In this article, the author reveals NBC’s plans on airing new 2014 Olympic ads with the recent news of Lindsey Vonn stepping out of the Olympic games due to her recent knee injury. While Vonn was originally going to be showcased in NBC’s major ads, they now have to look at other star US athletes such as Shaun White and Julia Mancuso. Although she will not be competing in the games, Lindsey’s sponsors, such as Under Armour and Oakley, are still very interested in keeping her in their ad campaigns. They are aware that she is one of the most notable female athletes and are confident that she will overcome this injury and continue to compete in highly competitive competitions.
I think it is the right move for NBC to take Vonn out of their Olympic advertisements simply because she will not be competing in the games and there is no sense in promoting her in that light. With that being said, she will most likely still be present at the games to cheer on her teammates and competitors, and will still be able to market herself and her sponsors. From a sport marketing standpoint, it is a smart move by her sponsors to be supportive and continue the relationship they have with Vonn. Her injury is only temporary and she will hopefully be back competing very soon. Even with her injury, Vonn is still an iconic figure in the sporting industry and the spotlight will continue to be on her despite her absence in the games.
This article is relevant to this course because marketers constantly have to change the way to portray and advertise people and events based on current situations. Lindsey Vonn would have been one of the US highlights in the 2014 Olympic games, but now NBC and her sponsors have to rethink who/what to show. The games are just a few weeks away and advertisers still have to edit their commercials that are being shown nationwide.
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Review by Monica Paolicelli in SRM 435 (section 1)
As the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics are fast approaching, one familiar face will be missing from the USA downhill skiing team. Lindsey Vonn, the most successful and well-known American skier in history, has withdrawn from the games to have her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repaired after her horrific crash last February. NBC producers have had to revise all of the Sochi commercials in order to showcase the USA athletes that will be competing in the games. The network plans to focus their attention on other U.S. Olympic stars, such as Shaun White, Julia Mancuso, Bode Miller, and Ashley Wagner to gain viewer attention. Lindsey Vonn’s “athletic genes, telegenic good-looks, and high-profile romance with Tiger Woods” guarantees good television ratings and great promotion abilities for her sponsors. Proctor & Gamble, Under Armour, Oakley, Red Bull, Rolex, and Head are a few of Lindsey’s sponsors who will have to change their marketing campaign for the upcoming Olympics. All of Lindsey’s sponsors are planning on renewing their contracts with her, preparing to feature her in future campaigns, and wishing her a speedy recovery. Lindsey will still be present in Sochi to cheer on her fellow U.S. athletes as well as host events. This way she will still be guaranteed visibility even when she is not competing.
Lindsey Vonn’s reputation as a great competitor, recognized spokesperson, and overall role model for young girls, allows her sponsors to trust her actions and behavior as someone who is representing their brand in a positive manner. A critical analysis from the marketing standpoint includes this idea that a well-rounded, talented, good-looking, and principled athlete will almost never be dropped from her sponsors because of an injury. Lindsey’s sponsors respect her and understand that injuries are part of the process. Proctor & Gamble states how honored they are to have Lindsey as part of their team. Marketers need to always make sure their company goals align with their athletes’ goals. Even though Lindsey is not competing, she is still driving the brands of her sponsors by being one of the most famous U.S Olympic athletes. This article review proves very relevant to this course because the average U.S. viewer does not usually follow the World Cup skiing for example, so name recognition is the key to drawing viewers. Also, if a star athlete has a comeback-story it draws even more attention and ratings. Lindsey’s current story of withdrawing is earning her media and marketing attention that she would have received during the games. NBC will have to build their next star and create a new fan favorite for the 2014 Sochi Olympic games starting in February.
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Review by Samantha Mitchell in SRM 435 (section 1)
Down hill skier Lindsey Vonn recently announced that she would be missing the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics due to a knee injury she obtained in the 2013 World Championships. NBC had planned to make her the face of their marketing campaign beside Shaun White because of her looks, her athletic ability, and her high profile relationship with Tiger Woods. However, now that she is no longer competing in the Sochi Olympics, NBC is focusing more on other athletes such as Julia Mancuso and Shaun White.
Not only has NBC lost their face of the winter Olympics, so have Lindsey’s sponsors. Her sponsors include: Procter & Gamble, Under Armour, Oakley, Red Bull, Rolex, and Head. Even though her sponsors have lost their star athlete, they have all been very understanding and supportive of her. Under Armour does not plan to change anything on the advertisement side. In fact they have made Lindsey Vonn the face of their cold weather gear, “Infared”. P&G are also continuing their support of her and are keeping her as the face of their campaign, “Thank you, Mom”. Her deal with Oakley expires at the end of the season but Oakley is looking to renew her contract with them. All of her sponsors are wishing her the best of luck in her recovery and are looking forward to her return.
I think NBC was right to no longer focus on her and to focus on other athletes because she is not competing and it would be false advertisement to put her at the center of their focus. NBC understands that injuries occur and that is the nature of sports. They have to be flexible and that is exactly what NBC is doing. I think it is great that Lindsey Vonn’s sponsors are all supporting her and continuing their contracts with her even though she is not competing. Especially, those that are still using her as the face to their marketing and advertising campaigns. It is good to see that sponsors can be very understanding and supportive.
This is relevant to the coarse because this class is all about sports marketing and sales. We are going to be learning about sponsorships, advertising, how to market people in the sports industry, and so much more. This situation is very likely in sports and it just goes to show us how versatile and prepared we have to be in any situation.
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