The BBC controlled the coverage of the Olympics games in Rio this year, but how did the internet respond? Firstly, there were a lot of copyright rules to protect with Twitter taking down any form of Olympics coverage within minutes of it being posted. In true social media fashion, this created a backlash on how quickly Twitter responded when they were at risk of being sued compared to how long it has taken them to deal with the racist and sexist bullying that has gone on of late.
Additionally, there were numerous articles covering the odd, and sometimes sexist, choice of commentary on female Olympic athletes. Chat show host Ellen DeGeneres landed herself in hot water after tweeting a photoshopped picture of her and Usain Bolt that subsequently sparked racism claims.
However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom online considering many people used it as a forum to congratulate the athletes for all their hard work and really celebrate the results of their dedication. Team GB had surpassed their medal count from London 2012 and it was online that people found the environment to gloat, boast and be proud of Team GB’s successes.
All Response Media Viewpoint
As with any TV campaign, content or ad based, social media has become part and parcel of our everyday lives so it is so important that any advertiser appreciates and includes this as part of their campaign planning. Therefore, it is important to remember, even if you are not present on social media, it doesn’t mean your audience isn’t.