Today is the opening ceremonies for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics and quite frankly, I am not sure I am going to watch at all.
From a brand perspective, the Olympics has done nothing to endear itself to the general public. With more and more sports being competed in by true professional athletes, to doping scandals that the IOC is trying to wipe their hands of, to abject poverty meters away from the stadiums themselves, the Olympics has lost its luster.
As a marketer, I would have advised my brand to have stayed away from these games. The signs have been there years ago and having your brand associated with scandal, corruption and poverty does nothing to promote any brand’s image.
It is time for the global brand community to stand up and refuse to be part of these types of events until true changes are made so that true sport and fair play are the Olympic ideals once again.