement and visibility of the Olympics can be a powerful tool for gaining media attention. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll show you how to effectively leverage the 2024 Olympics to boost your media presence and connect with a broader audience.
Identifying Relevant Connections
The first step in tying your business to the Olympics is identifying the connections that make sense. Think about how your business can relate to the event. Here are some potential connections:
- Products or Services: Do you offer something that athletes, spectators, or fans might use? For example, a fitness brand could highlight gear that supports Olympic-level training, or a tech company could showcase apps that track athletic performance.
- Themes: The Olympics is rich with themes such as perseverance, excellence, health, and global unity. Consider how your business embodies these values. A mental health service could focus on the psychological resilience of athletes, while a nutritionist might discuss the importance of diet in peak performance.
- Local Connections: Is there a local athlete from your area competing in the Olympics? Highlighting hometown heroes can create a strong local interest story. You might partner with local gyms, schools, or community centers to celebrate and support these athletes.
Creating Timely Pitches
Timing is crucial when it comes to media pitches. You want to ensure that your story is relevant and timely. Here’s how you can plan your pitches around the Olympics:
- Pre-Olympics: Focus on preparations and anticipation. Highlight the training regimes of athletes, the journey they’ve undertaken to reach the Olympics, or the local community’s efforts to support them. This is the time to build excitement and set the stage for what’s to come.
- During the Olympics: Share real-time updates, reactions, and how your business is engaging with the event. Offer commentary on performances, celebrate victories, and provide insights into the unfolding stories. For example, a sports bar might promote viewing parties and special menus for different events.
- Post-Olympics: Discuss the impact of the Olympics, analyze performances, and share success stories. This is also a great time to reflect on lessons learned and future aspirations. A fitness trainer could offer programs inspired by Olympic athletes, or a business coach might analyze the strategies that led to an athlete’s success.
Using Human Interest Angles
Journalists love stories that resonate emotionally with their audience. To create a compelling narrative, consider these human interest angles:
- Inspirational Stories: Share tales of athletes overcoming obstacles, such as injuries, personal challenges, or societal barriers. These stories of perseverance and triumph can inspire and captivate readers.
- Behind-the-Scenes: Offer insights into the lives of athletes beyond the competition. What does a day in their life look like? How do they balance training with personal life? These behind-the-scenes glimpses can humanize athletes and make them relatable.
- Community Impact: Highlight how local communities are celebrating or supporting their athletes. This could include fundraising efforts, community events, or special programs designed to foster local talent. These stories can foster a sense of pride and unity.
Being Ready to Pivot
The unpredictable nature of the Olympics means that unexpected moments will occur. Be prepared to pivot your pitch to align with these moments:
- Surprising Victories or Defeats: Emotions run high during the Olympics, and unexpected outcomes can create powerful stories. Link your business to these narratives by offering commentary or drawing parallels to your own experiences of overcoming challenges or celebrating successes.
- Trending Topics: Monitor social media and news outlets for trending topics related to the Olympics. Align your pitches with these trends to stay relevant and capture the audience’s attention. For example, if a particular athlete’s diet becomes a hot topic, a nutritionist could offer an expert opinion on its benefits.
- Cultural Moments: The Olympics is not just about sports; it’s also a cultural event. Highlight any significant cultural milestones or events that occur during the Olympics and connect them to your business. For instance, a travel agency could promote tours of Olympic host cities, emphasizing their cultural and historical significance.
Offering Expert Opinions
Positioning yourself or someone in your business as an expert can greatly enhance your pitch’s appeal. Here are some ways to offer expert opinions:
- Fitness and Health: Provide tips on achieving athlete-level fitness. This could include workout routines, recovery techniques, or advice on maintaining peak physical condition.
- Nutrition: Share insights on the diets of Olympians and how people can adapt them to their own lives. This might involve debunking myths, offering practical meal plans, or discussing the role of nutrition in performance and recovery.
- Psychology: Discuss the mental challenges athletes face and how they overcome them. Topics could include dealing with pressure, maintaining focus, and building mental resilience. This angle is particularly relevant for businesses in the wellness or mental health sectors.
Engaging with Visual Content
Visual content is a powerful tool for grabbing attention and enhancing your story. Here’s how you can use visuals effectively:
- Infographics: Create infographics that compare athletes’ performances, training regimes, or the history of the Olympics. These can provide valuable information in an easily digestible format.
- Videos: Share short videos with tips, interviews, or behind-the-scenes looks at your business’s connection to the Olympics. Videos are engaging and can be shared across multiple platforms for maximum reach.
- Images: Use high-quality images of events, athletes, or your products in action. Visuals can make your pitch more appealing and help it stand out in a crowded media landscape.
Examples to Inspire You
To help you get started, here are some examples of how different types of businesses can leverage the Olympics:
- A Local Gym: Pitch a story about training programs inspired by Olympic athletes. Offer special classes or challenges that mirror the training regimes of top competitors.
- A Nutritionist: Offer tips on how to eat like an Olympian. Create meal plans or host webinars discussing the nutritional strategies of elite athletes.
- A Tech Company: Showcase how your technology is being used in training or during the Olympics. This could include apps for tracking performance, virtual reality training programs, or wearable tech.
- A Travel Agency: Promote travel packages to Paris or other previous Olympic host cities, highlighting their unique offerings and the chance to experience the spirit of the Olympics firsthand.
Crafting the Perfect Pitch
When crafting your pitch, keep these elements in mind to ensure it stands out:
- Catchy Subject Line/Hook: Grab attention with a strong, engaging headline. Make sure it clearly conveys the connection between your business and the Olympics.
- Clear Connection: Explain how your story ties into the Olympics. Be specific about the relevance and the unique angle you’re bringing to the table.
- Strong Visuals: Include images or videos to make your pitch more engaging and visually appealing. High-quality visuals can significantly enhance your chances of getting noticed. This is extra important for a television pitch.
- Contact Information: Make it easy for journalists to reach you for more information. Include your contact details and any relevant social media handles and I always recommend using your cell phone and not a main office number. Let the journalist reach YOU.
Following Up
Journalists are particularly busy during major events like the Olympics, so if you don’t hear back immediately, don’t get discouraged. Follow up with a polite reminder, reiterating the key points of your pitch and your availability for further discussion. Persistence can pay off, and a well-timed follow-up can make all the difference. I find the gold is in the follow-up! Most of my pitches are
Leveraging Social Media
Don’t forget to use your social media channels to amplify your story. Engage with hashtags related to the Olympics, join conversations, and share your content across multiple platforms. Social media can help you reach a broader audience and increase the chances of your story being picked up by the media.
Wrap-Up
By tying your business to the 2024 Olympics, you can tap into a global audience and gain significant media attention. Start brainstorming now, be prepared to adapt your pitches to the dynamic nature of the Games, and take advantage of the excitement and visibility that the Olympics brings.
Remember, the key to successful PR is following my Get PR Famous® formula which is “Be Newsworthy” (which you are by tying to the Olympics which is timely and relevant), “Creating a Great Hook” and “Finding the Right Journalist.” With these strategies, you can elevate your business and achieve your own version of Olympic gold.
Learn more in my free download 3StepstoPRSuccess.comÂ