With "so much at stake," major sponsors took a "wait-and-see
approach" in the wake of the bombing, according to the PHILA.
DAILY NEWS. The hope is that today's "rededication" can help the
companies -- as well as visitors and residents -- "put the
bombing behind them and move forward through the remainder of the
games." AT&T spokesperson Mark Siegal noted they will not show
TV ads referencing the Global Olympic Village -- out of respect
for the victims (Russell & Latty, PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 7/30). USA
TODAY's Melanie Wells notes, "There has never been a better time
to be an unsung sponsor, especially in the wake of the bomb."
Cited were Dial, John Hancock, Texaco, Motorola, and Visa (USA
TODAY, 7/30). Still, the WASHINGTON POST reports, unlike vendors
and local businesses, the major corporations "are pleased with
the evolution of the games." The "turn-around" in public
attitudes after the bombing has "eased anxieties" among corporate
execs. Kodak Chief Marketing Officer Carl Gustin: "We felt it
didn't look like we were sponsoring a tragic event; we were still
sponsoring the Olympics" (Drozdiak & Pressler, WASHINGTON POST,
7/30).
IBM'S IMAGE WOES: The L.A. TIMES' Jennifer Oldham writes
the "bad publicity" over IBM's troubled computer results system
"has certainly ruined IBM's hopes of using the Games as a means
of wooing customers in the fast-growing Internet and Intranet
markets. Some say the long-term damage is likely to be modest at
most" (L.A. TIMES, 7/30). IBM "has at least temporarily
withdrawn" some print ads that were to have promoted its Olympic
role. The company's TV ads will run unchanged (N.Y. TIMES,
7/30).
