The 2012 Summer Olympics in London are shaping up to be a huge event for everyone who’s involved with it, including affiliates. It’s estimated that games are going to bring in 10 billion pounds worth of revenue to the city of London alone. Remember, that figure does not include the revenue generated elsewhere on things like merchandise and betting.
It may come as surprise to Americans, but legal Olympic betting is big business. Experienced punters and casual bettors across the planet follow the Olympics closely and drop plenty of money in the process. But the Olympics are not a typical sporting event and affiliates hoping to take advantage of them need to move quickly and carefully to prepare themselves for the big games.
Getting Started
The 2012 London Olympics don’t start until July 27, but now is the time for affiliates to start preparing. Affiliates who make a plan and contact their affiliate managers directly about Olympic opportunities will be well situated to take advantage of this summer bonanza.
Remember that the Olympics aren’t necessarily on every bettor’s radar just yet, so the more exposure they have to your bonuses, the better off you’ll be. Getting an early start also gives your affiliate managers time to help you craft a marketing plan that’s compatible with your customer base. But you have to get a head start! This isn’t something that can be done at the last minute.
Uniquely Olympian
A two week sporting event with players from across the planet competing in over 300 is a sports book dream come true. There’s so much diversity in these games that you can practically pick a demographic and start tailoring a marketing plan around them. And when you start throwing in national rivalries, the plan just starts writing itself.
The Olympics are also unusual in that they tend to generate a large amount of prop bets. (Prop bets are side bets made things like statistics, or who will score first?) First time bettors, and experienced gamblers, who aren’t familiar the nuances of obscure sports like water polo and badminton are more comfortable making prop bets than wagering on the final outcome. So be prepared to tailor some content to service the prop bettor. Even basic statistics about some of the less well known sports can go a long ways toward encouraging bettors to bet on a variety of sports. (But be certain to include plenty of gymnastics, track and swimming coverage, too.)
Promoting the Games
Let’s face it, a lot of Internet publishers play fast and loose with copyrighted materials like logos. While this isn’t something you should be doing in the first place, it’s something web masters need to be particularly careful about during the Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is absolutely notorious for chasing down and punishing anyone infringing on their trademarks. In the past they’ve gone after everyone from small town diners to elementary schools for using the Olympic rings and color schemes without permission. If you’re crafting your own graphics and promotions, the IOC Brand and Logo FAQ is a must read.
Sticking with banners and promotions from your affiliate partners is probably the best way of staying ahead of trouble with the IOC.
More Tips
Back during the 2008 CAP poster named Alex offered up some really good tips for affiliates looking to capitalize on the Olympics. One of his bets tips was to find a casino that accepts worldwide players. The Olympic Games are truly a worldwide event with over 4 billion expected to watch the Opening Ceremonies. If your partners aren’t working with a large international audience, you’ll be missing out on some serious revenue potential.
To that we would also add the following tips:
- Keep an eye on rising stars – Have you heard of Missy Franklin? She’s likely to be the next Michael Phelps. Every Olympic cycle features a breakout star and you’d best be ready to cover that athlete as their fame reaches critical mass.
- Understand national preferences – You know most Americans won’t be betting on Cricket, but in former Commonwealth countries it’s big business. Tailoring your Olympic marketing towards specific nationalities is a great way to capitalize on national pride.
- Get started early – The Olympics will be here and gone before you know it, so get as much out of it as you can. Sites that start building excitement ahead of the event will get more out of than publishers who come in late.
Reliable Partners
The best Olympic marketing plan won’t do any good unless you actually get paid. That’s why you have to select your partners carefully. Affiliate advocate groups like CAP and Casinomeister vet out online sportsbooks to find the most reliable partners. Here’s a partial list of some of CAP’s preferred partners, visit our Sportsbook Affiliate Page for a complete listing. Check out sportsbook programs you must know about now!
How are you preparing for the 2012 Olympics? Let us know in our General Discussion Forum