From Yuri Gagarin to Sochi 2014
Sticking to the theme of my last post about nation branding, I wanted to talk about a specific example. The Olympics have always been a symbol of renewal, peace and international collaboration and for many countries and cities, hosting has turned into a means of rediscovering themselves, pumping up their economy and essentially, redefining their brand. I was recently browsing the Sochi 2014 brand site via the Interbrand company site and they are all about branding not only the event itself, but the “Russia of the future.” And frankly, it’s pretty cool…
As someone who comes from the former Soviet Union, I have heard a thing or two about Sochi. And they haven’t been great. Some of my parents’ friends laughed when they heard the Olympics would be there. While Stalin may have had a summer resort there and it has seen a significant increase in investment lately, it wasn’t considered by any of these former USSR citizens as anything hip. Luckily, branding can change all that.
In addition, since the Soviet Union brand dissolved, the country was left with an empty place in its stead. A nation that had branded itself with hundreds of medal winning athletes, superior technology and the first man in space, lost its way and identity. The Soviet Union used to dominate the sports of gymnastics, track and field, wresting, fencing, chess, cross-country skiing, speed skating, figure skating, tennis, ice hockey, and much more, but since the collapse of the Soviet Union, they have only retained about a fourth of that dominance. At the same time, the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow was boycotted by the United States and 64 other countries in a time when the world was divided amongst two world leaders and ideas. In this vein, this Olympics is definitely a chance to re-brand the nation, it’s identity in the world and in the Olympic sphere. If you think about it, it’s technically the first time the Russian Federation is hosting the Olympic Games…since they weren’t really the same nation in the 80s.
First of all, as the Interbrand website notes, Sochi.ru 2014 is “the first ever Olympic Games emblem that forms a web address.” The emphasis on the future is already evident here. They are branding this as a new era in Olympic Games, complete with live steaming, PDAs, mobile browsing, and television. They are introducing a new generation of athletes and viewers to the Black Sea bordering city of Sochi and to the forward thinking brand of the Russian nation. “The ‘.ru’ component is Russia’s web-domain address and signifies that Sochi 2014 is an Olympic Winter Games hosted by a whole nation,” they note.
The next emphasis on the future is through the tagline of the Sochi 2014 games: “Gateway to the Future.” The Russian nation, through these words, promises “the most innovative and inspiration Olympic Winter Games ever staged.” That’s a pretty bold statement to make, but their focus on this brand effort is proof of their dedication to this idea.
“It is the gateway for the world to discover Russia’s passion, innovation and excellence through hosting the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. It is about doing everything possible to inspire youth worldwide through Olympic sport to enjoy healthier, more active lives,” says Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of Sochi 2014.
I believe that this is an incredible opportunity for the nation to re-discover its identity in the world, just like it is for any nation hosting the Olympics. By branding themselves as a nation with a long past and a bright future, they are taking full advantage of this opportunity. As I noted in my previous post, nation branding requires a combination of political and marketing strategies. The Sochi brand certainly doesn’t forget that. In their brand site, they write “If every Russian embraces change by first looking at how to better themselves, the Olympic Games can become the catalyst for positive change in our cities and the inspiration for our people. We can improve attitudes in Russia towards people living with perceived disabilities; we need healthier children and new, modern infrastructure; and we need the positive change that the Games can bring forward.” These words show just how clearly they understand the need for this opportunity. They basically echo the eternal words of Michael Jackson, “If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change.”
In reality, however, they echo Yuri Gagarin’s exclamation when he became the first man in space “
” (Poehali/Let’s go!)
Take a look at the Sochi 2014 brand video…
What do you think of the Sochi 2014 brand?
Tags: 1980, black sea, brand, chess, cross-country skiing, Dmitry Chernyshenko, fencing, figure skating, gateway to the future, gymnastics, ice hockey, interbrand, marketing, Michael Jackson, Moscow, nation branding, Olympics, Poehali, politics, resort, Russia, Sochi, sochi 2014, sochi.ru, soviet union, speed skating, stalin, tennis, track and field, ussr, winter games, wresting, Yuri Gagarin