Vkontakte, the Olympics’ social media secret weapon

The 2012 Olympic Games were accurately described by many as the world’s “first social Games” for the unprecedented ways in which digital communication connected athletes, media and fans. For the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this meant promoting the Games online played out more or less like you’d expect, primarily happening on Facebook and Twitter.

But this year’s Winter Olympics — beginning Feb. 7 in Sochi, Russia — require a different approach, according to Alex Huot, the IOC’s social media director. Facebook and Twitter are still in, of course; that’s where most Olympics fans from around the world hang out online. But to reach Russian fans in the Games’ host country, the IOC is relying on something entirely different: a social network called Vkontakte, or VK for short.