From Meds to Medals: Sanofi’s Inspiring Partnership with Paris 2024
Sanofi believes this strategy will not only improve their image in France but also globally, leveraging their French heritage for a unique touch.
The Olympic and Paralympic Games are the leading sports event in the world and have a unique media impact, bringing together some 10,500 Olympic and 4,350 Paralympic athletes respectively representing 206 and 182 delegations from five continents. The Games are followed by over 13 million spectators and 4 billion viewers around the world through more than 100,000 hours of TV coverage, and their impact as a global event of great sporting, economic and cultural importance is unparalleled.
Team Sanofi, 14 athletes who support causes Sanofi cares about, further emphasizing their human side.
Sanofi has selected a group of Paralympic athletes, Olympic athletes and coaches who represent 14 people, 7 countries and 10 sports: swimming, athletics, rowing, tennis, basketball, judo, gymnastics, wheelchair basketball, football and even breakdancing, new entrant to the Olympics.
This team members, also called the “Ignitors”, and are catalysts for inspiring hope and resilience in others. They raise their voice to advance diversity and inclusion, whether it be women’s rights, the fight against racism, LGBTQ+ rights, accessibility, youth, professional and social integration, and awareness of devastating diseases.
Amandine Buchard (Judo) – France
French Olympic medalist and committed to defending the rights of LGBTQ+ people, Amandine is a fervent supporter of social change in France and in the world of sport.
Dany Dann (Break dance) – France
Dany recently became European champion. Originally from French Guiana, he wants to encourage young people to follow their dreams.
Nantenin Keita (Paralympic athletics) – France / Mali
Nantenin is a visually impaired Franco-Malian athlete with albinism. She already has four medals at the Paralympic Games to her name. She positions herself as a defender of people with albinism in France and Africa.
Nicolas Mahut (tennis) – France
Nicolas is a French professional tennis player, former world number 1 in doubles in 2016, having held the number one spot for 39 weeks. He is committed to supporting female victims of violence and is one of the only male athletes to use his platform to take a stand on this topic.
Valériane Ayayi (basketball) – France
Valériane is a French professional basketball player who has represented France more than 125 times in international events. She also distinguished herself by playing pregnant during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Davide Morana (Paralympic athletics) – Italy
Davide is a Paralympic athlete. After contracting meningitis at the age of 24, he became an ambassador for the fight against this disease and used the networks to raise awareness on this major public health subject.
Ellie Challis (Paralympic swimming) – Great Britain
Ellie is a British Paralympic swimmer and Britain’s youngest Paralympic medalist. Ellie’s story is one of courage and determination. She is committed to Sanofi in the fight against meningitis.
Ezra Frech (Paralympic athletics) – United States
Ezra is a multi-medal winning Paralympic athlete. At 17, he is the youngest athlete on Team Sanofi and has already co-founded an association, Angel City Sport, to promote sports practice among children and adults with disabilities.
Lauren Rowles (Paralympic rowing) – Great Britain
Lauren Rowles is a British Paralympic rower. She won gold with her teammate at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympics. She is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
Yul Moldauer (Gymnastics) – United States
Yul is an American gymnast of South Korean origin who aims to win gold at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. Yul also uses his notoriety to fight discrimination against the Asian community.
Nicolai Zeltinger (Coach, Wheelchair basketball) – Germany
Nicolai is a key figure in wheelchair basketball in Germany and Europe, as well as a fervent defender of people living with disabilities; he strives to raise awareness of handibasketball and para-sports in general.
Sarah Farhoud (Coach) – Saudi Arabia
Coach, former doctor of the Saudi women’s Paralympic team for the Tokyo Games o Sarah is an iconic physical trainer, specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). She is passionate about sport and its ability to contribute to the rehabilitation of people with illnesses and disabilities.
Sarah M’Barek (Coach, Football) – France
Sarah is one of the rare women to coach high-level football in France. After her impressive career as an international footballer, she now coaches the RFC Lens women’s team.
Théo Curin (Paralympic swimming) – France
Théo is a French Paralympic swimmer, model, speaker and actor. He is also engaged in meningitis awareness and prevention.
Case
SANOFI, IGNITING THE POTENTIAL IN EVERYONE (GLOBAL)
Humanizing Science Through Inspiration and Sports
Sanofi created a global campaign around its sponsorship of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The creative idea was built upon the idea that sport records or scientific breakthroughs do not happen overnight. They require courage, determination and hard work.
In its campaign the company highlights the dedication and hard work of their employees, similar to the dedication of the athletes. Sanofi highlights stories that create change by spotlighting inspiring individuals – at Sanofi and sports – who inspire us to push our limits, to do more and to ignite our full potential.
Sanofi anticipates this human-centric approach will not only improve their image in France but also resonate with a global audience. The campaign aims to connect with viewers on an emotional level, fostering a positive association between Sanofi and the values embodied by the athletes and the Games themselves.
The campaign is also composed by advertising executions that highlight individual stories of athletes or scientists. See examples of an Athlete and a Scientist below:
Amandine Buchard – French Olympic judoka:
Youxin Kong, Sanofi senior scientist and Volunteer for the Olympic Games Paris 2024:
The Meningitis Flag
Alongside with the sponsorship and with the support of the Meningitis Research Foundation and the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO), Sanofi commissioned an agency to create The Meningitis Flag – a new symbol created to raise awareness of meningitis, a serious disease that can strike anyone at any time.
