The Coca-Cola Company?s vitaminwater brand is capitalizing on the anticipation surrounding the upcoming Rio Olympics by encouraging consumers to upload a photo or video of themselves trying something new onto social media for a chance to win a trip to Brazil.

Vitaminwater?s #beatryathlete contest aims to inspire individuals to take the plunge with new activities and experiences while documenting them for the opportunity to win a trip to the host city of the 2016 Olympic Games. Users who upload their sweepstakes entries onto Instagram or Twitter using the contest?s hashtag will be eligible to receive a trip for four to Rio de Janeiro in February 2017.

?The contest for vitaminwater will most likely [result in the brand seeing] an uptick in social followers as the Coca-Cola Company is very well-versed in social media consumer interaction for quick, quality social engagement hits that create large groups of followers,? said Marci Troutman, CEO of SiteMinis.

?The attitude reflected in the vitaminwater #beatryathlete contest is cool and significant to social consumer interaction.?

Fizzing up fearless commitments
Vitaminwater?s latest social media push demonstrates dedicated athletes? fearless commitment to never giving up pursuit of the next big experience. 

The beverage brand seeks to encourage consumers to employ that same mentality to their own goals and become a ?tryathlete,? someone the company defines as always being in pursuit of exciting new experiences.

Fans wanting to participate in the contest are asked to display their inner tryathlete on Twitter or Instagram for a chance to win several prizes, the biggest of which entails a trip for four to Rio de Janeiro in February.

To enter, individuals must follow @vitaminwater on Twitter or Instagram and post a video or photo of themselves trying a new activity. The #beatryathletecontest hashtag must be included.

Entrants can also register their ?try? by visiting beatryathlete.com on their smartphones or desktops.

Entries will be judged based on creativity, quality of submission, originality and adherence to the contest theme.

The deadline to participate in the sweepstakes is August 21.

Leveraging Olympics-sized excitement
Vitaminwater has tapped Megan Rapinoe, a London 2012 gold medalist from the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, to act as the brand?s official campaign spokeswoman.

If vitaminwater effectively leverages the partnership with Ms. Rapinoe to raise awareness for the contest ? perhaps by posting an in-depth YouTube video featuring her completing a new activity and cross-promoting it on Instagram ? the brand could see a major uptick in participation numbers.

The beverage marketer has already posted a small video snippet on its Instagram showcasing Ms. Rapinoe completing a variety of athletic activities, giving participants some inspiration for their own entries.

A Schick executive at the 2015 Mobile Marketing Association Forum New York affirmed that tapping social media influencers catapults the effectiveness and reach of mobile advertising, provided that the influencers are allowed creativity to expand on the brand?s message (see story).

Consumers have already taken to social media to upload videos and photos depicting themselves trying new experiences. Several entries include individuals going horseback riding, trying surfing for the first time and waterskiing on a lake.

Other marketers have also been rolling out Olympics-themed social media marketing pushes in a bid to connect with consumers and tie their brands to a major event.

For example, Hershey's is bringing at-home viewers in on the action surrounding the Olympics by partnering with athletes for separate social media pushes designed to fit the images of its flagship product and the Reese's brand (see story).

?The Olympics are a prime social media marketing opportunity for many brands,? Ms. Troutman said. ?NBC has over a billion dollars in ad revenue as of now, and more to come.

?Creating fan engagements through social media in the context of real-time, high-profile events through the 19 days of the Summer Olympics will have significant brand relevance,? she said. ?Olympic sporting events will have high-income profiles on second-screen engagements due to the real-time nature of sports, which only add to the revenue stream.

?There are so many test opportunities to develop consumer engagement success that can be capitalized upon through the unique Olympic four-year profile.?