Lazada activates Olympic Games partnership to connect with regional fan base

Alibaba-backed Lazada Group has activated its Olympic Games partnership as part of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) long-term partnership with Alibaba Group. As an official partner in Southeast Asia, Lazada will help Olympic stakeholders further the reach of the Olympic Movement and connect with this region’s fans.As part of its efforts, Lazada has held a series of local engagement initiatives themed “Every Small Inspiration Matters”, starting with internal employee events across the region. The events were organised on 21 and 23 June to commemorate the annual Olympic Day, a property owned by the IOC.In conjunction with the events, the eCommerce company has unveiled its co-branding with the Olympic Games featuring its heart logomark to represent the heartbeat of Southeast Asia. It is part of Lazada Group’s refreshed brand idea “Go Where Your Heart Beats” that captures its evolved brand purpose from an online shopping platform to a lifestyle destination through which people can fulfill their desires.According to a press release, Lazada will continue to leverage the advertising and promotional opportunities connected with using Olympic marks and imagery, including marks from National Olympic Committees.“Lazada seeks to continuously accelerate progress in Southeast Asia and encourage every individual to pursue and ignite new possibilities. We are honoured to be activating Alibaba’s partnership with the IOC under our brand and look forward to bringing more Olympic-related moments to this region over the next nine years,” said Lazada Group CEO Pierre Poignant.The editions leading up to 2028 include the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 and the Olympic Winter Games 2026 in a city yet to be selected by the IOC. Timo Lumme, managing director of IOC Television & Marketing Services said that Lazada’s digital footprint will help to spread the spirit of the Olympic Games in the region, particularly with a younger audience.Lazada Group chief marketing officer Mary Zhou added: “As Southeast Asia’s leading eCommerce platform by scale and by reach, we are capturing and also contributing to the heartbeat of the region. Through this partnership, we hope to further extend the heart of the Olympic Games and its meaningful values to Southeast Asia.”