Paris to Your Playground: Local Sports Marketing Strategies that Score

Ah, the Olympics—two weeks of watching the world’s finest athletes sweat, strive, and somehow make us believe that we too could become gold medalists if we just, you know, tried a little harder.

But now that the final torch has been extinguished, how do you, as a local business, ride that Olympic wave all the way to your own backyard?

The good news? The Olympic afterglow is real, and it’s the perfect time to level up your local sports marketing game.

The Lasting Impact of the Olympics: How Canada Keeps the Flame Alive

Sure, the athletes have gone home, but the excitement? That sticks around like glitter in your carpet. Canadians are no strangers to catching Olympic fever.

After the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, participation in local sports leagues across the country saw a noticeable bump.

For example, youth hockey registrations surged by 11% the following year. And it’s not just about hockey.

A report from ParticipACTION revealed a 19% increase in general physical activity levels among Canadians after the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games.

Why should this matter to you? Because these post-Olympic participation spikes are a golden (pun intended) opportunity for local businesses to engage a newly motivated audience.

Leveraging Olympic Themes in Your Marketing: Go Big or Go Home

Let’s be honest—if you’re going to piggyback on the Olympics, you better do it with style.

The key here is to channel those Olympic themes—think perseverance, unity, and excellence—into your marketing strategy.

And if you want a masterclass on how to do it right, just look at some of the big players.

Take Nike, for instance. During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, they rolled out their “Best Day Ever” campaign, a bold, high-energy montage showing what could be the best day ever in sports.

Nike didn’t just sell shoes; they sold a vision of athletic greatness that anyone could tap into.

Another example? Coca-Cola’s “I Belong” campaign during the same 2020 Tokyo Olympics—celebrating diversity and the unifying power of sports, they made everyone feel like they were part of something bigger.

Now, your budget might not be Nike or Coca-Cola big, but the idea remains: connect your brand with those universal themes and make your audience feel like they’re on the winning team.

Read the rest of this story on the Csek Creative website here.