The Rio Paralympics are just past their halfway point, and BMW of North America (@BMWUSA) Digital Innovations Manager Peter Harmata said the company's role as a USOC sponsor "wasn’t just about an athlete in a commercial, but about actually investing in improving athlete performance." He added, "BMW’s involvement in the Olympics and Paralympics was primarily focused on technology transfer and leveraging our expertise in technology, design and engineering to support Team USA and help them on their quest to win gold." This included BMW designing, engineering and building a Paralympic racing wheelchair which is being used in Rio. Harmata said, "We’ve also created a motion-tracking system that is helping Team USA swimmers maximize the power and efficiency of the dolphin kick to give our swimmers an edge." To promote its efforts in Rio, the automaker is launching a Snapchat account and sponsoring a Live Story on Thursday to show fans how
SOCIAL SNAPSHOT Must-follow: Paralympic medalist Tatyana McFadden. She shares her high-spirited energy for life and passion for racing. Favorite app: The most intriguing app right now for us is Snapchat. It offers a different, less demanding way to tell a story than on other platforms. Average time per day on social media: Conservatively I spend 2-3 hours per day on social media platforms and probably check in 14+ times per day.
the worlds of athletes and cars intersect.
BMW’s social media philosophy:
BMW has a passionate group of hardcore fans that have made it one of the most popular brands on social media. BMW’s philosophy with social media is about creating “ultimate content” that delivers on the passion of our fans for the brand, but ultimately that tells stories that the audience is drawn to.
Timing of Snapchat launch:
BMW will be sponsoring a Live Story of the Paralympics on Thursday. Though this year has seen more attention than ever for the Paralympics, they still do not get the same kind of airtime and exposure as the Olympic Games. By sponsoring the Live Story on Snapchat, we’re able to give the public a real glimpse into the world of the Paralympics and celebrate the Games and the accomplishments of the athletes.
Difference in BMW’s target audience during Games and after:
The incredible stories around the Olympics and the Paralympics allow BMW to tell another side of the brand’s story and reach a new audience, outside of just BMW fans alone. This includes fans of the Games, the athletes and technology.
Social media difference during Rio Games:
BMW USA content often focuses on the vehicles themselves -- aesthetics, performance and innovation. During the Games, BMW was able to tell a different story, not focused on cars, but on technology, engineering and innovation in sport. And BMW was able to shine a light on the incredible athletes we were working with to tell their story and highlight the Olympics and Paralympics in a way that not many brands are doing.
If you know anyone who should be featured for their use of social media, send their name to us at jperez@sportsbusinessdaily.com.
