Last month, Alibaba announced a partnership with the IOC that will give it major "sponsorship credentials" until '18, according to Charlotte McEleny of THE DRUM.
Alibaba CMO Chris Tung said that Alibaba’s ambitions "aren’t just to use the logo as a badge of honour but to show the world how its technology works by transforming the game." He said, “What’s important is not just a worldwide Olympic partner logo, but to keep showcasing what we have achieved to change the game." The deal, which covers three consecutive Olympic Games, "will see Alibaba become the main technology sponsor." Alibaba announced that it is going to build an e-commerce site for all of the Olympic brand sponsors, as well as use its technology to create efficiencies via the "internet of things" at the Olympics.
Another core part of the program "is using its technology to take the Olympics Channel, an online content platform, to China for the first time." Tung said that the strategy "is already taking shape," with task forces created on both the IOC and Alibaba sides of the business that are creating plans for programs that are going to "have an impact on game and the way IOC operates" (THE DRUM, 2/2).
