The battle grounds are not limited to the stadiums, what matters most to brands are the competitions off the field. It has been an unusual start for the marketing campaigns of brands that pivot towards the Olympics, as most were forced to postpone or make major changes due the influence of the pandemic. Even so, sponsors or not, brands still managed to deliver exceptional results. As marketers watch and learn from this unprecedented event, we can also use this opportunity as a means of better preparing for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics. 

奥运会的战场并不局限在体育场内，对品牌来说，赛场外的角逐也同样激烈。由于疫情的影响，许多品牌针对奥运的营销计划不得不推迟或作出重大改变。尽管如此，许多赞助商和非赞助品牌仍交出了满意的答卷，作为营销人，我们也能从中得到经验，为冬奥会的营销做足准备。

Most likely, the 2022 Winter Olympics will still take place, albeit under the shadow of COVID-19 which is unfortunately still prevalent internationally. Brands will need to partially adopt the marketing approach of the Tokyo Olympics, while thinking globally and locally about their strategies, and most importantly, taking advantage of the digital era we are living in.  We must admit that the age of easy flyers and hard-sell advertisements is long gone and has been difficult to attract the attention of modern consumers. Brands should choose interactive marketing channels with a sense of connection based on their product positioning. For example, social media matrix marketing is a key way in order to engage with millions of fans and viewers.

北京冬奥会仍有可能会在疫情的阴影下举办。品牌方需在某种程度上延续东京奥运会的营销方式，同时站在全球和地域视角企划营销方案，并利用好这个数字时代的特性。必须承认的是，单纯采用硬广、贴片广告等传统营销方式，已经很难吸引当代消费者的注意了。品牌需要根据自身的产品定位，选择有互动性、代入感的互动营销方式，如社交媒体矩阵就是个很关键地与观赛者或潜在消费者互动的途径。

In the case of the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, trending topics such as “pandemic”, “post-pandemic era”, “together and united”, “5G”, “sustainability” may be intensively discussed on social media platforms. Ponderously attaching the brand to the Olympic culture is far from enough, brands should further study Olympic spirits and even take advantage of trending topics to resonate with the audience.

拿北京冬奥会来说，北京冬奥会期间，疫情、后疫情时代、团结、5G、环保等话题很可能在网络上再掀一股热议。品牌除了硬邦邦将自身品牌和奥运会相关运动或者某种文化结合，还需要从奥运真正提倡的精神层面入手，甚至借势热点时事，与观众产生情感共鸣，将营销活动、品牌和消费者达成契合，融入消费者内心。

To the extent of its wide audience coverage and global influence, the Olympic Games is an excellent communication point for brands. By participating in the feast of marketing opportunities, brands can take this chance to quickly build brand awareness, as well as strengthen consumers’ favorable impressions towards them. Olympic marketing is no longer a privilege of event sponsors as digital platforms continue to develop. As long as the brand stays agile with its marketing channels and approaches, and closely related their brand concept to Olympic spirits, it can build a connection and succeed for a much longer term than the Olympics’ timeframe. 

奥运广泛的受众覆盖以及全球影响力，对于品牌来说是一个绝佳的传播点，不但能快速建立品牌知名度与影响力，还能加深消费者对品牌的好感与认知度。奥运营销不只是奥运赞助商的专利，只要方法得当，精神契合，并紧紧围绕品牌自身的文化价值要素，就可以实现加深消费者印象，品牌传播的目的。