MilestonesBrand Britain'sOlympic gforyReflecting on the OlympicCames, it is tempting to assume

that its success was a foregone conclusion,but 12 months ago it was a very differentstory. Alongside the fears of bloated budgetsand transport chaos, marketers were beratedfrom several directions.

From the Wolff Olins logo to StellaMcCartney's (rather wonderful) AdidasTeam GB kits, and even the accusationsthat Olympic mascots Wenlock andMandeville resembled monocular penises,marketers were in the firing line, theirmultimillion-pound sponsorship dealsregularly under attack.

For the marketing industry, the Olympicswas a huge source of pride - as it should havebeen. If brands had not been prepared tocommit to the Games, to put their headabove the parapet and provide the financialsupport so necessary for sporting endea-vour, it could have been a very differenttype of Olympics.

For many, however, it was the Olympicsvolunteers, the Games Makers, trained byMcDonald's, who were the true heroes ofthe event. In what was claimed to be thebiggest mobilisation of people since WorldWar II, these 70,000 volunteers trulyencapsulated the spirit ofthe Games. Theirenthusiasm was contagious, and peopleattending the sporting events were treated toa glimpse of what corporate Britain could belike if people really cared about what theywere doing.

While agencies rushed to declare whichbrand took gold in the 'social-mediaOlympics', for many of us, the Gamesdelivered something bigger than any brand-tracking study could possibly measure.

Red Bull StratosI when daredevil skydiver FelixBaumgartner dropped fromnear-space (23 miles high) back

to the Earth's surface. Red Bull changed theface of marketing forever.

Of course, Stratos was more than amarketing campaign; creating and fundinga mission to the edge of space is far beyondthe realms ofthe traditional 30-second spot.

It was an astonishing display ofthe valueof human endurance, of adventure, invest-ment and commitment. The fact that thismission was, in fact, funded and created bya brand is remarkable.

Having achieved 8m concurrent viewsofthe live-streamed spectacle on YouTube,there is no arguing that Red Bull's Stratosproject was an astonishing leap forward inmarketing, but it also delivered somethingfar bigger than 'eyeballs'.

The fact is, a brand created and funded amission to the edge of space that will createdata and insight that could benefit NASA.

As one viewer aptly tweeted: 'Thatawkward moment when you realise an

4 Marketing 12 December 2012

Top five

Marketingmomentsof the year

Nicola Kemp picks herhighlights from an epicyear of marketing. Letus know what you think@MarketingUK

energy drink has a better space programmethan your nation.'

Kony 2012 redefinesI the power of the viralIt was a watershed in social-media action: charity Invisible

Children's half-hour video about JosephKony propelled the atrocities perpetrated bythe Ugandan warlord onto the internationalnews agenda in a matter of days, with re-tweeted links helping it notch up more than94m views on YouTube.

The subsequent backlash, and well-publicised breakdown of film-maker JasonRussell, does nothing to diminish thesignificance ofthe achievement ofthefastest-spreading viral video in history.

Gaining the impact of Kony 2012 is notwithin the reach of any given brand or cause,and the emotional pull, moral outrage andcelebrity following the campaign has elicitedis rare. However, its success underlines thephenomenal power of social networks.

According to YouTube, 60 hours of clipsare uploaded every minute. Attention is

London 2012marketers playeda key role in theGames' success

marketlngmagazine.co.uk

To see the full top 10 marketing moments ofthe year, ¥isít marketingmagazine«co«uk w

'Obama satfirmly onthe sideof MainStreetratherthanWallstreet'

Red Bull Stratos'an astonishing ieapforward in marketing'

perhaps the scarcest commodity in thesocial-media world, so, while social video isthe future, it is not an easy win for brands. Atthe heart ofthe Kony viral phenomenon isnot a complex algorithm, but the simple artof storytelling and the enduring power ofemotionally compelling content.

In the words of Russell: 'Humanity'sgreatest desire is to belong and connect, andnow we see each other, hear each other, sharewhat we love, and it reminds us what we allhave in common. This connection ischanging the world.'

Obama secures ksecond term asUS PresidentThis was so much more than a

marketing moment, but a reflection ofthechanging, multicultural face ofthe US. Thistrend was underlined by Wisconsin electingthe country's first openly gay senator.Tammy Baldwin.

The tightly fought campaign waspeppered with phenomenal advances andsetbacks in social-media campaigning.The most accurate exit polls were conducted

K0NYT20ITHE WORST

Kony 20/2 InvisibleChildren's viral videonotched up more than94m YouTube views

online rather than over the phone, a statisticwith significance for the market-researchindustry.

The real story, however was the Repub-lican Party's complete failure to understandwhat people really wanted. A political party,or brand for that matter, that fails to reflectthe wants and needs of modern society willnever become a mainstream success.

Obama is still the president thanks tobeing the choice of an overwhelming marginof women, having (for the most part) notbacked away from issues such as reproduc-tive rights and women's autonomy. Heremained committed to compassionateimmigration policies, was emphaticallyin favour of same-sex marriage and satfirmly on the side of Main Street ratherthan Wall Street.

Crucially, his highly engaged (and highlyvalued) campaign staff never wavered intheir focus on victory.

Nike spearheadsMarketing+ withFuelbandNike started 2012 with the

launch of Fuelband, its 24/7 fitness-monitoring wristband. The band, which ismeant to be worn at all times, measuresevery movement to generate 'Nike Fuel' -a measurement of how much energy is

burned each day. An LEDdisplay tells users how closethey are to their goal byflashing red, yellow orgreen. The launch cemen-ted Nike's ongoing transi-tion toward being atechnology-led brand.

However, it is thestrength of Nike'smarketing strategy, ratherthan any single product,that has secured the brand'sposition as one ofthebrightest stars of marketingin2012.

Stefan Olander, vice-president of digital sport atNike, this year revealed thespine ofthe brand's busi-ness; the creation of an eco-system of products andservices. 'It used to be whenyou bought a product, thatwas the end oftherelationship. It's classicmarketing. "Great, you

bought the product. See you in a year, whenthe next campaign comes along,'" he said.

Now, however, instead of focusing onshort bursts of campaigns or endorsementdeals, the purchase of any Nike productmust be 'the beginning ofthe relationshipwe have with the consumer'. It's the shape ofmarketing in the future. •

Nicola Kemp is head of features af Marketing;you can follow heron Twitter @nickykc

marketingmagazine.co.uk 12 December 2012 Marketing 5

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