LA28: THE LOS ANGELES 2028 OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC GAMES
Developed the comprehensive YoY marketing and social media strategies approved and implemented throughout the organization that encompassed brand evolution and growth strategies, North Stars, key themes, cross-functional best practices, Team USA partnerships, media announcements, crisis management protocols, philanthropic efforts, and other strategies that will guide LA28 well beyond the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Overhauled all social media channels by creating dynamic channel-specific personas, engaging post copy, and introduced new content buckets designed to resonate with untapped global audiences and expand engagement opportunities while maintaining the authenticity of the
brand's LA roots. This resulted in a significant and steady increase in followers, fan engagements,
email newsletter sign-ups, brand awareness and sentiment.
Developed and executed processes for strategically participating in social-only conversations, including #TrendingTopics and #HashtagHolidays, and created brand-specific holidays and milestones to raise brand awareness, engagement, and relevancy.
Oversaw the social media content calendar for all channels. This included populating, editing, copywriting, posting, asset management, proposed topics/themes, and cross-functional collaboration.
Helped facilitate partnerships with LAβs pro teams (Dodgers, Lakers, Spark, Galaxy, LAFC) and para-athlete groups to launch #LA28CELEBRATES β ongoing initiatives that connect the community with sport and highlight LAβs significance in the Olympic Games.
Leveraged corporate partners to raise awareness for the Olympic & Paralympic Games through community impact. Examples:
NIKE: Oversaw a $179M annual budget allocated to ensuring accessibility to sports for kids across LA with a focus on underserved communities.
DELOITTE: Launched Career Pathways β providing professional resources for students pursuing a career in sports & entertainment β at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
SENIOR MANAGER, SOCIAL MEDIA & BRAND STRATEGY
Successfully hosted and supported community events for LA's youth including Day of Play, the LA Marathon, Pasadena Adaptive Sports Festival, Girls Empowerment Day with YMCA, and multiple "Gift of Sport" events where portions of $179M worth of Nike product was distributed to local families. ββ
β
Overhauled all owned social media channels by creating dynamic personas tailored to each platform, new content buckets designed to attract and engage global audiences, and defining the brand's tone and voice across all channels that evolves with the brand leading up to 2028, and resonates with a global audience while remaining true to the brand's LA roots. ββ
Successfully implemented internal strategies that promoted cross-functional collaboration and broke down organizational silos, resulting in more efficient and cohesive work across departments.β
This was accomplished by creating standing touch-bases, shared drives for assets and resources, and just talking to people like a normal human being.β
Recognized by the CEO and VP, Marketing for creating the most-viewed and highest-engaged Instagram Stories series ever: "The Luna Show."
Created in-the-moment as a way to highlight the relevant Olympians and Paralympians at the LA28 Day of Play. I grabbed a colleague's energetic daughter (Luna), a tiny mic, and played the frantic but lovable "Producer" to a "Diva's" show.
Secured and managed interviews with Team USA Olympians and Paralympians, Carl Lewis, Miles Chamley-Watson, Blake Leaper, Ezra Frech, Jamal Hill, Nick Mayhugh, Haven Shepherd, and others to help support marketing initiatives for the Paris and Los Angeles Games.
NOTE: embargoes and ndas in effect. please reach out for addt'l information.
PLAYLA
LA28's legacy organization that committed $160M to youth programming in LA.
STUDENTS RUN LA
LA28's legacy organization providing LA's youth with the resources and training to complete the LA Marathon.
#LA28CELEBRATES
One (1) full week of non-stop programming connecting Angelenos with sport, community & culture.
About PlayLA
PlayLA was founded and funded by LA28 and the International Olympic Committee, and serves as a legacy organization that will exist long after the Games leave Los Angeles.
$160 Million
90K
In partnership with the Los Angeles Recreation & Parks Department (LA Rec & Parks), PlayLA provides affordable and accessible sports programming to kids of all abilities across Los Angeles.
The program is only made possible because of LA28's donation.
PlayLA
LA28's commitment to youth sports programming.
This is the single LARGEST commitment to youth sports in California.
...and it's paying off.
35
1M+
$30M
Kids enrolled
SPORTS TO DATE
INVESTED TO DATE
KIDS IMPACTED BY 2028
About Students Run
Students Run LA challenges underserved secondary students to experience the benefits of goal-setting, character development, adult mentoring and improved health by providing them with the experience to train for and complete the Los Angeles Marathon.
3.2K students
Ran the 2024 LA Marathon.
99%
REPORTED:
A SENSE OF BELONGING.
MAKING NEW OR STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS.
LESS ANXIETY THAN PREVIOUS YEARS.
COMPLETED THE MARATHON.
IMPROVED THEIR GRADES WHILE IN SRLA.
LA
98.7%
60.2%
90%
GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL.
Data & image source: students run la, la28.
MY ROLE
For both organizations (PLAYLA + Students Run LA), my responsibilities were as follows:
Served as the primary liaison between the organizations and LA28, ensuring that each program had the necessary resources and support necessary to operate smoothly.
Attended all major events to support the organizations. Examples include, but are not limited to, The Los Angeles Marathon (SRLA) and all events that LA28 hosted for PLAYLA (Day of Play, volunteer events, park openings, Pasadena Adaptive Sports Festival).
Supported social media efforts by cross-promoting events and news on LA28's channels, engaged with the organization's content, capturing content at events to post live, and created recap albums for LA28 and the organization.
