Media planners expect advertising around the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games to be strong despite some lingering anxiety about the delayed event.
The opening ceremony is due July 23 with restrictions on athletes and crowds still in place a year after the event was originally scheduled.
This includes a 50% cap on spectators which could be further tightened to banning crowds entirely as COVID cases continue to rise in Tokyo.
Concerns around coronavirus has led to many, including local newspaper and sponsor Asahi Shimbun, calling for it to be postponed. A survey by Asahi Shimbun found that 83% of voters want the games postponed or scrapped.
Melanie McDonald, general manager of investment at Dentsu’s Amplifi, says while brands should be prepared to justify their involvement in the games in case of public backlash, overall audience will be strong as it’s the first international event since the start of the pandemic.
“Though it is primed to reach peak viewership, it’s also triggering public debate about the health risks associated with the event,” McDonald tells AdNews.
“With only about 7% of the Japanese population vaccinated and the rise in cases this year, the public sentiment seems to be against the games.
“While it is unlikely to impact local advertisers as much, advertisers must be ready to justify their support if the public debate intensifies and they are held accountable. It can be a double-edged sword: brands will certainly benefit from the strong audience reach, but they have to be ready to respond if the public sentiment takes a turn for the worse.”
Melanie McDonald
McDonald expects audiences to be particularly strong in Australia, where Seven has the Olympics broadcast rights, due to current COVID restrictions around the nation.
However, while reliance on media for entertainment could make audience reach “surpass expectations”, McDonald says the true size can no longer be captured in traditional media figures.
“From the last quarter of 2020 there has been increased demand for TV, but also an increased nervousness around performance of linear,” she says.
“The Olympic Games have been no more or less affected by this, however there are high expectations that they will draw viewers back. That being said, the way in which the Olympic Games will be consumed by Australians is likely to be very different as we’ve seen an increase in connected TVs and streaming of live TV which is not reflected in the ratings.
“Managing the expectations of clients on what ‘good performance’ will look like will be challenged by the fragmentation of viewership and the only way to really understand success will be to have a holistic view of screens.
“As there are more options across digital, and Seven has opened up the option of digital-only packages (Rio clients were required to buy linear + digital, or linear only), we anticipate increased investment in digital.”
In addition to changing TV habits, McDonald says new mediums are set to enter the mainstream for Olympic viewing, such as digital watch parties which took off during the pandemic. McDonald adds that other formats, such as podcasts and the relatively niche VR, are set to emerge strongly for the first time, opening up new opportunities for smaller brands.
“Some digital platforms, such as YouTube and social media (Instagram, TikTok, etc.), offer new ways to associate the brand to the event without the need to buy into traditional broadcast sponsorships,” she says.
“That’s an opportunity smaller advertisers may take up – for example, brands can invest in content from former professional athletes or sport influencers to reach attentive audiences in an indirect way. Content creators have only multiplied over the past year and their reach has grown.”
New brands are also likely to be attracted to the games by the introduction of sports such as skateboarding and surfing to the Olympics which are likely to draw in younger audiences.
“We can expect to see an increased focus from smaller advertisers that wouldn’t traditionally invest in the Olympics due to smaller marketing budgets,” she says.
“With all Olympic Games we do see some advertisers avoid the two weeks as they are concerned with perceived higher premiums associated with the event which will dominate the available viewing audience.
“Those that want to remain active across this period are looking to digital, social and radio as these media are less impacted by the skew of audience attention.”
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