EP24 - The Road to Paris 2024 with Jacqueline Ryan

In this episode of CMA Connect, Alison Simpson, CEO of the CMA, welcomes Jacqueline Ryan, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation and Chief Brand and Commercial Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee. Jacqueline shares her passion for sports and the Foundation's crucial role in supporting Canada's elite athletes. With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approaching, they discuss the success of Canada's female athletes and reveal how Canadians can rally behind Team Canada.

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:22:16
Presenter
Welcome to CMA Connect, Canada's marketing podcast, where industry experts discuss how marketers must manage the tectonic shifts that will change how brands and businesses are built for tomorrow, while also delivering on today's business needs. With your host, CMA CEO, Alison Simpson.

00:00:22:18 - 00:00:45:12
Alison
Welcome to a special and timely episode of CMA Connect. With the Paris Olympics just around the corner, I'm absolutely thrilled to bring you an inside look at the Canadian Olympic Committee's preparations and the exciting prospects for Team Canada at the upcoming games. Joining us today is Jacquie Ryan. She's the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation and Chief Brand and Commercial Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee.

00:00:45:14 - 00:01:17:16
Alison
Jacquie is one of the most influential and effective leaders in sport. Her impressive career spans over 20 years, leading strategy, brand, communications, sponsorship, loyalty programs, digital marketing, corporate social responsibility and sustainability in sports in the financial services sector. She's also held board roles, including her current position as a CMA Board director. Jacquie brings a unique perspective to her role not only as a seasoned sport marketing executive, but also as someone with a deeply personal connection to the Olympic movement.

00:01:17:18 - 00:01:43:03
Alison
After growing up in an Olympic family, and her sister's experience as an Olympic athlete, this really fuelled  Jacquie's lifelong passion for sport and her commitment to supporting Canadian athletes on the global stage. In our episode today, Jacquie is sharing insights on the Canadian Olympic Committee's marketing and sponsorship strategies and how they're collaborating with partners to create impactful campaigns that will resonate with Canadians while also driving business results.

00:01:43:05 - 00:02:06:19
Alison
We're also going to explore the Team Canada Impact Agenda, a critical social impact program that reflects the Canadian Olympic Committee's commitment to fostering safe, inclusive and barrier-free sports environments for all. And we'll dive into the outlook for Team Canada in Paris, and the athletes poised to make their mark. This discussion promises to be a fascinating behind the scenes look at the incredible work being done by the Canadian Olympic Committee.

00:02:06:21 - 00:02:08:08
Alison
So welcome, Jacquie.

00:02:08:10 - 00:02:14:02
Jacquie
Thank you Alison. Great pleasure to be here today. I'm so excited to chat with you today about it.

00:02:14:04 - 00:02:18:07
Alison
I really appreciate you taking time in what has to be a remarkably busy schedule.

00:02:18:09 - 00:02:20:19
Jacquie
It is indeed.

00:02:20:21 - 00:02:30:23
Alison
So I'd love to kick it off by asking, what attracted you to the role of CEO at the Canadian Olympic Committee? And how has your lifelong passion for sport shaped your career journey?

00:02:31:01 - 00:02:51:18
Jacquie
Thanks, Alison, and thanks for asking. Yes, I am just so fortunate to be in the position I'm in. What attracted me to the role? You know, it really comes from, you've already mentioned it, just a lifelong passion for sport. I do come from a sports oriented family. We grew up doing lots of different sports together. The one common thread for our family was skiing.

00:02:51:19 - 00:03:12:18
Jacquie
So we spent a lot of time together doing that, to the extent that my sister ended up excelling in skiing and becoming an Olympic athlete in freestyle skiing. So I had that really unique purview of seeing how hard and how dedicated, how committed these athletes are on their journey, and all the resources and supports it takes to get there.

00:03:12:19 - 00:03:33:21
Jacquie
So that's kind of the purview I come from. And then that in addition to just really enjoying being in a sporting environment, I found my way after university in Banff teaching skiing and hadn't quite decided what I wanted to do with my life. I didn't know what to do. I actually didn't know that jobs existed in sports and sports marketing.

