The biggest winner from the 2024 Olympics? Direct-to-Consumer Content

🌟 Olympics Withdrawal is Real! 🌟

The 2024 Paris Olympics were nothing short of magical, and I’m feeling the withdrawal already. Beyond the jaw-dropping talent of the athletes, there was something truly special about this year’s games.

As I reflect on what made the Olympics so unforgettable, I realize it wasn’t just about watching the competitions or hearing the announcers. It was about experiencing the Olympics from so many unique perspectives:

✨ Athletes’ First-Person Stories: From savoring the magical chocolate “muffins” in the Olympic Village to the pre-competition jitters and heartwarming interactions with fellow athletes.

🎉 Unexpected Observers: Who could forget the joy Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart, Cookie Monster, and Elmo brought? Their presence added a delightful twist to the games.

❤️ Friends and Family: Because they shared their first-person accounts, we got a glimpse into the emotional rollercoaster of supporting, celebrating, and consoling their athletes.

🌍 Fans and Casual Observers: The sheer excitement of being in Paris was palpable, shared by everyone from die-hard fans to casual viewers on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok.

😂 The Memes!: From LeBron James as George Washington to my dog Lola Grace breakdancing in the Olympics, the memes were endless and hilarious.

The 2024 Olympics may be remembered for more than just gender parity, the epic highs of Simone Biles and Caroline Marks, and the major lows like Suni Lee’s challenges. They mark a turning point for content creation and distribution.

💡 The days of “User Generated Content” (UGC) are over, and the era of “Direct-to-Consumer Content” has begun.

UGC, a term coined shortly after the Dot-Com Bust in 2000, refers to content created by individuals rather than companies or brands. As internet infrastructure improved, users could create and upload audio-visual content alongside still photographs, graphics, and text. Early viral UGC moments, like the Dancing Baby (see link in comments), paved the way.

Brands and companies quickly saw the value of UGC and leveraged it. Today, UGC, including influencer-created content, remains crucial. The internet’s future is intertwined with UGC, whether it’s branded content or photos of Lola Grace.

However, the content from the 2024 Olympics goes beyond UGC. Many athletes, families, and brands had social media support to create content specifically for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. They are essentially producing short-form content to directly distribute to their fans.

🎇We have entered the “Direct-to-Consumer Content” era.