It's remarkable to watch Olympic athletes competing at the pinnacle of their sport. While we watch these men and women compete, it's easy to think they were born to perform at this level. But in reality, each and every one of these individuals and teams have reached this apex through hard work and perseverance, providing lessons that all marketers can learn from. What can we as marketers learn from these athletes? Plenty! Here are five tips to start.

Stay the Course

There's a saying—hope is not a strategy. Olympic athletes don't get to the top of their game by hoping they make the Olympic team and win the gold. They created a long-term plan for success and then worked at it every day. This path is the same for tried and true brands that we all recognize. They didn't become that way overnight; they worked at it over months, years, even decades. Marketing is a fast-paced industry, and it is essential to adapt as you move forward, but it's critical not to be short-sighted. Trends come and go, but if you jump on each train, it will simply derail you from your high-level goals. Don't make sudden changes unless they make absolute sense to your long-term strategy. "It's so important to have a long term strategy that feeds decision making to align with business goals, said Peter Johnson, partner and founder at Law Practice Consultants. "Often companies bounce around from trend to trend without long-term planning and fail to find success."