MARKETING MAGAZINE's Gemma Charles noted a number of brands with direct competitors as official sponsors of the Olympics "have cut their marketing spend by millions of pounds" in the run up to the London Games. Exclusive research by Ebiquity, commissioned by Marketing Magazine, has revealed that Unilever, Nestlé and MasterCard have decided not to try to oppose their rivals and Olympic sponsors Procter & Gamble, Cadbury and Visa respectively in the marketing realm, and are, in effect, "sitting out the Games." Analysis revealed that over the 12 weeks leading up to July 15, compared with the same period in '11, TV and print adspend of brands competing with sponsor rivals is down overall by 6% (MARKETINGMAGAZINE.com, 7/31).
CHINESE INFLUENCE: In Beijing, Li Xiang wrote Chinese companies and tourism agencies from major cities such as Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, are "stepping up their advertising campaigns in an effort to appeal to consumers and visitors from around the world." Ads are "ubiquitous on London's double-decker buses and taxis," while posters of major Chinese banks and airlines are also on display "in the busiest stations of the London subway" (CHINA DAILY, 7/31).
TO THEIR ADVANTAGE: ASIASPONSORSHIPNEWS.com noted Ipsos Digital Research revealed Chinese companies are "benefiting from increased brand awareness" because of their Olympic sponsorship campaigns. The report said that dairy company Yili "has benefited the most from its Olympic sponsorship" with a 22% increase in brand awareness while apparel and sports equipment company Anta Sport increased by 21% and wool producer Heng Yaun Xiang by 18% in its local market (ASISASPONSORSHIPNEWS.com, 7/31).
MOBILE OLYMPICS TEAM: The Samsung Global Blogger Tuesday announced its program kick-off. The 76 chosen bloggers have been equipped with the latest Samsung Galaxy SIII smartphones to capture their London Games experiences. Samsung Olympic Games Ambassador Jamie Oliver has been supporting the SGB program from launch and Tuesday joined an event with the SGBs (Samsung).
