What the Olympics Can Teach about Humanizing our Company Brand

I knew I had to write this post after I saw a few of the human interest stories that ran during the London Olympics 2012. As much as I love watching other sports like football, basketball and tennis, the governing bodies for those organizations do not captivate us with the athletes’ storylines like the Olympics.

Some of my favorite videos include the following:

• Kirani James, Grenada’s Golden Boy
• Oscar Pistorius exchanges bibs with Kirani James
• Raising an Olympian – Gymnast Gabby Douglas (yeah, I get misty-eyed on this one)
• Ryan Seacrest Gets To Know Danell Leyva
• Inside The Life Of Missy Franklin (gotta include this young lady from Colorado)
• Ryan Seacrest Profiles Michael Phelps – his coach stepped on his goggles…on purpose
• Yahoo Sports: Kayla Harrison wins first U.S. Olympic judo gold (congrats to Kayla!)

These videos help us develop an emotional attachment to the athletes. As a result, we share in their exuberance during their successes – and we feel the pit in our stomach as we wait for their scores after they stumble in a routine. Here is my own vlog that expresses a little natural enthusiasm for the Olympics and the topic of humanizing this brand.

I would love to hear your favorite stories from the London Olympics 2012. I’d also like to hear your stories about who is “doing it right” as it pertains to humanizing a corporate brand. Do you find yourself providing more latitude and “grace” to a brand if you better understand the people and the values behind the brand?