00:03:33:23 - 00:04:01:01
Jacquie
I knew very little about that aspect of the business, but I knew what I loved to do. So I went from out west, came back to Toronto, had very, very fortunate opportunities to work at some of the best sports marketing agencies in the country - Lang and Associates, MacLaren Momentum. And then one day I received a call where there was a six month contract available at RBC to work on the Olympics. And it was a contract.

00:04:01:02 - 00:04:44:01
Jacquie
No, no, necessarily long-term commitment, but I just couldn't resist. So packed my bags, went up the street, ended up at RBC on this contract. Well the contract turned into full- time employment. I ended up staying there for 12 years and really just an incredible experience. I had Olympics as part of my portfolio the whole time. I did some other things community marketing, product marketing, RBC Foundation, but really the largest thing I did and the most exciting thing that I got to do with my team there, was to write the business case to acquire the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games sponsorship, and then to launch the marketing activities around that, the Olympic torch

00:04:44:01 - 00:05:11:18
Jacquie
relay, taking that across the country from coast to coast to coast. And we really enjoyed our time on that portfolio and really drove really incredible business and brand results for the organization. So really, really proud of that effort and what a journey it was. So I was loving my time at RBC and then got a call about this wonderful opportunity at Scotiabank to go over and be the Vice President of Sponsorship, Partnerships and Philanthropy.

00:05:11:18 - 00:05:33:15
Jacquie
So I did a few different things there. I worked on the Scene program there, philanthropy portfolio, and then ultimately, pretty much the last thing I did before I left was work on the Scotiabank Arena deal, which again, really tapped into my experience having been at RBC in terms of how to write a business case for a very large marketing investment. And so we put the business case together,

00:05:33:20 - 00:06:06:17
Jacquie
we pitched for the rights and and the rest is history, as they say. So really proud also of that. So again, enjoying my time. And then was offered the opportunity to come over to the Canadian Olympic Committee. And based on everything I've just said in my background, I think it's pretty obvious why I said, absolutely, I'm coming. So I came over in 2019 as the Chief Brand and Commercial Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee, and that means my team really oversees the marketing partnerships, digital, brand marketing events, sustainability and business development.

00:06:06:18 - 00:06:41:01
Jacquie
So we're responsible for for driving all of the sponsorship and the revenue for the organization. So started that in 2019 and then in 2021 was then offered, additionally, the opportunity to take on a CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation. So I have both jobs. I love absolutely everything I do. I really, it's been a wonderful journey and I think hopefully it helps to sort of illustrate just really following your passion and how my passion for sports is really connected with, you know, my interests around marketing and being really purpose-led to make sure that the work I do is mission-driven and really makes an impact in Canada.

00:06:41:01 - 00:06:45:16
Jacquie
So really, that's how I got here and it's been a pretty amazing journey.

00:06:45:18 - 00:07:11:00
Alison
That really is a remarkable journey. And I also love the fact that you took a bet on yourself and what it led to, like leaving a full time job not just for a contract, but for six month contract and look at the reward. And that's such a great lesson for everyone listening at any stage in our career. So the Canadian Olympic Committee plays a crucial role in supporting Team Canada's athletes, as well as working with sponsors to create impactful marketing campaigns.

00:07:11:00 - 00:07:23:21
Alison
And you clearly have been on the other side of that as a sponsor with really strong business results. I'd love you to walk us through how the COC collaborates with its marketing partners to drive their business schools, while also advancing the Olympic movement.

00:07:23:23 - 00:07:41:22
Jacquie
We're really proud of this work, really proud of the marketing partners that we get to collaborate with every day. I mean, I think what's really important to point out and not many people know this, is that the Canadian Olympic Committee is largely privately funded. And what I mean by that is the majority of the revenue that comes into the organization,

00:07:41:22 - 00:08:05:09
Jacquie
the overwhelming majority, is from our marketing partners, our sponsors. And so they sponsor our organization, we provide marketing rights, etc., and ultimately, what's also important to point out is as a not-for-profit, the majority of the dollars that came in from our marketing partners go right back as an investment into the sports system. And so it's a, it's a really important relationship

00:08:05:09 - 00:08:27:16
Jacquie
we have with our marketing partners. And we're proud of our marketing partner family. These are the top brands in Canada. We are in very good company, whether that be RBC, Canadian Tire, Lululemon, Bell, Sobeys, Air Canada, Petro Canada, the list goes on and on. And these are not only top brands in Canada, they're a pleasure to work with.

