Winter Olympics viewers are quite receptive to branded messaging on TV, says Experian Marketing Services in a recent release of survey data. Some 56% notice or are engaged with product placements in TV shows, and that includes 12% who see and act quickly regarding branding they’ve seen in a show. In fact, Olympics viewers are 9% more likely to buy from companies that sponsor sporting events. But will they even be able to correctly identify the sponsors of this year’s Games?
In a study conducted in the run-up to the Games, YouGov found that when presented with a list of 25 brands, fully 48% of Americans surveyed said they did not know which were official sponsors. Slightly fewer than one-third correctly identified McDonalds as a sponsor, as did about 3 in 10 with Coca-Cola. But, more than 1 in 5 incorrectly identified Pepsi as a sponsor, double the proportion that correctly pointed to Procter & Gamble.
Those results are reminiscent of a survey undertaken during the Summer Olympics, the results of which suggested that brands associated with images of sports and athleticism are commonly misperceived as being Olympic sponsors.
Of course, the YouGov study was fielded before the Olympics, so presumably awareness of sponsors will increase among those actually watching the Games. (Experian’s study also was not taken among current viewers, but instead defines viewers as adults responding to its Spring 2013 study who said at the time that they “plan to watch the Winter Olympics the next time shown.”)
While those who plan to watch the events are 13% more likely than average to be brand loyal, per Experian’s study, they are 43% less likely to buy products that celebrities use. (For more on the impact (or lack thereof) of celebrities in advertising, see this article.)
Which brands are airing the most effective ads? According to new data from Ace Metrix, Procter & Gamble is the most effective Olympic sponsoring brand as of the halfway point of the Games. P&G is not only airing the most effective ads overall, but can also lay claim to the three most effective ads so far, led by “Mom’s Work :60.”
While P&G is sitting pretty on the podium right now, Chobani and Coke are missing out on the medals, according to Ace Metrix.
About the Data: The YouGov survey was conducted from January 24-27, 2014 among 1,188 adults.