Olympic Athletes Archetype

External environment

Current events

Olympic athletes inspire the masses with their stories of triumph over adversity. They are viewed as regular people with an Olympic dream. But most Olympic athletes are only able to attract attention to themselves and their accomplishments once every four years when the Games take place. That is why they should use social media to build and work a fan base. The media’s intense focus on the Olympic Games makes it all the more important that athletes work before the games to prepare themselves for the spotlight, and to attract media coverage despite the presence of many other athletes with compelling stories. Recommendation: Use client’s existing social media presence to engage with kayaking fans by posting

Competitors are perceived to achieve their winning status through their hard work and talent rather than through privilege. Insight: Client personifies this key Olympics archetype. Recommendation: Client can highlight her travels to training camps and competitions in the family van with her mother and two dogs through videos and blog posts with accompanying photos. Client can also draw attention to her dedication to the sport as a very young child.

Publicity

Athletes get a considerable amount of publicity from sports journalists who cover their particular sport and the industry in general. In recent years, social media has played an important role in connecting journalists with athlete stories. In a 2013 study of 77 American sports journalists’ use of social media, 62 of the participants said that they have discovered breaking news stories and gained story ideas on social media. Forty-seven participants said they have directly quoted an athlete from their Facebook page and/or their Twitter feed. Recommendation: Client can engage with sports journalists on Twitter who cover paddlesports and the Olympics by following them, answering their inquiries or commenting on their tweets, and sharing their articles or retweeting