00:08:27:16 - 00:09:01:00
Jacquie
They're also the top marketers in Canada. So it's an interesting relationship because again, they're playing a key role in strengthening the sport system and supporting our Olympic athletes, while at the same time they have access to a really unique marketing platform. The Canadian Olympic Committee is the number one national sports property in Canada. And what drives that is that we have incredible reach - 75% of Canadians engage with Team Canada and the Canadian Committee throughout the games.

00:09:01:00 - 00:09:28:05
Jacquie
They engage many ways, but in particular through broadcast and digital. So our property provides an exclusive and a universal platform. And when I say that exclusive, I mean that when you come on the Canadian Olympic Committee as a partner, you're exclusive in that category. So you absolutely own it relative to your competitors. So you've got this point of distinction and then it's universal because again, 75% of Canadians are actively engaged with Team Canada.

00:09:28:07 - 00:09:58:23
Jacquie
And so it really is an interesting platform that has this massive reach. And it connects Canadian's passions with a greater purpose. And, you know, that's all about investing in Olympians on their journey to the podium. A big part of our mission is focused on our purpose, and our purpose is to transform Canada through the power of sport. So we're super fortunate to, again, have these partners that are aligned with our values and really embrace our mission.

00:09:58:23 - 00:10:22:00
Jacquie
And I mean, the list is long. I can highlight, certainly I'm very proud of, I'm wearing it today, Lululemon our partner. So they are responsible for the team Canada Lululemon kit. And what that means, it's what the athletes wear when they go to games. And so we launched that kid on April 16th. And it's a kit that's arrived in store on April 16th and online,

00:10:22:04 - 00:10:41:20
Jacquie
but it took years to get there. The... everything that the athletes wear, the Lululemon works with the athletes individually and with a few different athletes to figure out what clothing is best serving their needs when they're at games. I'll just highlight one other because again, the list is long. RBC Training Ground is another really important program.

00:10:42:01 - 00:11:02:08
Jacquie
And it's it's much more than a marketing program. They talk about it of course, in their marketing communications, but it's all about identification of athletes who have the potential and investing in those athletes on their journey. So they work directly with the national sporting organizations across the country. It's going into its 10th season, and the success stories go on and on.

00:11:02:08 - 00:11:21:05
Jacquie
Whether it be Kelsey Mitchell, Pierce LePage, these are athletes that started an RBC training ground and made it all the way to the Olympic Games and came home with with medals. So there's lots of athletes have gone through the program. We're very, very proud of the program and proud to partner with RBC again to have such an impact on the sport system in Canada.

00:11:21:05 - 00:11:32:04
Jacquie
So those are just two examples of a very, very long list. But hopefully that helps illustrate how deep our partners go in terms of their investments and building wonderfully engaging marketing programs.

00:11:32:06 - 00:11:58:20
Alison
Thanks so much, Jacquie. And I'm very excited, as one of the 75% of Canadians who call ourselves fans of the Olympics, to see the marketing come to life. Now you join the Canadian Olympic Committee in the pandemic. So definitely a unique time to be starting a role. And your first two games had some truly unique challenges as well. So now you're heading into your third Olympics and it will be the first full on Olympics post-pandemic.

00:11:59:02 - 00:12:06:02
Alison
I'd love to hear what are you most excited about? And also what's the outlook for Team Canada in Paris?

00:12:06:04 - 00:12:30:13
Jacquie
Yes. What a time it's been. And having joined it to your point in in August of 2019 is when I joined, so got to work, I learned a lot, a lot about the business. I kept thinking, oh my gosh, there's just so much to take in here, how am I ever going to learn it all? Then the pandemic hit, and as an organization, we were actually the first organization to to the first country actually indicate that we're just not comfortable sending the athletes to the games.

