How to avoid the marketing blunders that doomed Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games.

Last Friday was a big day for the city of Chicago.  After millions of dollars and years of efforts, the city lost its bid to host the 2016 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In fact, Chicago was the first of the four final cities to be voted out of the competition.

I watched the city’s efforts with great interest.  As a student of marketing, I felt they made three huge marketing mistakes that cost them the summer Games.

1. Chicago shouldn’t have been trying to host the Olympic Games in the first place.

Their efforts should have been focused some other type of venture.  In short, the city did not target their ideal customer at this time and thus spent millions chasing a prospect with little probability of success.

Don’t let that happen to you.

Think I am wrong?  Despite the fact that the United States hosted the winter games in 2002 and the summer games in 1996, Chicago apparently felt the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) would abandon their stated intention; that being, to spread the Games throughout the world.  Not only were the Games recently in the States, it could be argued that the last two Games here weren’t well received by the Olympic community.  Salt Lake City was plagued by scandal…Atlanta was shadowed by bombings.  These were hardly situations exemplifying the Olympic spirit.

The I.O.C. wanted the games to go elsewhere…Chicago didn’t get the message.

2.  Chicago failed to differentiate itself from others.

Chicago provided no clearly distinct advantage as a host city compared to other alternatives.  Not only did the I.O.C. not want the Games in the U.S., Chicago gave them no compelling reason to do so.

What was Chicago going to provide the I.O.C. that others couldn’t?  The answer was simple.  Nothing.  Compare that with Rio De Janiero, the winning city.  Their argument was clear, simple and unique compared to others.  They pointed out that the Olympic Games had never been to South America.  They put together a compelling bid with a compelling argument that clearly separated Rio De Janiero from other cities.  It’s little surprise they were the winner.

Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Games looked like every other bid presented in the past 30 years (incentives, facilities, promotion, and celebrity endorsements).  Rio De Janiero presented all that PLUS the appeal of holding the Games on a continent that had been neglected.  Game Over.

3.  The marketing message was conflicted.

Despite all the branding and positioning efforts of the Chicago group, they couldn’t overcome polling showing half the city’s population as opposed to hosting the Olympics.

Chicago residents didn’t want to pay the bill, especially in these trying economic times.  Despite the efforts of Mayor Daley and Oprah, and the grandstanding by President Obama (a terrible move that I’ll rant about sometime later), the city couldn’t convince the I.O.C. Chicagoans wanted the Games.

Chicago needed the full force of all its residents behind its bid.  The success of the Games depends upon it.  What Chicago presented to the I.O.C. was the support of the elite, not the support of its citizenry.  Big mistake.

Any business knows the success of any initiative is in direct proportion to the support of its people.  Chicago didn’t have the full backing of its people and it really hurt when evaluating their bid.

As with any endeavor there are lessons we can learn.  Don’t let these fundamental mistakes happen to you.