{"id":23036,"date":"2026-01-20T21:05:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T21:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=23036"},"modified":"2026-01-20T21:05:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T21:05:27","slug":"why-brands-are-hitting-the-slopes-for-the-2026-winter-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=23036","title":{"rendered":"Why brands are hitting the slopes for the 2026 Winter Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Nothing beats the feeling of taking off ski boots after a day on the slopes. But ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Milan and ski resort town Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, some marketers are preparing to be in their mountain gear for a little longer.<\/p>\n

While the Winter Games have fewer sports compared to the summer cycle and tend to draw a smaller audience, there are a number of events, from hockey and figure skating to bobsledding and luge, that get billions of viewers around the world.<\/p>\n

Among the sports catching the eyes of major brand marketers are skiing and snowboarding. There\u2019s an abundance of reasons why, execs told Marketing Brew, from the practical, like the sheer amount of equipment in use and events outside of Olympic years, to the vibey, like off-slope culture and athlete personalities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s definitely that element of style and personality that comes through, and then it\u2019s much easier, as a result, for brands outside of the snow to start thinking about how they might work with [skiers and snowboarders],\u201d said Charlie Wade, chief client officer at VML Live, which has worked with clients on Olympics campaigns. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

Apr\u00e8s-ski<\/h2>\n

In some ways, the ski and snowboard life is available even to those who don\u2019t want to make the trek up the mountain: Base lodges are a great place for people to kick up their feet and enjoy an apr\u00e8s-ski cocktail or hot cocoa. It\u2019s \u201cthe ultimate lifestyle sport,\u201d said Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of US Ski & Snowboard, making it easy for brands to tap into.<\/p>\n

As part of a three-year deal with US Ski & Snowboard, for example, J.Crew recently dropped a collection of clothes that CMO Julia Collier said was designed for everyone on the slopes, from elite athletes to people who engage with snow sports purely for the social component.<\/p>\n

\u201cApr\u00e8s is social by nature and allows us to tell stories that are true to how people actually experience ski culture, both on and off the mountain,\u201d Collier told us in an email.<\/p>\n

Between gear, lift tickets, and, often, travel, the cost of entry for snow sports can be high, as can the level of difficulty. For potential sponsors, that can make them aspirational sports, much like Formula 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a luxury sport, but\u2026these are the brands that are trying to capture that,\u201d said Basia Wojcik, CEO of Green Heart Sports, the agency she started after about 20 years of specializing in Olympic and other global sports sponsorships at TMA.<\/p>\n

For J.Crew, targeting \u201cthe broader ski and snowboard community\u201d is a driving force behind its sponsorship, according to Collier. As a fashion brand, J.Crew is aiming to do that through its product line, but given the amount of gear required for the sports, US Ski & Snowboard has plenty of other real estate to offer, even for brands that can\u2019t create their own merch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say we\u2019ve got more brands on our apparel than we\u2019ve ever had,\u201d Goldschmidt said. US Ski & Snowboard has almost tripled its number of commercial partnerships in the past few years, including brands like Dunkin\u2019 and United Airlines. \u201cI feel like we\u2019re still, to a certain extent, just getting going,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Buckle up<\/h2>\n

To leverage the culture tied to snow sports, US Ski & Snowboard execs encourage brand marketers to think long-term. \u201cWe don\u2019t sign short-term deals,\u201d CMO Guy Slattery said.<\/p>\n

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Marketing Brew informs marketing pros of the latest on brand strategy, social media, and ad tech via our weekday newsletter, virtual events, marketing conferences, and digital guides.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Financial services company Stifel, for instance, has a deal with the org that\u2019s set to last through April 2034, which includes the title sponsorship of the ski team. Val Oswalt, CEO of breakfast- and snack-food brand Kodiak, another official partner, said she sees Kodiak\u2019s deal as a long-tail partnership that will drive brand awareness.<\/p>\n

Long-term deals give brands access to events beyond the Olympics and Paralympics, including this season\u2019s 10 domestic World Cup events, which Goldschmidt said help the sport and its sponsors \u201creally cut through in the US.\u201d Stifel has been leaning into World Cups with hospitality opportunities, broadcast integrations, and title sponsorships in the runup to Milano Cortina, according to Mark Feldstein, president and partner, studios, at Known, Stifel\u2019s strategy and creative agency of record.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have this unique opportunity to really elevate brand recognition and build that emotional connection with people,\u201d Feldstein said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about logo placement; it\u2019s about the storytelling that\u2019s going to drive an emotional connection and a business impact. They\u2019re not just coming in and being at the podium, they\u2019re really invested all the way through the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

All a-board<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no talking about emotional connection in sports without the athletes, and there are plenty of compelling athlete stories in skiing and snowboarding, including star alpine skier Lindsey Vonn\u2019s post-retirement comeback, or a bitter rivalry in slalom skiing. Sponsors, especially ones looking for in-depth storytelling opportunities, have been taking note.<\/p>\n

Team USA Sponsors like Autodesk and Michelob Ultra have multiple skiers and snowboarders on their athlete rosters, while Samsung, a worldwide Olympic and Paralympic partner, has dozens of them on its \u201cTeam Samsung Galaxy.\u201d In addition to individual endorsement deals, Goldschmidt said that about $2.5 million in partnership deals was expected to be funneled directly to athletes in 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many cool stories right now,\u201d Oswalt said, pointing to Vonn as one narrative to watch. \u201cIt\u2019s the values, that grittiness, and that resilience, and it\u2019s so much of who we are as a company, that I don\u2019t care if they win\u2026Obviously, we want America to win, [but] I think so much of it is the journey. You have that one moment, but they\u2019ve been working years to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a lot of winter sports, athletes\u2019 own audiences and personas are especially important, since their sports don\u2019t always give sponsors \u201cimmediate reach,\u201d Wade said. But the people who do follow mountain sports, he added, tend to be highly engaged.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Winter Olympics, as a result, offers a very different opportunity, and that\u2019s how a brand should think about it,\u201d Wade said. \u201cThey should be thinking, \u2018Who\u2019s my audience? Who do I want to hit? Are they fit for the Winter Olympics?\u2019 If so, then it could be great property because of that concentration, because people who are into it are really into it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nothing beats the feeling of taking off ski boots after a day on the slopes. But ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Milan and ski resort town Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, some marketers are preparing to be in their mountain gear for a little longer. While the Winter Games have fewer sports compared to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23037,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-23036","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-marketing"},"yoast_head":"\nWhy brands are hitting the slopes for the 2026 Winter Games | Brandiary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nothing beats the feeling of taking off ski boots after a day on the slopes. 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