How to Use SMS and The Olympics to Boost Business

In just over two weeks the summer Olympics begin in Rio. Even though the events are half a world away, the frenzy over them is worldwide. It’s the Olympics after all.

Almost any business, or even a not-for-profit company, can take advantage of that frenzy. Especially when you combine it with mobile marketing. That’s because there are plenty of fans, and their devices, here in the UK.

According to a report from the Olympic committee, “over 44 million people (76% of the TV population) watched…programming during Sochi, a rise of 10% compared to Vancouver 2010”.  They went on to add, “the BBC generated over 170 million page views and 20 million video views, up from 62 million and 11 million respectively in 2010”.

Granted those numbers are for winter Olympics, but there hasn’t been a summer Olympics since it was hosted in London in 2012. That year, around 96% of us watched some of the Olympics. But the winter games numbers I listed above show the audience is increasing, even when the event occurs far away.

And in part that’s thanks to mobile devices and the option to stream any event directly to your own private screen. So imagine your customers or members watching their favourite sport, and then getting your great Olympic related offer via SMS. It’s perfect timing.

One of the most obvious beneficiaries of the Olympics are sports retailers. But they aren’t the only ones who can leverage the events for SMS marketing. Here are examples of some others:

• Clothing retailers – Anyone who sells sports or exercise clothes is again an obvious choice. But imagine the possibilities if you sell trunks, swimsuits or bikinis. You don’t have to go to Rio to want one of those (actually I hear the beaches there are often clothing optional…) to enjoy summer here in the UK. Why not hold an Olympic celebration sales event and send out SMS messages to your customers announcing the savings?
• Local sports teams/events – During the Olympics, people’s awareness of sports is heightened. Local sports teams could use SMS messaging to drive up attendance or to raise money for the team. Local sports events can also increase attendance and revenue at the same time. Just send out SMS messages with special ticket prices to celebrate the worldwide event.
• Pubs & Bars – People gather to watch the UK compete in various events in pubs & bars. But which one should they choose? How about sending out an SMS message for special pricing on drinks or a meal during the event – when they come to watch it at your establishment. Even better, add another special discount code to celebrate if we bring home a gold medal!
• Not-for-profits – If you’re part of a sports-related charity, now’s the time to ask for help. You can reach out to your donors directly or partner with another company to raise funds. For example, you could work out an agreement with a sports store to donate an amount to your charity every time someone makes a purchase using a special coupon code sent out via SMS. You could send the messages out to your donors, and they could send the message out to their customers. It’s a win, win for both of you. The sports store will get all the “feel good” effect and sales from the campaign, and you get more awareness and some amount of donations.

That is just a short list of four possibilities. When you think about it, the Olympics can be used to promote all sorts of things, from personal development to fitness to travel. Just put your creative cap on, and brainstorm how you can use SMS messaging to let fans, customers, or donors know all about it.