00:12:30:13 - 00:12:50:19
Jacquie
The athletes themselves are not comfortable. They're much more concerned with ensuring their communities and their country is safe and healthy. So looking back, Tokyo and Beijing, both games in the Covid context and then they were back to back. So the game should have been in 2020 and 2022. And they were in fact 2021 and then 2022 literally like however many months later?

00:12:50:21 - 00:13:18:06
Jacquie
So it was quite something. Summer and Winter games, you know the resilience of these athletes just incredible. You know, coming from the most adverse conditions, no training conditions. The, you know, the women and the men couldn't even get in the pool. Unless they had a pool in their backyard, there was no training happening for days and days and days and months and in other areas of the world, there was and so these athletes just persevered through and they performed so well.

00:13:18:07 - 00:13:47:18
Jacquie
And so the results are something for all Canadians to be really, really proud of and for Tokyo for example, 24 medals, which is one of our best ever and really looking to eclipse that this year in Paris. And, you know, another part that I really do like to talk about, and really important part of the story is that of the medals won in Tokyo and Beijing, in Tokyo, 75% of the medals won for Canadians were women, for Beijing, 55%.

00:13:48:00 - 00:14:07:14
Jacquie
And this is unprecedented. This is just really something to be proud of. And, you know, as a result of all of that, is these women incredibly inspiring that what we saw was increased fan engagement with women athletes and women's sports overall, and that that's through our channels. And, you know, I think that's really important, it's certainly very relevant today.

00:14:07:14 - 00:14:39:03
Jacquie
There's lots of discussion about women and sports and and investing in women in sports and celebrating their successes. And we've put female athletes front and centre in our brand, marketing. We tell their stories. We tell their stories through our digital channels. And we've really seen female athletes become the face of of Team Canada and among other sport properties in Canada and, you know, importantly, when we talk about the business of sport, in the business of investing in women in sport, these women have signed lucrative sponsorship deals.

00:14:39:03 - 00:15:07:22
Jacquie
This is a virtuous circle. So ultimately investing in women's sport drives on-field success, which drives viewership, inspiration, audience and drives participation. I'm inspired by these athletes. I start to participate. That drives brand value for these marketing partners that I'm talking about, which then leads back to partnership investment, which drives back to investing in women in sports. So we've really proven the model that by investing in women over the years,

00:15:07:22 - 00:15:27:15
Jacquie
for Team Canada, it's absolutely driving results in all aspects of of the virtuous circle. So something to be proud of. and so, you know, we're doing women have done well. Men have done well as well. There's so many incredible athletes to get excited about for Paris and lots of good stories, you know. So it's it's hard to pick who to talk about.

00:15:27:15 - 00:15:46:12
Jacquie
I'll highlight just a few that I'm excited to watch in Paris. So of course Summer McIntosh in the pool, Maggie MacNeil, Penny Oleksiak, Josh Lindo. So there's a tremendous amount of Team Canada strength in the pool this year. Women's three-on-three basketball. This is new to the games. And the Canadian team is number one in the world.

00:15:46:12 - 00:16:10:00
Jacquie
I think right now. The NBA players are going to be dominating men's basketball. So that's definitely something exciting to watch. Breaking as they call it, which is breakdancing is new to the Paris Olympic Games. And Phil Wizard, a Canadian, is number one in the world right now. Skylar Park in tae kwon do. She's amazing to watch. Andre De Grasse is always a fan favourite, so can't wait to see him in the 100 metre.

00:16:10:02 - 00:16:20:04
Jacquie
Melissa and Brandie in beach volleyball. So the list is long and we're looking super strong. And so I'm really, really excited about seeing the athletes perform in Paris.

00:16:20:06 - 00:16:39:17
Alison
That's incredible. I did not know the women's stats from the last two games, and you and I have acted on a bunch of levels, including the powerful role in sport in our lives. And I certainly didn't have the number of female role models that Canada is producing today. And we think about the the short term and the long term positive ripples of that.

00:16:39:17 - 00:16:49:05
Alison
It's incredibly inspiring. So thank you very much for sharing that. And I didn't realize breaking had made it into the Olympic sport. So you've giving me something else to tune in to to.

