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John Furlong
Vancouver Olympic CEO John Furlong Revisits the Games Visionary who captivated Canada’s hearts and minds for 17 days returns for Olympic anniversary as Marketer of the Year
by John T. Connell
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Marketing 2.0
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February 2011
Marketing 2.0
John Furlong, CEO, Vancouver Olympics
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John Furlong Re
John Furlong, successful Winte that the organizi top position. Turns out, not One-year after about those unfo is forever change “On the eve of Games showing came out and sat went and watche At the intervie eight competing great of a city Va Olympic Games, “I told the org the Olympic Gam Olympic spirit to win the Games,”
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the President, CEO and vision behind the most er Olympic Games ever staged, didn’t believe in his heart ing committee saw him as a serious candidate for the
t many believed his vision was realistic. r the Vancouver Olympics, Canadians are still talking orgettable 17 days last February. Many believe, Canada ed, for the better. f the interview, there was a movie about the Nagano at Science World in Vancouver,” says Furlong. “I saw it, t in my car. I didn’t feel what the higher calling was, so I ed it again.” ew, John Furlong expressed how ferociously tough the countries would be in the bidding process. Touting how ancouver is and how great Canada is wouldn’t win the he opined. ganizing committee at the interview, ‘if we don’t make mes about people and use this opportunity to take the o the front door of every home in Canada, we will not ” expressed Furlong. February 2011
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“There were many people who wanted the Games to be about Vancouver. The decision to make the Games about Canada changed everything. I know a lot of people thought we would have to pull in our expectations. The Games can go far, but only so far, people said. Wrong. They can and did go that far.” Not long after Sidney Crosby capped the Vancouver Olympic Games with a game-winning overtime goal to give Team Canada Men’s Hockey Gold, Prime Minister Stephen Harper summed up the magnitude of Furlong’s vision: “The Games have elevated Canada on the Visit us online at www.businessreviewcanada.ca
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The decision to make the games about canada changed everything John furlong, ceo, vancouver olympics
world stage. Mark my words, some day historians will look back at Canada’s growing strength in the 21st century and they will say that it all began right here, on the West Coast, with the best Winter Olympic Games the world has ever seen.” Marketing to Emotions
John Furlong tapped into the powerful emotion that national pride stirs up. He did it so flawlessly that he was named Canada’s Marketer of the Year by the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA). “John Furlong’s remarkable ten-year journey February 2011
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John Furlong ‘showcased Canada to the world’
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building, promoting and executing the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games changed our nation, galvanized Canadians from coast to coast and showcased Canada to the world. As such, it will serve as a successful marketing model for many years to come,” said CMA President and Chief Executive Officer John Gustavson. Galvanizing Canadians nationwide behind by an event located in Vancouver required scrapping the old Olympic marketing model. Instead of selling two weeks of sport exposure, Furlong sold two weeks of participation in making Canada better. “That was the secret. That is Vancouver’s story,” says Furlong. “We had every province and territory as an investing partner in Vancouver 2010. Newfoundland invested in Vancouver. They had artists, athletes and a house in Vancouver. They were involved in every aspect of the staging of the Games. Newfoundland is 1,500 km closer to London than Vancouver. The country wanted to do something together.” February 2011
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Ultimately, John Furlong raised a record $760 million with 90 per cent of Games’ revenue coming from the private sector. At the height of the global economic recession, John Furlong appealed to the Canadian identity. Vancouver Olympics One-Year Later
John Furlong will be in Vancouver for the Games Anniversary Weekend, February 11-13. He will promote his new book, Patriot Hearts, a behindthe-scenes look at the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and also deliver a few keynote speeches. “I am going to remind everybody what really took place—how hard it was, the lessons, what we had to do,” explains Furlong. “When we hold hands and stick together, the country shines. I am going to urge people to recognize this and repeat it. Our champion nation that was on display, that confidence we showed, is a Visit us online at www.businessreviewcanada.ca
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powerful thing. It’s not just for sport. It’s for business. It’s in everything. We need to continue to strive for excellence.” brca
Furlong raised $760 million to fund Vancouver Olympics’ development February 2011