Anyone else notice how little of the Olympics is covered by the main NBC channel in prime time? How Shaun White dominated 3 days of coverage–before, during and after his victory? How glamour shots of the women's snowboarders got more airtime than the actual event?
If you watch the Olympics–you see what broadcasters think Americans value:
1. heroes
2. beauty
3. youth
4. underdogs
5. Americans
What isn't covered as much is what formed the basis of the first Olympics–a competition, with strong religious overtones, to see which nation states had the strongest, fastest, most agile citizen athletes.
Today's athletes are often professionals, who manage their images as carefully as their practice regimen–in hopes of longer careers in sports and entertainment.
As a marketer, I am impressed with the sophisticated machine that is the Olympics. As a spectator, I wish there was more grit and less glitz.
