Olympic Sponsors, Ad Buyers Focusing More On Digital Marketing

Speedo Spending All Of Its Olympic Budget On Digital Marketing, PR For Beijing Games

GOLDEN ARCHES: McDonald's, as the official restaurant of the Olympics, is the only Olympic sponsor to have its logo on Olympic signs on the Olympic Green. The Olympic Village and Main Press Center McDonald’s feature McCafes, offering premium coffee and couch seating. All of the McDonald’s menus include traditional items like Egg McMuffins and Big Macs, as well as a local Chinese favorite, Corn Cups (Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal). McDonald's China CEO Jeffrey Schwartz said of the role of Olympic sponsors, "This is all about sponsoring an Olympic event, not a political arena. We're here to promote the sporting event, to bring countries closer, to elevate our brand. That's where our responsibility begins and ends" ("World News," ABC, 8/6). McDonald's President Don Thompson in a Q&A with SBJ's Mickle, said of the QSR wants to "make sure that we’re satisfying customers and we want to have additional sales and income. But we do the Games because we feel like we should be a corporate sponsor and give back relative to all the great things we have at McDonald’s and the customers we work for." When asked why McDonald's decided to tie its new Southern-style chicken sandwich in to the Olympics promotion, Thompson said, "We originally launched that sandwich back in May. ... We had the Olympic Games, so we thought it was a good time to reintroduce the sandwich" (Mickle).

McDonald's Only Olympic Sponsor To Have Logo On Signs On Olympic Green

HOMETOWN CHARM: In Charlotte, Melissa Caron notes USOC Partner Bank of America (BofA) Friday opens its Hometown Hopefuls Family Center in downtown Beijing, and the bank "expects more than 25,500 guests to visit the center over the 17 days of the Olympics -- from athletes checking e-mail or making phone calls to family and friends meeting up for lunch or celebrating an athlete's medals." BofA Saturday will officially dedicate the center "so as not to compete with" Friday's Opening Ceremony, and former President George H.W. Bush will be in attendance (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/8).

SEARCH FOR NEW CLIENTS: Q Sports Founder Patrick Quinn, in a Q&A with MEDIA LIFE MAGAZINE's Diego Vasquez, said of his agency's plan to lock up new clients for the Olympics, "I always have an eye on clients, we actually just closed a huge sponsorship deal for a winter Olympian (in 2010). As the Summer Olympics end, the momentum will swing back to the winter. But the thing to keep in mind is that while the perception is the Olympics are two years apart, that's not the reality -- the Winter Games are only 18 months away." Meanwhile, Quinn added, "I don't think the U.S. is ready right now to embrace an international star" (MEDIALIFEMAGAZINE.com, 8/7).

Olympics' Official Motto To Be Visible Throughout Beijing During Games

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