An Analysis of the Olympic Audience: Authentic Globality or Social Bubble?

The Olympics, an event celebrated every four years as the pinnacle of unity and brotherhood among nations, are they really as global as we are told? Or are we facing yet another media narrative crafted to support an ideal of globality that exists only in the fantasies of those who want us to believe that the world is a global village? To answer these questions, a recent analysis conducted by Odience on the Olympic audience provides valuable insights, examining over 45 million active users on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.

Odience is an advanced Consumer Intelligence platform that leverages generative artificial intelligence and a system of Digital Twins to analyze online conversations. This innovative approach allows for the collection and interpretation of large volumes of data in a representative and actionable manner, providing deep insights into the behaviors and preferences of global audiences.

The research confirms the global reach of the Olympics, but with caveats that cannot be ignored. It is interesting to note how access to social media is far from uniform. Are those who have access to these tools truly representative of the entire global population? Clearly not. The most popular platforms, like TikTok and Instagram, are primarily used by young people (Chart 1) and in more urbanized regions (Chart 2), while YouTube and Twitter boast a more heterogeneous audience, still filtered by significant socio-economic factors.

From the research conducted through Odience, it emerges that the United States, India, and Brazil dominate the scene in terms of participation. So far, nothing surprising, except that this participation is deeply tied to issues of access to technology and digital infrastructure rather than genuine global interest in sports. In other words, the Olympics are global only for those who can afford to join the digital celebration. What about the demographic distribution? The most engaged age group is between 18 and 24, which, not coincidentally, is most exposed to the bombardment of content on TikTok and Instagram. But who are these young people? Are they truly representative of a diverse global population, or are they merely a reflection of a digital world that mirrors and amplifies existing inequalities?

From an ethnic perspective, the majority of users are of Caucasian origin (Chart 3), followed by Hispanic and Asian users. Linguistic diversity is equally limited, with English predominating, followed by Spanish and Portuguese (Chart 4). This demonstrates how the globality of the Olympics is partial and strongly influenced by linguistic and cultural barriers.

Here we arrive at the crucial point: what does all this mean for brands and marketing? The results of the analysis serve as a true guide for those looking to leverage the Olympics as a stage for their advertising campaigns. But the question we must ask ourselves is: is it right to continue talking about globality and inclusivity when, in fact, these campaigns reach only a portion of the world, namely the connected, young, and predominantly Caucasian population?

In the end, are the Olympics truly global? The answer is more complex than we are led to believe. They are global for those with access, for those who can afford to be part of it. But for many others, they remain a distant event, yet another celebration of a world view that exists only in the minds of those looking beyond the screens of their phones or computers. So, if we want to speak of the Olympics as a global event, let’s do so with the understanding that globality does not necessarily mean inclusivity. Perhaps this is the greatest lesson we can draw from this analysis.

Learn more about how Odience can support companies in understanding global audiences and improving their marketing strategies. With the power of artificial intelligence and an innovative approach to data analysis, Odience is the ideal partner for tackling the challenges of modern marketing in an increasingly connected and digital world.