Meningitis remains a significant health problem, affecting 2.5 million people annually and causing death and disability despite the availability of vaccines such as Sanofi’s MenQuadfi that prevent infection.
The flag was designed by patients, families, and the meningitis community. It features a yellow semi-circle to represent the patient, a purple triangle to represent the support of families, and a sea of blue to represent the broader movement to defeat meningitis.
The campaign is running on digital media and be amplified by athletes and organizations around the world. Sanofi counts on the support of the para-athletes Ellie Challis, Thйo Curin and Davide Morana for this. Sanofi’s Meningitis Flag initiative will include out-of-home awareness messages shown at around 500 locations during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
A great involvement of its employees
The company is also using the sponsorship as an opportunity to unite its employees around values shared with the Olympics and Paralympics, such as inclusion and diversity, openness to the world, courage, determination and excellence. Sanofi is taking more than 8,000 employees to the Games as volunteers or through internal rewards programs.
Volunteers
Sanofians recruited to be volunteers at the Paris 2024 Games follow a diversity and inclusion training program to equip them to be strong DEI advocates not only at the event, but also at Sanofi and in their local communities. Volunteers were granted an extra five days of paid leave to focus on their volunteering experience and build lifetime memories with fellow colleagues.
Lectures with Olympic Athletes from Team Sanofi
When they’re not training, members of Team Sanofi dedicate their time to collaborating with us on various initiatives around diversity and inclusion in and beyond Sanofi’s workplace.
At Sanofi, they participate in conversations around our cultural transformation, diversity, and inclusion efforts. In March 2023, Yul Moldauer spoke to Sanofians about the champion mindset and how it drives his commitment to inclusion. In June 2023, Lauren Rowles gave an exclusive LinkedIn Live where she shared her experience and ideas forbuilding an inclusive workplace for LGBTQ+ professionals.
Impulsions 2024
A series of dynamic roundtable events leading up to Paris 2024. As part of this series, athletes, Sanofians, and members of the local ecosystem met at Sanofi’s site in Marcy l’Etoile to have open conversations about issues that reflect our shared values at Sanofi and Paris 2024, from diversity and inclusion to disability advocacy and healthcare access.
Place d’Avenir Roadshow for Social Impact
Beyond its workplace, Sanofi is partnering to create a lasting social impact. The company added a new dimension to its “Place d’Avenir” roadshow, which travels cross-country to recruit 1,600 young people for work-study contracts, including 10% from disadvantaged neighborhoods. Athletes from Team Sanofi met with students and young adults in cities across France to coach them on various life skills mastered in the sports arena that can be applied to the workforce.
Torch Bearers
As official partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic torch relays, Sanofi is keen to exhibit the richness and diversity of France. Several lucky Sanofians from different sites in France are having the unique experience to bear the torch while showcasing the company’s unwavering commitment to scientific innovation and French industrial excellence.
Sanofi Cup
Sanofi also created an in-house sporting competition launched May 2023. Building on the energy and excitement for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, the Sanofi Cup encouraged friendly and inclusive competition through a variety of physical activities and volunteering opportunities. And thanks to a dedicated digital app, Sanofians could sign up for different challenges and track their activities. Finalists from all countries competed in the Sanofi Cup Final in Paris last April.
Key Takeaways:
our cut ABBOVE
We saw
Great ways to maximize sponsorship to engage employees.
How to use an event like the Olympics to raise global awareness for
causes like meningitis.
How to go beyond sports and promote DEI.
We learned that
Sponsoring a major sporting event can be a powerful tool for a pharmaceutical company to change its public image.
Highlighting human stories of struggle and triumph can connect with a broad audience.
Partnering with athletes allows a company to leverage their fame for social good.
Employee engagement can be fostered through shared experiences and values.
This encourages us
Move beyond traditional advertising and focus on creating emotional
connections with consumers.
Partner with athletes or patient advocates to raise awareness about
diseases and treatments.
Find ways to involve employees in brand initiatives to build internal
pride and advocacy.
Triggers for innovating
What if we collaborated with sports media outlets to create educational segments that feature interviews with patients, doctors, and athletes, discussing the intersection of sports, health, and specific disease areas?
How might we partner with patient athletes or sports figures who have overcome health challenges to develop inspirational content that motivates and empowers others?
How can we use sports partnerships to sponsor grassroots initiatives that promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles in communities most affected by certain diseases?
What if we created an internal competition that challenges employees to develop innovative solutions for a specific healthcare challenge such as a hackathon or innovation challenge focused on improving patient care, medication adherence, or disease awareness, drawing inspiration from the “Ignitors” spirit?
How can we utilize wearable technology in sports to collect data that can be used to personalize patient care and improve treatment outcomes for athletes and the general public?
How might we develop a program that connects employees with patient communities, fostering empathy and understanding of the impact of their work?
How can we utilize gamification to incentivize employee participation in volunteer programs or health and wellness initiatives?
How might we partner with patient advocacy groups or social influencers to develop engaging social media campaigns that raise awareness of specific health conditions?
What if we collaborated with retired athletes to create patient support communities focused on specific injuries or conditions commonly experienced in certain sports?
How can we partner with sports organizations to develop programs that promote health literacy and disease awareness among athletes and fans?
What if we develop interactive educational tools and experiences to explain the science behind certain diseases and treatment options?
How might we develop interactive platforms where patients can share their sports stories and connect with others facing similar challenges, fostering a sense of community and support?
ABBOVE TEAM