How we leveraged Olympic momentum to understand fan behaviours, elevate athlete brands and signal future participation trends.
The challenge
When golf returned to the Olympic Games for a third time, the International Golf Federation (IGF) recognised this as more than just another medal event. They saw an opportunity to gain insights into what really drives interest, engagement and participation in the sport.
IGF wanted answers to the following questions:
- who is paying attention globally and why?
- what impact does Olympic exposure have on an athlete’s personal brand?
- could this moment ignite lasting relevance and growth?
Our approach
We built a global insight engine that combined real-time cultural signal tracking with robust market research, including:
- a 30-market survey to capture shifts in perception, participation and intent
- social & search analysis to better understand who was talking, searching and sharing, and what their interests were
- audience mapping to identify untapped but engaged fan groups, particularly in emerging golf regions
- SportOnSocial tools to pinpoint high-impact moments and map athlete visibility spikes
As well as studying engagement, we analysed the reasons behind it and what they mean for the future.
The outcome
- Athlete personal brands expanded into new territories and younger demographics.
- Global search, sharing and participation intent increased, even in non-traditional golf nations.
- Clear feedback loops were found between exposure and relevance which demonstrated how elite performance storytelling drives mainstream interest.
We proved that the Olympic platform is more than a media moment, it’s also a cultural accelerant. For IGF, this wasn’t about validation alone. Instead, it became a roadmap for future investment, activation planning and brand partnerships.
