Olympic Branding Part 2: Prioritising Stakeholders & Defining A Message

IOC President Jacques Rogge congratulates LOCOG Chairman 
Seb Coe following the successful Olympic bid in Singapore, 2005 

In a previous post, I explored how part of my pessimism leading up to the 2012 Olympics was based on the logo. It was a first impression I believed organisers and designers got wrong - especially the mascot - but a first impression nonetheless. 

Poor visual identity can still be overcome by delivering on brand promise and providing a great customer experience. In the following series of posts, I look at the other aspects of London 2012. 


Delivering a great customer experience requires a clear message that aligns the entire organisation. That message is formed by understanding the needs of the people most important to your brand.

STEP 1 - DEFINE THE STAKEHOLDERS

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) stated their goal was to "deliver the best possible Olympic and Paralympic Games experience for everyone involved, ensuring a real legacy and inspiring people to join in and truly make these 'everyone's Games.'"

In this case, "everyone involved" includes:

• Athletes - essentially the product on display, but also consumers of the Games - hoping to compete for their countries and gain notoriety

• Londoners - who hope to benefit from a tourism boost in the short-term and infrastructure improvements in the longer-term, not to mention the pride of being a host city

• Visitors experiencing the Games

• Corporate Sponsors -  since over $1 billion was raised from sponsors, these partners hope to gain from publicity of being associated with the Games

STEP 2 - UNDERSTAND STAKEHOLDER NEEDS

During their official bid presentation in Singapore, 2005, Bid Chairman, Seb Coe outlined the three principles that would guide London 2012 organisers:

• "First, we want to deliver...an electrifying experience for competitors and spectators...which distinguishes the Olympic Games from other sports events. And that magic begins with the venues.  

• Our second principle is to be your best partners. IOC members...Sponsors and the media.  

• Our third principle is to deliver a lasting sporting legacy...We can no longer take it for granted that young people will choose sport. Some may lack the facilities.  Or the coaches and role models to teach them...We are determined that a London Games will address that challenge."

More specifically:

• For Athletes -  Denise Lewis, representing the London Athletes Commission, explained “everything athletes need was designed in from day one. Training venues. Security. When a fraction of a second, or a fraction of a centimetre, can be the difference between winning and losing and can change your life...you appreciate that the small details have been worked out years before."

• For Londoners -  Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, pledged “the Games will dramatically improve the lives of Londoners.”  Prime Minister, Tony Blair furthered: "Our vision is to see millions more young people in Britain...participating in sport, and improving their lives as a result of that participation...But it takes more than 17 days of superb Olympic competition.  It takes a broader vision."  

• For Visitors -  Livingstone continued: "As London's Mayor, I know hat what you want from me is to take whatever measures are necessary to deliver a safe, secure and superb Games."

• For Corporate Sponsors - According to the LOCOG website: "The London 2012 brand is also vital to the funding of the Games and is the London 2012 Organising Committee's most valuable asset. To ensure we maintain both the emotional and commercial value of the brand, we need to carefully control its use and prevent its unauthorised exploitation."

STEP 3 - PRIORITISE STAKEHOLDERS

A brand can't be all things to all people. The needs of certain groups will often conflict, so a company must choose whose needs take priority when conflicts arise.

The motto for London 2012 became 'Inspire a generation,' indicating that the youth of Britain and their future were the major priority. 

STEP 4 - DELIVERING ON THE PROMISE TO STAKEHOLDERS

Only with a firm understanding of the promise to each stakeholder, can we fairly judge the Olympic experience. 

In future posts, I'll begin to grade how LOCOG delivered on the promises it made.

Cautionary Considerations for Brand Names

In a previous post, we explored characteristics of strong brand names - the best are memorable and communicate a message. Having already covered naming categories and features that increase recall, here are a few cautionary steps to ensure your name is remembered for the right reason and avoids communicating the wrong message. 

KEEP IT SHORT

A crucial aspect of a repeatable name is brevity. This doesn't mean all names should be single words, but as a general rule: less is more.  

An oft-cited historical example is Vicks VapoRub, whose sales struggled when it was known as Dr. Richardson's Croup and Pneumonia CureSalve. If there is more to say on your logo or packaging, save it for a tag line. 

ONLY MAKE PROMISES YOU CAN KEEP

This practice holds true in all aspects of branding, not just naming. BP's Horizon Oil Spill in 2010, for example - the worst oil disaster in history - was committed by a company who, a decade earlier, rebranded itself as "Beyond Petroleum" to be viewed as more environmentally friendly. BP was recently found guilty of "gross negligence and wilful misconduct."

Words can have serious consequences. Recent research shows brands that work harder to promote a certain reputation come under far more scrutiny when they fail to meet expectations.  

CONSIDER YOUR CONSUMER

A brand name should be relevant to the education and vocabulary level of the target consumer. 

The name Viagra, for example, uses less complex vocabulary than it's formulaic name Sildenafil Citrate. Simplifying scientific names for medicinal products is a fascinating area of brand naming. 

DECIDE WHETHER TO BE DISTANT OR CONSISTENT

No rule states a good brand name should always stand out. In come cases, you do want a name that helps you to fit in. 

Law firms are almost always named after their founding partners. In this case, a law firm that uses a different naming convention may seem illegitimate or unprofessional by comparison. 

The first step is determining the type of signal you want to send. Given the visibility and permanence of brand names, it may not be worth the risk. Other aspects of the brand can be used to highlight distinctiveness.

A memorable example occurred when the British Post Office Group infamously changed it's name to Consignia in 2002. While intentions were honourable - signalling a new direction after being privatized - manufactured or outlandish names seem more appropriate for pharmaceutical and technology companies:

“Naming a company Google or Squidoo or Blueturnip in the dot-com world isn’t weird. It’s the equivalent of naming your kid Michael.” - Seth Godin

BE ORIGINAL

An overwhelming number of Asian brands include words like "golden," "moon," "fortune," "lucky," "harvest," and "prosperity." While the words have positive associations - key to a strong name - they are so common in nomenclature they are no longer distinct or believable. Other examples include "happy," "excellent," "best," "quality," "top," "smart" or "reliable." Imagine if Sears's car battery was named Reliable, instead of DieHard?

Being forced to think outside of the box is a good thing. Magazine titles Flex and Escape have far greater symbolism than their generic-named competitors, Fitness and Traveller. 

QUANTITY, NOT JUST QUALITY

It's funny how we can sometimes ignore simple logistics. We could find the perfect brand name, but if a “.com” or “.org,” domain extension isn't available, we might end up driving business towards a competitor. There is also the minefield of trademark restrictions to navigate. 

By some measures, less than 5% of names submitted for trademark pass an availability screening. 

A few strategies can help circumvent this challenge: 

• Generate as many ideas without judgement as possible during brainstorming so you can easily return to previous ideas
• Intentionally misspell words in your product's name ("Froot" instead of "Fruit") 
• Transpose words in the name to create a different order

CROWD SOURCE

The end consumer will tell you if it sounds pleasing to the ear or otherwise, so make extensive use of focus groups and outsider opinion. 

At the end of the day, it matters more what consumers think about your brand name than analysts and executives. 

TRANSLATE

If a brand is global, it must consider the meaning of its name in every country it does business. This particular item is one I will explore at greater length in a future post.