The Olympics: It’s More Than Just Tennis

The Olympic torch has been lit in a quaint mock-traditional ceremony in Greece, marking the start of the final countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games. The torch will now travel to Britain to begin its tour around our cities, towns and villages. Finally, the Games are almost upon us, after what seems like an endless build up that has already seen many people jaded about the whole event. Although I can sympathise with that feeling, I am still quite excited about the Games. That is despite not having been lucky in the lottery to buy tickets. Like most people, I will have to content myself with an armchair view of proceedings. Knowing that it is all going on just a few miles from my home will make events a little unreal, but I will be cheering on Team GB, enjoying the national fervour, and probably complaining about the inevitable traffic chaos across London.

Team GB has been built over recent Games, becoming the strong brand it is today. It represents a group of individual athletes coming together as one team, benefiting from the support and encouragement that comes with such unity, and providing a focus for British sports fans to get behind. This is especially important during an event such as the Olympic Games, with so many individual competitions as well as team sports. It gives spectators a reason to care, when often they do not even recognise the names of athletes competing in their country’s colours. The brand has provided a tangible concept to support. Like Serbs, Brits can appreciate an excuse to get the flags out.

It is a shame that Team Serbia is not yet as strong as it should deserve to be. Serbia is a land of sporting prowess with numerous international titles to its name, and when in Serbia, I see the familiar red, white and blue in many places and forms. Serbs are fanatical about their football, water polo and basketball teams, far exceeding many other countries in their level of support. Serbia also parades its national pride when stars such as Novak Djoković perform well on the international stage and bring home the trophies. But the Serbian Olympic Team does not seem to generate such backing, with the nation’s favourites retaining most support.

In recent days, we saw a prime example of a leader in his field staking claim to the title of Serbia’s greatest athlete, as tennis wunderkind Novak Djoković unveiled his fancy new personal identity. Like the launch of high-end consumer tech, we were treated to a slick video showcasing the new look. There is not anything revolutionary in a logo that combines initials in a stylised font, but it is clean and well executed. It will serve its purpose well.

Djoković is not doing anything new or especially innovative in this sense. There is a great deal of money in major sport and the World’s premier athletes have long capitalised on their opportunities by boosting the value in their personal brand. Like football teams before them, these top-tier athletes know that, to maintain the big-ticket interest of Adidas, Nike, Pepsi and the like, and to ensure that fans continue to shell out on premium priced merchandise, they need to cultivate a glossy image. Branded sports stars earn more, it is as simple as that. Merchandising income goes through the roof and a few noughts can be added to their sponsorship fees.

The timing of this rebrand is interesting. Rather than riding the wave of his Wimbledon win, when his currency was at an all-time high, Djoković chose the final weeks of the Olympic run-up. Athletes in Team Serbia will be concentrating on their readiness to perform in London, but Djoković threatens to overshadow any team building with attention focussed on his own new branding. This is not too surprising, of course. Djoković is a solo sportsman, not a team player. He will not even be staying in the Olympic Village alongside his team mates in London, preferring a rented home near Wimbledon.

The Olympic Games brings together teams and individual athletes to compete under their nation’s flag. The best performing countries manage to maintain a strong team unity, working together for their country. The strength of Team Serbia is so important to the country’s success at the Games. The people need to support their team, show their pride for its performance in London, and respect its achievements when the team returns home. Hopefully, of course, bringing home some medals.

 

Marcus Agar has been commissioned by Wannabe Magazine to write a series of observations. Click to read in Serbian to read (translated by Ranko Trifković) or for an interview in English or Serbian.

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