The Queen leaving Buckingham Palace |
Her job isn't easy to say the least, but Joanna laid out her simple communications strategy for our group. I never realized the importance in creating a comm strategy until Joanna showed us her plan. With such a large and complex event, she stressed that having a simple plan for how the games are presented to the media is critical. Without a plan, there is no way to ensure that the same message about the games is being broadcasted to all types of media. Mixed messages and conflicting viewpoints could easily be spread throughout the media, creating turmoil surrounding LOCOG's work if there wasn't a comm strategy. I really enjoyed learning about Joanna's organizational plan for handling the media before, during, and after the games. Needless to say, it showed that my communication studies work at U of M will definitely come in handy if I choose to work in the comm field.
The Queen Mum herself! |
And now, for the most regal part of the day! After hearing from Joanna, our group ran to the tube stop and through the gates of Buckingham Palace to try and catch a glimpse of the Queen of England as she made her way from the palace to Parliament to make a speech and open Parliament. We ran through the streets, and made it just in time as the horse guard and royal band played their opening notes for the procession. Two carriages slowly rolled out of the palace gates, with one containing the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, and another containing her crown. We raced to the main mall and were able to catch a glimpse of her and her husband! She looked adorable, and it was difficult for me to grasp the power she has. Besides the fact that she rules over an entire country, can disband a government at any moment, and is wealthy beyond belief, she seemed just like a normal grandmother on a day out :)
The Telegraph |
Olympic decorations at Telegraph |
After lunch at Telegraph, we raced over to Chancery Lane to meet with members of the Octagon, a sport marketing company that helps corporations deliver their Olympic sponsorship campaigns effectively. Octagon also represents various athletes, including Michael Phelps. Octagon presented to us various case studies about their work with corporations, and it was interesting to see the different approaches they've taken to reach audiences and help businesses maximize their sponsorships, such as a zip line at the Vancouver games that promoted British Columbia Tourism. The meeting again showed me the various ways an Olympic sponsorship can be properly executed if a plan is developed. An Olympic sponsor can easily stick the Olympic logo on their products and hope for the best, but utilizing a creative strategy and plan can help a corporation use the Olympic sponsorship in ways they never imagined. A proper plan can turn an Olympic sponsorship into a positive investment that helps improve not only a corporation, but the Olympic Games and consumer experience. All it takes is a plan and proper execution, skills that Octagon seems to have mastered throughout their longstanding partnership with the Olympics.
This blog post may seem all business (besides me chilling with the Queen), but today was an amazing day of seeing many perspectives of the Olympic games. It was interesting to compare LOCOG's media strategy with The Telegraph's content regarding the games and Octagon's marketing campaigns. Jacquelin explained the analytical lens Telegraph uses when writing about the Games, which is the very angle that Joanna and LOCOG work so hard to make sure is positive. Octagon then talked about how they try to promote the Olympic sponsorship corporations through the media, and how LOCOG works to protect the many Olympic sponsors from ambush marketing. We got to view all the parts of the Olympic machine today, and I come away from the meetings in awe of the amount of work going into these games. Each division has worked hard since as early as 2003 on each facet of these Olympic Games. I know the world will see the fruits of their labor in 79 days when the spotlight turns to London as the games begin.
The Queen makes her way through the streets |
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