The Social Media Olympics - A gold medal performance? (2/2)

I'm currently in a post-Olympics lull and I've taken to filling my late night TV schedule with American talk show hosts - an odd and discerning habit. For those short few weeks, the Olympics managed to capture our attention whilst our hands captured whatever technological device was within reach. My last post was negatively skewed but an important angle to show I felt, and for the next few paragraphs I hope to present the other side to the social media story.

This mashable.com infographic beautifully represents the impact the Games had worldwide. There's a load of statistics to chew through but I personally found the following facts most interesting:

• The most talked about athletes were (in order): Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Tom Daley.
• The most mentioned sports were those that aren't archetypal Olympic sports - soccer and basketball.
• McDonalds had more than 3 times as many mentions as its nearest brand competitor - Coca Cola.

From these stats its clear that the athletes and brands that cut through were those that possessed star power or at least a point of difference. Bolt is the fastest man in the world, Phelps the greatest Olympian ever and Tom Daley is the national pin-up boy, as well as being a bronze medallist and someone who publicly outed a Twitter bully.

Sponsorship money is the main way to refinance the costs of staging an Olympics. Unlike many other sporting events around the world, the Olympics feature a 'clean venue' policy, which means as a viewer you'll see no advertising on any stadiums - so you're free to focus on the sport. Or at least that's the theory. As such, Olympic sponsors drive much of their value through online methods and this is where McDonalds has prospered. 

They latch on to popular events and teams, e.g. USA Basketball, and link that with a competition in their stores. They capitalise on public goodwill and Olympic spirit in order to drive Maccas-themed conversation and sales. Clever.

But moving away from the corporate side of things, the real joy is found in capturing athlete's emotions, both before and after events. Bolt - half man, half brand, dominated the social media landscape and epitomised its value to global viewers and followers. Up to the minute information, exclusive opinions and photos, it was what we all wanted in athlete engagement - convenient, authentic and unfiltered. Just as he leads the way on the track, he leads off it, and for a man that generates the vast majority of his revenue from endorsements, this is absolutely crucial. 

So, what are your thoughts? Were you as captivated by the Games just as I was? Did you find it easier and more appealing to follow because of the growth of social media savvy athletes and brands? I'd be interested to know your thoughts!