Co-creating the brand: volunteer voices at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games

Abstract Purpose – For emerging mega-events, building a strong brand and positive reputation is critical for long-term success. Building on stakeholder theory and contemporary branding perspectives, this study analyses the lived experiences of 1,791 volunteers at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires to examine how volunteer management practices function as brand touchpoints through which organisational reputation is co-created. Design/methodology/approach – Adopting a reflexive thematic analysis of 2,074 advice units extracted from open-ended survey responses, we identified seven interrelated brand touchpoints across the volunteer journey. Findings – Indicatorsreveal high satisfaction (96.2%) and strong re-volunteering intention (98.6%), qualitative findings show that this positive evaluation coexists with constructive recommendations focused on (1) recruitment and training, (2) overall event planning and organisation, (3) organisation and distribution of activities, (4) implementation and execution, (5) working conditions, (6) recognition and incentives and (7) perceived event impact. These touchpoints represent critical moments in which organisational practices shaped volunteers’ experiential evaluations and contributed to the co-creation of event brand meaning and reputational capital. Originality/value – This study reconceptualises volunteer feedback as a strategic resource for brand cocreation. By framing volunteer management as structured brand touchpoints, it provides a theoretically grounded and practical framework for strengthening reputation and social legacy in emerging mega-events, particularly in Latin America.