Olympic Moms Getting Thanks

Proctor & Gamble announced yesterday that they would be helping all of the moms of Team USA get to the Olympics in order to see their child compete, as part of their "Thanks, Mom" campaign. As a gymnastics mom, I can see how moms (and other primary caregivers) spend a lot of time and money in order to help their children progress through the ranks. Proctor & Gamble is not only helping the parents of athletes, especially in these difficult economic times, by labeling themselves the "proud sponsor of moms," they are likely to generate good publicity for themselves.

The Olympics are full of feel-good commercials, and Proctor & Gamble's "Thanks, Mom" campaign will certainly fit well with the Visa "Go World" commercials that will be so prevalent during Olympic commercial breaks. They will fit in with all the stories of athletes that broadcasters relay during the Olympics, describing how one athlete or another overcame adversity in order to make it to the Olympics.

For most athletes, it takes a lot of time and money from parents in order to make it to the Olympic level. Many athletes, especially in sports like figure skating, that are dominated by younger individuals, start training at early ages; many are training before they reach kindergarten. Almost every sport requires specialized equipment, payment for lessons, the purchase of uniforms, and fees for competition. As the athlete gets older and reaches higher levels of competition, the athletes must travel to farther and farther distances. Until an athlete reaches the highest levels, where some of their expenses may be paid for by their team, most of these travel expenses have to be paid for out of the athlete's (or more often, the parent's) pockets.

The recession has made it even more difficult for athletes and their families. There is less money to go around, and only the top competitors will get financial help. In some disciplines, even the best athletes have to foot their entire bill. The US Ski Cross team, for example, has to pay their entire costs. While some of this money can come through sponsorships, quite often, a fair amount of money comes from the moms and dads. When Nancy Kerrigan was competing, her father mortgaged their house to pay for her expenses; the Kerrigans are not alone when it comes to taking extraordinary measures to help pay for their child's competition expenses.

When they decided to help moms get to the Vancouver Olympics to watch their children compete, Proctor & Gamble made a very smart move. Not only will this help families who have struggled with paying for expenses for years, it will also give the company very good publicity.

Sources:

Associated Press. "Skiers Working to Make Ends Meet." NBC Olympics.com. 6 February 2010.
"Caitlyn Ciccone". http://caitlin2010.org

Saunches, Nicole. "Proctor & Gamble Says "Thanks, Mom" by Helping Team USA Moms Get to Vancouver to Cheer on, Watch Their Children Compete". Press Release. 11 February 2010.

Wallechinsky, David; Loucky, Jaime. The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics, 2010 Edition. Aurum Press, copyright 2009. p. 67.