During the 2014 Winter Olympics held in Sochi, the U.S. male speed skating team found itself at the bottom of the rankings time and time again and fingers were being pointed at the manufacturer of the suits – Baltimore-based athletic apparel company Under Armour. The athletes themselves speculated that the new high-tech suits were contributing to their poor results and quickly resorted back to the suits they used during the Speed Skating World Cup, also designed and crafted by Under Armour. Unfortunately, the team continued seeing less-than-desired results.

The issue received pickup from top outlets such as USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Associated Press which only added fuel to the fire. Ultimately, the buzz died down and not only did Under Armour manage to weather the storm, they signed an eight-year deal with the U.S. speed skating team and will supply the team with suits for the next two Winter Olympics.

What did they do correctly?

Refusing to take the defense

Although Under Armour made it clear the company didn’t wholeheartedly agree that the suits were the issue, the company’s executive vice president of marketing Matt Mirchin complied with the U.S. team’s wishes.

“We didn’t believe that it was the right thing to change the suits,” Mirchin said as reported by Wall Street Journal. “But we did what we could to give confidence to the athletes.”

By choosing to support the athlete’s decision and not suggesting the poor results were due to lack of performance, Under Armour followed “the customer is always right” motto and viewed the athletes as their number one priority.

Remaining present during the ordeal

The company stayed right by the team’s side during the whole process to ensure a solution would be found together. While yes, CEO and founder Kevin Plank was close lipped during the first few days, he quickly switched gears and took a hands-on and vocal role. Plank and his staff made it clear that there would be a solution to the dilemma while making sure the company’s positive reputation wouldn’t suffer.

Remained true to company values

While the suspicion that the racing suits caused the poor performances began to subside, Under Armour then had to face consumers who questioned their ability to produce high quality athletic apparel. According to an interview with CNBC, Plank said that Under Armour was “doubling down” and hoped to move past the Sochi controversy.

“We accept getting dust on ourselves,” says Plank. “We’ll come back taller, stronger, bigger and better.”

By remaining present and transparent throughout “Suitgate,” Under Armour took a gold medal in brand reputation management.

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The Olympic Games, as a brand in and of itself, tug on consumers’ heartstrings while invoking a competitive streak and deep sense of national pride. Through human interest stories detailing the underdog, the crowd favorite, the veteran or the newcomer, the Olympic Games unify each of the respective countries in conversation and storytelling. It is this week’s “how’s the weather?” chit chat, proving the age-old tale of the benefits of hard work and determination. Brands that can capture this essence effectively will resonate with their target audience – with or without official sponsorship.

However, some brands have gotten cold feet, given the high costs involved, both monetary and in terms of risk. Joining a conversation with heated political and social undertones could bring company backlash, as evidenced in the hijacking of McDonald’s #CheerstoSochi campaign.

The following brand strategies make our medal podium for the clear messaging, emotional connection, consumer engagement and integrated approach of their marketing communication programs.

• Bronze: Dow, the official chemistry company of the Olympics and B2B sponsor, does not stand out as making an immediate connection with the average consumer, yet took innovative action to leverage the Olympic Games’ focus on minimizing environmental impact through education and thought leadership. Dow’s advertising, original content on YouTube and a dedicated Olympic microsite, on-site activation in Sochi, promotion and strategic partnerships all work in tandem to showcase the company’s historic involvement in the Olympic Games over the years, from local infrastructure projects to engineering new sleds for the USA Luge team. What makes Dow noteworthy is its ongoing commitment and vested interest in the environment of the Olympic host city, as evidenced by educating Russian students, engaging local volunteers and developing measurement tools to ensure that the solutions implemented in Russia to minimize the Games’ carbon footprint make a difference.
• Silver: Visa achieves Olympic recognition for prioritizing Tumblr as the key social media channel for its campaign, offering a voyeuristic look behind-the-scenes at U.S. athletes in action. Humor and wit is injected into beautiful imagery and athletes in motion – content just begging to be shared on social media. Not only does Visa’s Tumblr page link to its Facebook and Twitter accounts, it includes video content as a comprehensive source for all Olympic information, with  paid-advertising directing viewers to the page (the first Olympic sponsor to do so). Visa puts its money where its mouth is by energetically supporting a new(ish) platform and truly being #everywhere their target young consumer wants to be.
• Gold: Proctor and Gamble established #ThankYouMom, a campaign celebrating its target audience. With dedicated Facebook and Twitter sites, an emotional YouTube video, as well as television, print and online advertising, P&G offered the country a platform in which to engage and celebrate the women behind the athletes. The campaign is not focused on one product, but rather the universal emotion of a mom’s love, from picking up children when they fall to sacrificing for their success. This “feel-good” campaign reminds consumers of P&G’s heart and mission to bring that same level of “mom” care to your family with each of their trusted brands, including Bounty, Charmin Pampers and Tide.

As you view the Olympics on TV in real time, online or on your mobile during this week’s events, let us know the brands to which you would award a medal. And remember, style points count.

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