USA Diving- How We Leveraged PR and Earned Media to Create Visibility that would have cost $15 Million with $0 Ad Spend
The Challenge
As a not-for-profit organization, USA Diving operates with an extremely limited budget, making it crucial to capitalize on major events like the Olympic Games. For smaller sports, these high-profile moments present a rare opportunity to elevate visibility, attract new members, and drive revenue.
With increased media attention and heightened public interest, USA Diving needed a strategic approach to maximize exposure, engage new audiences, and convert Olympic momentum into sustained growth—all while working within tight financial constraints.
The Solution
Recognizing the importance of sustained momentum, we developed a long-term organizational messaging strategy designed to carry USA Diving through the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and beyond. This long-term approach ensured brand consistency, maximize visibility, and set the stage for continued growth.
In the lead-up to and during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, I led all Media, PR, and Marketing efforts for USA Diving, including:
Media Operations at the Olympic Trials – Diving, ensuring seamless event coverage and media access.
Athlete Media and Social Media Training to prepare divers for increased exposure and brand engagement.
Event Social Media Coverage to amplify real-time storytelling and audience engagement.
Press Release Creation and Distribution to secure media placements and drive visibility.
Served as Press Officer in Tokyo, managing relationships and direct communication with media and coordinating interviews.
Sponsor Activations and Partnership Coordination, ensuring maximum return on investment for brand sponsors.
Results
By implementing a strategic,long-term plan focused on media, content, and digital engagement, we successfully leveraged the Olympic momentum to drive significant growth for USA Diving.
Key Achievements:
Explosive Social Media Growth: Grew TikTok to over 200K followers in under six months, generating 4.1 million content interactions, 42 million impressions, and 10% engagement rate across all platforms.
High-Value Earned Media: Secured over $9 million in ad equivalency from earned media coverage, including People Magazine, The Today Show, and other major outlets—without any paid ad spend.
Sustained Momentum: Capitalized on post-Olympic interest to drive continued media attention, resulting in an additional $5.7 million ad equivalency during the Senior Winter National Championships.
This strategic approach maximized exposure during the Olympics and established a foundation for long-term growth, ensuring increased visibility, engagement, and sustainability for USA Diving.
