Jacquie Ryan

A Better Canada Through Sport: In Partnership With Jacquie Ryan

The countdown is on with just six months to go until the Tokyo 2020… er… 2021 Olympic Games begin!  At this point, all systems are ‘go.’  The infrastructure and venues are built, training underway and many sport test events completed.  As you’ll recall, Team Canada was ready to go at the start of 2020.  Yet, they courageously led the world with a call for postponement based on health and safety concerns. Where does that leave athletes, sports fans and partners now?

Even with lockdowns growing around the world to manage the second wave of COVID, athletes have been training as much as possible. 

It’s certainly going to be a different road to the Games but athletes are taking it in stride.  They’re used to overcoming adversity and being champions in the end. 

This time is no different in that sense.  We wish them our best as we celebrate our shared passion for sport, for peaceful competition and for our country.  

As we examine the role of partners for Team Canada, In Partnership With reached out to those who are responsible for creating the conditions required for athletic success.  Namely, this involves significant levels of funding for training, coaching, equipment, travel and competitive costs.  As the Chief Brand and Commercial Officer at Canadian Olympic Committee, Jacquie Ryan leads these efforts and works with some incredibly passionate and loyal partners. 

Sport Partnerships as a Business Strategy

We know that sponsorships and partnerships are some of the most ROI-positive marketing initiatives a brand can deliver.  Between brand affinity increases and likelihood to purchase partner brands / services / goods, these partnerships are a wise investment.  They leverage the goodwill and passionate fan base of the property and allow the brand to enjoy the ‘halo’ benefits of alignment.  In this case, it’s all about sharing the glow of Team Canada which is often ranked as the top property in the country. Fortunately, Jacquie shares that Team Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have such dedicated partners.  And these partners are ready to make an impact as the lead-up to Tokyo intensifies.

Successful partnerships are anchored in shared values and goals.  It’s their North Star. 

Ideally, Jacquie continues, together with the Canadian Olympic Committee, partners drive impact and change within the country.  That’s the meaningful position that the organization believes in.  It’s all about leading with purpose to deepen impact.  

The core purpose of Team Canada is to transform Canada through the power of sport. 

This mission allows the organization to focus its efforts on making it a reality across the country.

Purpose Drives Impact for Team Canada

Increasingly, Jacquie notes, people and businesses want to engage with purpose-led organizations.  Put another way, those that are doing good and making positive change. 

Fortunately, Team Canada has been passion-driven and purpose-led from the outset. In the context of partnerships, that’s an authentic differentiator.  Team Canada is a valuable platform to leverage, whether it’s supporting athletes or inspiring broader communities.  Jacquie is clear:  such an approach for the organization is essential as the organization’s impact is largely funded by partners. 

70% of the Canadian Olympic Committee’s revenue goes right back into the sport system.  

This includes a broad athlete community with direct-to-athlete contributions, national sporting organizations and community sport to a degree.  The wider sports system benefits as a result of the funding alignment that such partnership creates.  Of course, Jacquie’s team works hard to ensure they’re delivering value back for its partners. 

The Partnership Value Cycle During COVID

Jacquie shares that it’s all about driving meaningful impact for the broader sport system, its stakeholders and partners.  As a result, the value cycle is really quite simple.  Partners invest in Team Canada and its brand.  This drives financial capabilities and long term sustainability for Team Canada.  This then allows the organization to achieve its purpose.

Team Canada has always supported healthy communities by transforming them through the power of sport.  This has become even more important today.  

And, as we’ve seen in 2020, that goes beyond the typical confines of the field of play for sports.

You can hear the pride in Jacquie’s voice as she speaks about the Team Canada response to COVID.  The Canadian Olympic Committee’s focus for Canadians and for community members is to work together and align to the guidelines provided locally by health authorities.  Some of us can can do better for our frontline workers and vulnerable populations as we experience this second wave.  

We Are All Team Canada

Recall from last year when you probably saw a new campaign from Team Canada.  The campaign was “We’re All Team Canada” and it clearly resonated.  The focus was that the Canadian Olympic Committee strongly believed we should all be playing for each other.  

During COVID, we are all on the same team.  We are all Team Canada.  

This is the needed mindset, stresses Jacquie, and it was further celebrated by RBC: 

Jacquie notes that initiatives start with health and safety as the number one priority.  It is the litmus test for any decision.  Given the learnings of the sport community overall and seeing how sport can continue and thrive in these constrained COVID environments, the Canadian Olympic Committee is optimistic for Tokyo this summer. 

The Canadian Olympic Committee is going to continue to monitor the situation and make sure that all of its efforts are pointing towards health and safety.  This includes making sure the athletes have what they need through their final training push on the road to the Games. 

The reason the Canadian Olympic Committee has an optimistic outlook for Tokyo is because the Games can bring together a global community.  It can be a time to celebrate and provide a message of hope on a global scale. 

This message is embraced by the organization’s top partners and gives new inspiration and energy for Team Canada.

