It’s the summer of sport, and with the Paralympics coming up in a few weeks, we wanted to highlight the importance of talking about the competition on social media and how it’s a great starting point for any brands out there wanting to start their inclusion journey.
At Purple Goat, we bring you insights into all things disability and marketing. We recently hosted a free webinar on how engaging with the Paralympics can benefit your brand, but if you missed it, we will explore some interesting topics in this post. Why social media is so important in shifting perspectives and five ways to refine your Paralympic social media strategy. We will also take a look at examples of how brands are using social media to promote their involvement in the Paralympics.
Are you ready?!
Why is Social Media so Important in Promoting the Paralympics?
Social media is important because it can create a ripple effect on people’s perspectives. One short piece of content has the potential to go viral and influence billions of people’s perceptions all around the world. In 2012, the ‘Meet the Superhumans’ campaign made its first appearance on Channel 4 screens to promote the London Paralympics. Whilst this was a TV advertisement rather than a social media post – this one piece of content influenced billions of people all over the UK. In fact, this created a ripple effect of campaigns, including the 2016 ‘We’re the Superhumans’ advert, which led to 74% of people saying that they felt more comfortable discussing disability after viewing this content.
This shows how a message can ripple out and influence a wider audience and over time, shift mass social perceptions. However, the ‘superhuman’ narrative is something that we should leave in the past, and even Channel 4 is shifting to a more authentic representation of the Disabled community and para-athletes for the 2024 Summer Games.
But when it comes to social media, we can see the same power and potential. The Paralympics happen every four years, and it’s the perfect opportunity for brands to engage with the Disabled community and create a social media strategy that is both authentic and exciting. It simply needs to be carefully crafted and curated to create maximum impact and shift people’s perspectives. Social media has the power to promote the Paralympics in new, surprising ways and offer people new insights into the Disabled community. It also offers the opportunity to connect athletes and global audiences, educate people and encourage more conversations about disability.
How Brands Are Using Social Media To Promote Their Paralympics Involvement
Brands are using social media to promote their business in three ways: showing their support for Paralympians, aligning and tapping into the Paralympic values and using influencers to build a sense of community and increase engagement. Here are some examples of recent Paralympic marketing campaigns.
Toyota – Start Your Impossible
Toyota has partnered with the International Paralympic Committee to celebrate and support people to push beyond their impossible. The #Start Your Impossible campaign documents the lives of four athletes on their journey to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. ‘Start Your Impossible’ has also been used as a hashtag on social media and is now widely being used by others on platforms such as Instagram, all around the world.
British Gas
British Gas partnered with three influential Paralympians to create an advertising campaign titled ‘Perform Better with Half Price Electricity.’ They have then used the phrase ‘The new home of @Team GB & @ParalympicsGB_official 🎖’ in their Instagram bio, and their website shares more information about how they are going to support and inspire future athletes by taking them to the 2024 Paris Games. This gives them a sense of authority and shows consumers that their values align with the Paralympics. Plus, they have created social media posts that show their support for Paralympians.
Virgin Media
Purple Goat worked with Virgin Media on the Tokyo Paralympics to use the power of influencers to promote the Games. We worked with a diverse mix of 16 influencers with a range of disabilities and produced 42 pieces of engaging content across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Overall, the content received 4,760,804 engagements! The paid campaign content was published across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, complementing Virgin Media’s organic content and targeting both paralympic-related and Disabled audiences.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
It can be challenging to portray Paralympic athletes in a way that respects their achievements without falling into the trap of the Paralympic Paradox. This paradox highlights the tension created by representing Paralympians as ‘impaired athletes’ rather than on the sport and their ability. Therefore, when leveraging the Paralympics to elevate your brand, it is important to consider the following ethical factors:
DO…
- Think about diversity, including gender, race, and the range of disabilities.
- Encourage media and promotional content that empowers athletes and amplifies their voices.
- Promote Paralympians with the same enthusiasm, coverage, and resources as the Olympics.
DON’T…
- Portray media that evokes pity/sensationalises disability.
- Use narratives that frame athletes solely in terms of overcoming adversity.
- Exaggerate paralympians’ abilities or challenges.
Concluding Thoughts – Paralympics Social Media
Social media campaigns for the Paralympics have the potential to shift social perspectives, build community and connections, and inspire audiences. By connecting with the Paralympics’ core values, you can leverage your marketing efforts and achieve success. You can also use the Paralympic schedule to create an inspiring content calendar and create accessible posts.
If you would like to up-level your Paralympic marketing efforts, check out our Influencer Marketing Services. We work alongside a wide range of disability influencers to create authentic narratives around disability whilst driving data-driven, proven results!