00:16:49:06 - 00:17:13:16
Jacquie
Absolutely. And maybe I'll just touch a little bit on our marketing campaign while we're at it, because Phil Wizard is in our brand marketing campaign this year. So every Olympic Games year, the Canadian Olympic Committee launches a brand campaign. We do consider our job to to really be first in the market from a marketing perspective, set the stage for the narrative around the games that are upcoming so that our marketing partners, when they start to launch their campaigns, they don't have to do the heavy lifting.

00:17:13:16 - 00:17:34:11
Jacquie
We've already set the stage. And so we did launch our campaign halfway through April. And, you'll see Phil Wizard in there, Skyler Park, as I mentioned. And our so our campaign this year is called Brave is Unbeatable. And ultimately it's a campaign about the obstacles that Team Canada athletes have to overcome to achieve  to achieve greatness.

00:17:34:11 - 00:18:06:08
Jacquie
It's about the power of perseverance and commitment. It's about what's inside, and it's about what we don't see that pushes us past our limits towards success and glory. So this campaign showcases Team Canada athletes, all of the various obstacles that they've overcome. And it just really reminds Canadians, remind us, reminds us that we all have our own unique set of obstacles and circumstances and when we overcome them, we can really inspire that next generation and really tap into that sense of bravery.

00:18:06:10 - 00:18:29:12
Jacquie
And so, interestingly enough, so we developed the campaign and we thought, wouldn't it be amazing to have voiceover talent of Canadians who, in fact, have also overcome their own obstacles? So we shot for the stars. And we asked Michael J. Fox to be the voiceover for the English campaign and Celine Dion to be the voice of our French campaign.

00:18:29:14 - 00:18:54:03
Jacquie
And so lob some calls over and amazing to hear, proud to say, they donated their time to be the voice over talent on our advertising, on our brand campaign. So I think that just speaks to the power of Team Canada. and really just so proud to have that that tie back to, to Canadians to, to really represent that we all have obstacles in our lives and to just be inspired by Michael J.

00:18:54:03 - 00:18:59:09
Jacquie
Fox and Celine, in addition to all the athletes, is a campaign we're really, really proud of.

00:18:59:11 - 00:19:05:02
Alison
I didn't realize your voiceover talent. That is such a great addition to what will be a very, very powerful campaign.

00:19:05:07 - 00:19:06:21
Jacquie
Yeah. Thank you.

00:19:06:23 - 00:19:24:09
Alison
So, Jacquie, you have two distinct roles within the Canadian Olympic Organization. So as CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation, I'd love you to talk about how the dual role allows you to further advance the foundation's mandate and support Team Canada's success.

00:19:24:11 - 00:19:48:12
Jacquie
Thank you for asking that question, because the Canadian Olympic Foundation also plays a very, very key role to your point around the success of the athletes. So the Canadian Olympic Foundation, our job is really we're the philanthropic arm of the Olympic Movement in Canada. So our job is to fundraise for the needs of Team Canada. So we work directly with the Canadian Olympic Committee.

00:19:48:15 - 00:20:11:11
Jacquie
And I have two jobs, so I work for both. But ultimately our job is to work with them to understand where the funding requirements are. And then we go to the market and we fundraise. And so what's interesting to point out is the Canadian Olympic Foundation is really the opportunity for individual Canadians to get involved. So I mentioned before that marketing partners really drive the business of the Canadian Olympic Committee.

00:20:11:13 - 00:20:42:23
Jacquie
While, individual Canadians, real nation builders, those are the people that drive investment in the Canadian Olympic Foundation because we have a joint purpose. We're trying to transform Canada through the power of sport, as I mentioned before, and we are the only foundation in Canada that raises funds to support athletes at all stages of their Olympic journey. And so by working in lockstep with the Canadian Olympic Committee, which is a pretty unique relationship, the way we work together in sport and philanthropy, we focus on four very distinct pillars.

00:20:42:23 - 00:21:01:12
Jacquie
One of them is sport excellence. So it's all about ensuring that they have the funding and resources to excel in their sport. One's pathway development. So the pathway to the podium, there very, very many stages on the way there. And how can we help support that in terms of training, competition needs, next generation athletes who are looking for that kind of support.

