Digital outdoor media leader QMS has released new research showing its Milano Cortina Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games network drove significant gains in awareness, brand equity and long-term memory encoding for partners, reinforcing the power of premium Digital Out of Home (DOOH) to amplify culturally significant moments and deliver full-funnel impact.
New research conducted by Kantar shows the Winter Games Network delivered meaningful gains across key brand equity measures including Consideration (+8.9%pts), Affinity (+7.6%pts) and Preference (+5.7%pts). The research also reinforced the strength of the Olympic and Paralympic environment, with 84% of Australians holding a positive view of brands associated with the Games.
Neuro Insight research further underscores the impact of the network, with partner brand ads achieving +19% stronger long-term memory encoding compared to Neuro Insights global benchmarks.
QMS Chief Sales Officer, Tim Murphy, said: “The Milano Cortina Winter Games Network delivered a premium, high-impact environment that drove measurable results for partners. The strong uplift across both awareness and brand equity metrics reinforces the value of aligning with moments that matter and the role QMS plays in connecting brands to those moments at scale.”
QMS Chief Strategy Officer, Christian Zavecz, said: “The research shows the strength of Games association in creating a positive halo for brands, and when that association is strong it drives deeper brand impact well beyond awareness. Combining this with contextual, moment-led creative and quality digital formats it enhances engagement, memorability and overall brand perception.”
Kantar Australia Head of Media, Sharon Hilton, said: “The Olympic and Paralympic Games proved to be an effective environment for building positive brand associations augmented by the significant positive perceptions that Australians have of Games partners. This underpins partner brand benefits from both immediate impact and longer-term equity growth.”
Reflecting on the cultural impact of the partnership, Australian Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer, Mark Arbib, said the collaboration set a new benchmark for winter sports property engagement during the Games.
“Milano Cortina 2026 was a milestone moment for Australia’s Winter Olympic Team. The stories of our incredible Australian winter athletes – of courage, grit, and triumph – truly captured the hearts and attention of Australians everywhere.
“QMS have been a longstanding partner who not only understood the power of those stories but possessed the scale and creativity to bring them to life across the country. Their digital network scale gave Australians the chance to experience the highlights of the Games as they happened, in the moments that mattered. It is a partnership we are deeply proud of, and it was incredible to see how our athletes’ journeys were seen, celebrated, and supported.”
Murphy added the results build on the momentum of QMS’ broader Olympic and Paralympic strategy: “From launch through to sell-out and delivery, the Milano Cortina Winter Games Network success highlights the strength of our premium digital offering as well as the shift in clients really starting to understand the power and impact that dynamic DOOH can deliver on such a large scale.”
