The Olympics in London 2012

The Olympic Summer Games are officially called, Games of the XXX Olympiad. They are held every

four years. Their place of origin is found in Antic Greece. The first Olympiad of modern times started

in Athens in 1896. The next Olympic Games, the XXX, are being hosted in London in 2012. 26

different sport types are being performed, such as e.g. fencing, boxing, soccer, athletic track, military

horseback, rowing, swimming, triathlon, to mention a few only. London is the first city to be the host

of the Olympic Summer Games for the third time. London was already host of the Olympic Games in

1908 and 1948.

The decision for London as host was performed during a meeting of the International Committee in

Singapore in 2005. London, the capital of England, the UK, Great Britain, and Northern Ireland with

about 7.6 million inhabitants is the city with the most inhabitants in the EU, and one of the most

important cultural, financial, and commercial centers of the world. The Olympic Games will be held

from July 27 to August 12 in 2012.

On the one hand, the Olympic Games are important in order to excite young people for sports, to

discuss social, economic, and ecological themes, as well as to discuss the development of peace; on

the other hand, it serves for the sustainability of tourism and the labor market, and for British

companies who tender for contracts resulting from the Games.

The 2012 Olympiad stands under the motto “Green and Secure”. Green does not mean the

providence of green space throughout the region; it means the numerous direct and indirect impacts

onto the green environment during the preparation, execution, and follow-up phases of utilization.

Everywhere it is possible; the environment should be protected and be advanced in a committing

manner. Nature-damaging Olympic Games cannot be endorsed from an ethical and moral viewpoint

in today’s times. It is the objective to leave the landscape picture mostly unchanged during the

building of competition facilities, which deliver a large impact to nature and landscape. The issue of

safety also has a high priority. This begins with the selection of building companies, contractual

partners, building materials, the recycling of waste materials, drink water supply, and person

protection. The Organizational Committee of the Olympic Games and the staff members in London

must collaborate closely with public authorities, government, police, and security companies in order

to ensure safe Games. The Olympic Games support the worldwide interest in sports, and also offers

the prerequisite for the transfer of Olympic values.

These Summer Games are to be held in already existing, in newly to be built, and in temporary

facilities, such as e.g. Hyde Park, Wimbledon, and the Horse Guards Parade. Basically, the objective

is to avoid high follow-up costs for the facilities.

The administrative areas of Greater London, the central city domains of the City of London, the City

of Westminster, as well as 31 municipalities compose the Olympic Zone, the River Zone, and the

Competition Zone, where most of the competition facilities are to be found. A few venues are also

found outside of the City.

East London with its Olympic Park located in the Lower Lea Valley with the host town of Stratford will

be a central venue. The Park, the largest and new urban park for Europe, extends over a space of

1,236 acres, whereby 729,550 yd2 are allocated for building space. After the Games, it will serve as

spare-time and recreation facility for inhabitants and visitors. 36,500 condominiums and 50,000 jobs

are to be created via coordinated investment programs of diverse agencies.

The Olympic Games are focused on Stratford and the Lower Lea Valley. 7000 jobs and a supplement

income of 525 million £ will be created in East London.

The 2012 Olympic Games in London are not only interesting from a sports and media viewpoint, but

also for the economy. The project bandwidth is significant. From the Olympic Park with its numerous

building and landscape engineering requirements to the extension of local public transport

capacities, sport facilities, studios for television and radio broadcasting, and park equipment up to

corporate services. The domains of finance, insurance, consulting, health, IT, and film production are

impacted.

With the acceptance of the 2012 Olympic Games, commitments, tasks, and organizational structures

were thus embraced. This includes the erection and providence of infrastructure, such as e.g.

facilities for hosting and sports, bridges, streets, electric power supply, landscape planning, a TV and

radio broadcasting center, care services, data networks, and security services. As well as event

managers for the organization and project controlling of the Games, and such for marketing and

partnerships/sponsors are needed.

Sponsors from the oil and natural gas industry, the automobile industry, the telecommunication

industry, and aviation industry, as well as from the clothing and homeware industries are being

sought. The sponsors should become shareholders to one third, amounting up to 2 billion £, of the

estimated implementation costs. Further revenue sources will be attained from entrance tickets,

merchandising, and television and broadcasting rights. Coca Cola, McDonald, Panasonic, Samsung

and Visa, just to name a few, have already voiced interest for their rights.

The Olympic Games is a global event. It is estimated that 14,700 athletes from about 200 countries

will participate. 8 million visitors with 150,000 employees and voluntary helpers will experience the

on-site events.

