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AMBUSH MARKETING As one of the world’s most recognisable symbols, the Olympic rings are an invaluable asset for the Olympic Movement, with the IOC able to offer its marketing partners an exclusive association with the Olympic brand in return for their support.Any attempt to use the Olympic symbol without permission therefore reduces the value and integrityof the brand and directly impacts the Olympic marketing programmes, diminishing their ability to generate revenue that is redistributed by the IOC to support athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.In order to protect the value of the brand and honour the exclusive partnerships on which the Olympic Movement’s commercial programmes are based, the IOC works with Organising Committees and National Olympic Committees to take action against any unauthorised use of the Olympic symbol and issues clear guidelines to ensure that its integrity is maintained every time it is used.RIO 2016 BRAND PROTECTION PROGRAMME In order to support marketing activities and stop any unauthorised association with the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and/or the official brands, the Rio 2016 Organising Committee implemented an extensive brand protection programme, involving the following measures:Education and Engagement Rio 2016 developed a series of practical and operational brand protection guides designed to educate all stakeholders regarding the brand protection rules. It also held various training courses and workshops for different target audiences, and maintained a relationship and service channel to answer people’s queries. 136 PROTECTING THE OLYMPIC BRAND