Sport Brand Activations by Premier National Partners

Jacquie acknowledges that the Canadian Olympic Committee is fortunate that its partnerships continue to be long term in nature.  So in addition to thinking about Tokyo this year, Team Canada partners have been aligned in many cases for a very, very long time. Here, Jacquie shares the latest plans plus some context around these partnerships:

RBC

RBC has been a sponsor of the Canadian Olympic Movement since 1947.  This makes them the longest-standing corporate partner of any Olympic movement in the world and in Canada.  In 1947, RBC was instrumental in helping get the Canadian Team to the Games and they’ve been with Team Canada ever since.  RBC’s focus is also about being purpose and impact-driven and together have built RBC Training Ground.  This program is a nationwide talent identification program dedicated to finding and funding Canada’s future Olympians.  

RBC believes high performance sports should be accessible to all athletes aged 14 to 25 who are talented and have the will to compete.  

Again, this generates meaningful impact for this next generation of Olympic athletes.  There’s been 8,500 athletes at more than 100 events across the country.  RBC has also provided more than $1.7 million to 117 RBC Future Olympians so it’s very impactful program they’re proud of – and they should be.  It’s important to note that the program was built together as a partnership.  It’s not about a program where they just loan to their brand to Team Canada (or vice-versa).  This was a program where they had a seat at the table from the very, very beginning.  As a result, they are the architects of the actual program itself and so they really can own the impact that it’s driving.  It’s inspiring!

Bell

Bell Canada is another one of Team Canada’s longest standing supporters.  As Jacquie shares, her organization is so fortunate to have Canada’s most iconic, leading brands as partners.  These brands are showing up with leadership as an attribute that comes naturally to them.  The team at Bell Canada also want to make a meaningful difference in this country.  As a result, they have continued with the Bell Athletes Connect program. This program goes back to 1997 and has continued since.

The focus for Bell is about making the athlete’s journey to the podium easier, while connecting athletes to their families and friends while they’re training and representing Canada. 

Team Canada

In short, Bell provides national team athletes with a free phone and free monthly phone plans for their travels.  Incredibly, this program has helped over 35,000 athletes over the years.  Both the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee athletes have benefited from this so it’s truly meaningful and entirely on-brand for Bell which is very rewarding.

Hudson’s Bay Company 

Hudson’s Bay Company as we all know is an iconic Canadian heritage brand.  Hudson’s Bay Company has been with Team Canada for so many years and they have continued with the Hudson’s Bay Company Red Mittens program.  Back in 2010, Hudson’s Bay Company produced the iconic red mittens for the Vancouver Olympic Games and it’s been a lasting symbol of Canada’s love for Team Canada.  

With the sale of each pair of mittens, Hudson’s Bay directs a portion of the sale to the Canadian Olympic Foundation.   

This program funds athlete and sport programs across the country.  Overall, it has raised over $30 million for the Canadian Olympic Foundation which is a significant contribution to the sport system.  Hudson’s Bay Company is rightly quite proud of this program. 

Canadian Tire

Rounding out the Premier National Partners is Canadian Tire Corporation.  They are also a long standing partner of the Canadian Olympic Committee.  Their core premise is to work with Team Canada to inspire Canadians and encourage lifelong, healthy and active living through the power of sports.  Together, Canadian Tire and Team Canada are active with a number of community initiatives.  

Community support is delivered virtually across the country in support of Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program. 

An important part of Canadian Tire’s strategic approach is with powerful marketing campaigns.  These marketing campaigns play a significant role for the Canadian Olympic Committee.  During the Olympic Games, Canadian Tire has rallied the nation behind Team Canada with its “We All Play For Team Canada” positioning. This campaign turbo-boosts the Canadian Tire brand and Team Canada’s brand.  Rallying the nation behind the Games, the athletes and their journey is a story that Canadian Tire tells so well. 

Tips for Sport Partnership Marketers 

Jacquie reflects on the advice she would give to marketers who are leveraging partnerships.  It comes down to the need to be clear on your purpose as an organization.  Only then can you, together with your partners, find a way forward so that you’re both aligned on the mission.  That you’re both aligned on the purpose and that you have a meaningful desire to drive impact – whatever that may be – and then build this together.  It’s also about thinking long term.  

It’s important that you have ways to measure success and ensure over time you are driving the meaningful change that you hope to drive.   

This is why the most successful partner programs are built together, reminds Jacquie.  This is not an exchange for revenue to place a corporate logo on a property’s website.  It’s more about what you can build together to drive meaningful impact.  When you can drive real impact in the community, it drives value for both sides.  It’s a win-win-win for everybody involved and gets Canadian athletes closer to the finish line.

In Partnership With

Jacquie Ryan is the Chief Brand and Commercial Officer at the Canadian Olympic Committee. She is a passionate marketing, digital and business development executive. In addition, Jacquie is a board director for leading not-for-profit organizations in the marketing and health sectors. As a dynamic storyteller, innovative marketer and sport executive, Jacquie is a people development advocate with an exciting and visionary style.

Tim Bishop, CM is a multi-disciplined executive with a proven record of optimizing strategic efforts to expand the influence of leading organizations, such as the Canadian Marketing Association, Cineplex Entertainment, Lavalife.com, IMI International and Northstar Research Partners.  In Partnership With is his latest focus to curate Canadian marketing experts to celebrate the power of strategic partnerships in a perspective-based content series.