Pressure from environmental activists forced Denver to back out from hosting the 1976 Winter Olympic Games. Public pressure also was the reason that Boston declined the 2028 Summer Olympics, when polls showed that Bostonians had lukewarm support for the Games. The Olympics were then awarded to L.A., which already has groups opposing holding the Games there because of the adverse affect it has on residents and the usual cost overruns that the public has to cover. And there were protests in Paris against the 2024 Olympics.

With the Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina less than a year away, there have been protests because of the cost and environmental damage that will occur in preparing the region for the Games.

Protests against mega sporting events are not new. But as brands that sponsor mega events have become frequent targets, this poses a problem for sponsors — how to protect brands from being targeted.

As an old mega-sports PR hand, who often had clients targeted by pressure groups, I developed tactics that deflected attacks on clients. But different tactics were needed for different circumstances and the most effective ones were tailored to meet the occasion, because unlike some clothing, there is no one size fits all.

There are two basic tactics that should be applied in all cases:

Media training (with a difference)

Because mega sporting events are now always targets of protest........

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