00:21:01:17 - 00:21:08:17
Jacquie
There's athlete and coach enhancements and then there's the Team Canada Impact agenda, which is our social impact platform.

00:21:08:18 - 00:21:22:00
Alison
That's great. Now you mentioned the Team Canada Impact agenda. And I know it's a critical part of COC strategy. So I would love you to share more about the Social Impact program and how it comes to life for athletes, as well as for all Canadians.

00:21:22:02 - 00:21:51:09
Jacquie
We've always been purpose-led, and we just saw an opportunity to really define that a little bit further and make sure that this investment I've been talking about, whether it be from partners or donors, work as efficiently and as hard as it can to drive impact. and so the Team Canada Impact agenda is our commitment to ensure a safe, inclusive and barrier -free sport system so that more young people play and stay in sport.

00:21:51:11 - 00:22:18:18
Jacquie
Those two words are very intentional - play and stay. And I say that because it's important that as an organization, we can help inspire access to sport. There are communities that just simply don't have access. And then I say, remember, play and stay. Stay is another intentional word because sometimes young people have an opportunity to enter the sport system, but there are conditions in there that cause them to leave, or there are conditions financially that cause them to leave.

00:22:18:20 - 00:22:54:13
Jacquie
So we really are making a commitment to make sure that, so we invest in this area. and so what that means is that we're really going to drill down and ensure that we're creating impact and measuring it. And there are three key areas in which we do that. And they are podium, play and planet. So from a podium perspective, ultimately this is making sure that we help athletes pursue their dreams through a safe, inclusive and barrier-free sports system and that that the podium represents Canadians, that it is diverse and representative of who we are as a nation.

00:22:54:15 - 00:23:16:23
Jacquie
From a play perspective, this is very much about inspiring young people to play and stay, so it's about access and creating conditions so that young people want to stay in sport. And the last one is planet. There is no sport that is immune to climate change. And we really, really need to ensure that we're taking a leadership position to preserve our sporting environments.

00:23:17:00 - 00:23:38:21
Jacquie
So that's what the Team Canada Impact Agenda is all about. It's about feeding the sport system and achieving impact, and it's about investing in the future of sport in Canada. And so that's what it's all about. It's really, it's it's a social impact agenda. But it's absolutely anchored in the strategy, the business strategy of the Canadian Olympic Committee overall.

00:23:38:21 - 00:23:53:09
Jacquie
So you'll see a lot more investment in that area. And you'll see us reporting on results and and seeing how we're doing in terms of driving these results from a podium, play and planet perspective.

00:23:53:11 - 00:24:10:23
Alison
That's outstanding. Jacquie, thank you so much for sharing all aspects of that and how it certainly fits within the overall strategy and is a great way to also get more to our country and the athletes. Now, there will be lots of Canadians joining you in Paris for the Games. and there will be lots of us who aren't able to join in person.

00:24:11:00 - 00:24:21:00
Alison
So I would love to hear some ways that those of us that won't be enjoying the Games in person can really engage with Team Canada and help support our athletes during Paris.

00:24:21:02 - 00:24:40:15
Jacquie
So we host Canada Olympic House in Paris and what that is, it's a home away from home for the athletes, and their families and Canadians and whoever else wants to join us. So the doors are open to the public. You know, there's viewing stations with CBC. We're partnering with CBC and Radio Canada in Canada Olympic House. They'll be live from there every single day.

00:24:40:17 - 00:25:00:00
Jacquie
And so, you know, you can come to Canada Olympic House, you can enjoy some Canadian fare. You can engage with some of our marketing partner activations. You can meet some athletes, you can watch the games on TV. And so it's going to be quite, quite a unique experience. And then we have somewhere for athletes and their families to get together and really enjoy the Olympic moment.

00:25:00:01 - 00:25:24:02
Jacquie
So that's Canada Olympic House, that's in Paris. Back here in Canada, lots going on? Again, make sure to tune in to CBC Radio-Canada to watch the Games. They're a very important partner of ours. Also wanted to mention Team Canada FanFest. This is new this year. We haven't done this before. But we will be hosting these events in Toronto, Calgary and Montreal rolling over three weekends.