4 billion people will take part on the events in front of television sets. TV will be the King of the

Games. Sport lends itself well as communication channel in order to attract active and passive

sportspeople, and interested visitors to their TV sets. It possesses a world of adventure, fascination,

and emotions. For the media, sport relates to low costs, and is very attractive due to the high impact

to its audience.

In recent years, TV sport reports from Olympic Games have emerged to be of increasingly significant

importance for public and private TV broadcasters. Especially, live reports of sport events have

resulted in being a unique TV program event for TV broadcasters, even though not every sport type

receives the same amount of attention from report hosting. Only the attractive sport types with mass

attention ensure for high viewer ranking.

BBC London will compile the media plans for TV, radio, and Internet already during the predecessor

year of the Olympic Games, and inform media agencies, as well as brand name article manufacturers

/ sponsors, about the time slots for advertisement spots during the broadcast of the Olympic Games.

This is especially important so that the brand name article manufacturers can plan their budgets in a

timely manner.

BBC does not possess a monopoly for the broadcast of the Olympic Games, only the International

Olympic Committee (IOC) does.

IOC grants license rights for the broadcast of the Games to TV and radio broadcasters.

Global player, such as BBC and CNN, possess international advantages for this.

Here is the BBC SWOT Analysis:

BBC SWOT Analysis

Strength: Opportunities:

Weakness: Threats:

• World’s largest broadcaster/

wide coverage- millions reached

• Many channels/ variety

• Best/ highest quality coverage/

technologically outing edge

• International Brand (using

English)

• Strong, reliable financials

support/ fee based

• Location

• No “advertising influence”

• Flexible/ employee network

• Terrorist attacks against BBC

• Tech infrastructure could fail

• Large markets don’t have high

Tech access

• Censorship in other countries

• Competitors:

o stealing/ coping format

o Different media

o Entering market

• Regulated by government

• Big bureaucratic machine

(internal communication weak)

• Not innovative

• Not enough personal for this

project

• The internet can be exploited

• Can expand into CNN market

• Good image attracts talent

• Can expand radio market

• Can reach new market

• Huge info Access

Marketing Objectives

TV, radio, and Internet platforms shall all be aligned to their target audiences by 2012.

The offers for TV, radio, and Internet users shall be updated.

During the advance run-up phase prior to the 2012 Olympics, continuous reporting shall be

performed about this mega-event.

As of 2011, target audiences shall be communicated to within the reports made about the 2012

Games in London in order to increase the promotional radius.

The promotional radius should then be increased by +50% as of 2012.

Marketing – Target Audiences

The Olympic Games are a mega-event, and those interested come from all age groups and levels of

society.

Target audience 1 (Z1) are youngsters and teens ranging between 8 and 16 years of age.

Target audience 2 (Z2) are teens and adults ranging between 17 and 40 years of age.

Target audience 3 (Z3) are adults ranging from 41 to 60+ of age.

Positioning

BBC has embraced the task to ensure a comprehensive and objective service level of reporting about

the Olympic Games.

The mega-event Olympic Games is mass event, and the target audiences are widely spread. The

structure of 3 audience groups:

Needs of the Target Audiences Z1, Z2, and Z3

Rational

Z1 and Z2: This group uses the Internet frequently and with joy in order to inform themselves about

actual events.

Z2 and Z3: This group is partly very mobile, and partly less mobile.

Emotional

Every nation participating primarily attend themselves to their own athletes during the Olympic

Games.

Not all of those excited about receiving sport information can attend live at the Games.

They search for alternatives.

Value-Add Offers

The BBC Internet website will be adapted to the needs required by the target audiences Z1 and Z2.

Up-to-date events will continuously be displayed.

Mobile people shall be able to receive information via radios and cell phones.

Within each single country, the focus will be made on sport types with national athletes.

Public viewing with local events shall be implemented for those interested in sports.

Source of Business

In other countries, BBC must capture potential recipients from competitors. CNN

recipients/consumers shall be motivated to switch on BBC broadcasting by implementing interesting

and target audience specific messages.

Marketing Planning

In order to point to the mega-event „Olympic Games“ and the broadcaster „BBC“ in a timely manner,

the media plans shall already be completed in the year 2010.

This means, a thorough competitive analysis must be performed after the media briefing. Marketing

and media plans shall be determined in order to reach the target audiences effectively. What

advertisement channels, classic media and non-classic media should be deployed?

Classic Media such as:

TV, radio, and Internet can be provided by BBC themselves. Cinema, newspaper, magazines, and

poster resources must be purchased.

Non-Classic Media such as:

Channels such as direct mailing, public transport promotion, give-aways, POS, mobile promotional

resources, hot air balloons, and zeppelins etc. must also be purchased.

A good communication mix with an extensive impact radius of promotion is a great help in the

course of communication of the advertisement message.