Occasionally leveraged students/youth in the programs who were interested in the Olympic Games or a career in sports marketing by allowing them to create social media content, star in content, work alongside LA28 staff at events, and other tasks that helped them learn how the organizations operate.
#LA28CELEBRATES
ONE (1) FULL WEEK OF NON-STOP PROGRAMMING CONNECTING ANGELENOS WITH SPORT, CULTURE, AND COMMUNITY AND DESIGNED TO HIGHLIGHT LA'S SIGNIFICANCE IN THE OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC GAMES.
PARTNERS
LAFC
LA Galaxy
LA Spark
los angeles dodgers
los angeles rams
ROOFTOP CINEMA CLUB
Angel City fc
angel city sports/games
CICLAVIA
deloitte
LA REC & PARKS DEPT
LA CITY HALL
SMORGASBURG
TACOS1986
YMCA / YWCA
EVENT EXAMPLES
FAN FESTS AT LA HOME GAMES THAT INCLUDED GIVEAWAYS, MEET-AND-GREETS WITH TEAM USA OLYMPIANS & PARALYMPIANS, TEAM SPORTS, & MORE.
GIFT OF SPORT STATIONS AT GAMES & IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE PORTIONS OF $179M WORTH OF NIKE PRODUCTS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO LOCAL YOUTH.
EVENTS HIGHLIGHTing PARA SPORTS designed to raise awareness for the paralympic games, expand opportunities in sport for la's para population, provide new, safe public facilities, and spotlight paralympians.
MOMENTS OF IMPACT
"For LA, By LA," is a motto-of-sorts for the Games. When developing the YoY master plans, i made sure to include "LA" in the processes; that is the members of our community who helped to shape LA and influence the culture.
Pictured: Tacos1986 Owner, "El Joy," participates in a taco eating contest with an Olympian, Paralympian, and fan at Smorgasburg.
This photo makes me so happy! Through PlayLA (detailed here), ~100 local kids and their family members were able to attend an LAFC game on us. Seeing how excited and enthusiastic a couple of the kids were, I managed to sneak them down on the field, where they got to experience the action up-close. They raved about it the rest of the evening. It''s the little things, ya know.
Pictured: Two PlayLA members, and LAFC's most adorable fans, cheer on the team from the stands. They would later get to cheer them on field-side and I'll let you guess fro this photo what that reaction was like!
Access to sport can also begin in the classroom. Leveraging the lifetime partnership with Deloitte and their vast resources, we launched "Career Pathways," which was/is educational resources and opportunities for students at Cal State Dominguez Hills who wanted to pursue a career in sports and entertainment (Managers, Agents, Physical Therapists, Nutritionists, etc.).
The interactive sessions involved a panel with three (3) industry professionals from Goldenvoice, LA Galaxy, and Deloitte, followed by classroom learning seminars on various topics. And of course a ton of Gift of Sport was distributed to the students.
Pictured: Jarvis Smith (Goldenvoice), Barbara Maningat (LA Galaxy), Abel Sun (Deloitte)
LA28
CELEBRATES
+
CELEBRITY WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL GAME
To raise awareness for the 2028 paralympic games
Participants included: Jorge Sanchez (Team USA Gold Medalist), Ezra Frech (Team USA Gold Medalist), Matt Scott (team usa gold medalist), The Rollettes, Jacob bertrand (Cobra Kai), Elvin Rodriguez (Hustle starring adam sandler), and more.
LA28
CELEBRATES
+
#LA28CELEBRATES the los Angeles Pride parade
parade sponsor w/ lgbtq+ icon jason collins
The best seat on the route! We were a Partner in the LA Pride Parade and invited Jason Collins, the first openly-gay NBA player, to ride along with us. I hopped in the back to interview him along the route, but occasionally had to jump out to strut down Hollywood Blvd. Ya know, just to let 'em know. (PS - Peep the SXF fan - always reppin')
Just modelin' some new LA28 merch with Olympian, Izzy.
The Sparks definitely draw an A-List crowd.
During our joint event with the team for #LA28CELEBRATES, Magic Johnson high-fived his biggest little fan.
By far the coolest athlete in the Games!
Every Games has their superstar "faces:" Simone Biles, Ryan Lochte, Adam Rippon, etc. For '28's Paralympic Games & beyond, the names we'll be hearing are Ezra Frech (who is already making news), and this man, Jamal Hill.
The #1 Show In Nap Time Television: The Luna Show!
Luna is interviewing Team USA Olympian, Miles Chamley-Watson, & Team USA Paralympian, Blake Leeper, during our Day of Play event.
These interviews were part of a series - which would become the most engaged IG Stories series ever for the brand.
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Β© 2024. All rights reserved...but if you ask nicely or there's a no-show maybe you can have one.
~ What Laurel Thatcher Ulrich Really Meant
"WELL-BEHAVED BRANDS SELDOM MAKE CHRISTORY."
πΈ Photo Credits: CVN, Dorian Yates, Getty Images, The Webby Awards, LA28, LA84, International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, Savage X Fenty, Fenty Corp., Press Pass LA, Our/Los Angeles, TVGLA, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Mattel, Los Angeles Times, Getty Images, Pexels, Unsplash, Marriott Worldwide, WAT-AAH!, Public Domain.
π§ christophervannest@gmail.com