00:25:24:04 - 00:25:45:12
Jacquie
And really, Team Canada Fan Fest is about bringing fans together to cheer on Team Canada to celebrate the success of the athletes and create opportunities for connection in your community to to support. And then again, there's always lots of content to engage with, so you can follow Team Canada on social media. Again, please tune in to CBC and Radio-Canada,

00:25:45:12 - 00:26:20:16
Jacquie
their coverage. You can engage by making a donation to the Canadian Olympic Foundation and there's lots of fan engagement opportunities through, checking out our channels for content around schedules and results and Athlete Profiles and deep dives into real time, reactionary content from the Games. We're on TikTok. We're on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, go to Olympic.ca. Download the Team Canada app for lots of lots of interactive opportunities and staying in touch with real time, real time results and then look out for the Brave is Unbeatable campaign.

00:26:20:16 - 00:26:42:21
Jacquie
We're really, really proud of that. you'll see interactive ads, digital outdoor print and really hear firsthand from the athletes in terms of how their story is brave, is unbeatable. So and lastly, actually, we're launching a podcast, Team Canada podcast. It's called Momentum. And there you can learn about the stories of some of the women of Team Canada as they head to Paris and hear all about their journey there.

00:26:42:23 - 00:27:03:18
Alison
Lots of ways to engage. I'll definitely be, participating in Fan Fest and really appreciate you sharing. And I love the new podcast. I'm a voracious podcast listener, so I will definitely be tuning into Momentum. Now to wrap up our discussion, I'd love to have you share one piece of advice for marketers who are really looking to build purpose-driven brands and create meaningful impact through sport.

00:27:03:20 - 00:27:25:05
Jacquie
Thank you for that question. You know, I often get asked about advice for marketers and, look, I'm I'm super happy to share. I think you'll see a common thread as I've spoken about today, just really for me, it's it's proven very fruitful to just lean into your passion and your purpose. There are lots of opportunities out there.

00:27:25:06 - 00:27:45:16
Jacquie
You just feel like you do a better job when you care, when you're passionate about it, and when you feel like you're making a difference. And I've been very fortunate to have every single job I've ever had, or I had that opportunity. And I'm really, really proud of that. And I think also, if you noticed in my thread, I didn't know what I wanted to do.

00:27:45:17 - 00:28:02:21
Jacquie
I went to university, had a great time, taught skiing. That was fun too, but I just kept following my passion and I ended up where I ended up, you know? So not quite the straight path that other people are able to tap in right away. I just didn't know. And I just followed my passion. So I think that's important.

00:28:02:21 - 00:28:26:09
Jacquie
I think I'd also say your career is very, very long and don't rush. Just take your time, find what matters to you. And then ultimately, we're all in this together. So be kind, be vulnerable, be curious about other people and the work you're doing. And I know that you'd be very, very proud of the impact you make if you approach your days from that perspective.

00:28:26:11 - 00:28:41:14
Alison
That is such great advice. And when you think back to your opening, like being open to trying new things, betting on yourself. You wouldn't have discovered the career you had if you hadn't pursued your passion and then been open to and raising your hand to say sure I'll try that.

00:28:41:16 - 00:28:45:21
Jacquie
Yeah. Well said Alison. Yeah. Thank you, thank you I really appreciate it. 

00:28:45:21 - 00:29:12:10
Alison
Now Jacquie, you've been incredibly generous with your time. You've given us many, many ways to engage with the Paris Olympics and to really cheer on all of our athletes and looking forward to some great medal counts. Also really looking forward to seeing all of the amazing activations and marketing from the CoO, as well as all of your sponsors. You're collectively having an absolutely massive and positive impact on Canada as a country, and certainly Canada from an athletic point of view.

00:29:12:10 - 00:29:14:09
Alison
So a sincere thank you.

00:29:14:11 - 00:29:23:06
Jacquie
Thank you Alison, it's been my sincere pleasure and looking forward to engaging with Team Canada athletes on July 26th, when the opening ceremony begins.

00:29:23:08 - 00:29:25:23
Alison
Perfect. I will be tuning in for that as well.

00:29:26:01 - 00:29:31:23
Jacquie
Great. Thank you, Alison.

00:29:32:00 - 00:29:44:15
Presenter
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