Olympic Marketers Adopting Global Approach During Games
Marketers activating around the Beijing Games "can't afford to just think locally," as "global is the name of the game," according to Brian Steinberg of the BOSTON GLOBE. Mullen Senior VP & Dir of Ideas & Innovation John Moore: "Jingoism only goes so far. The only way that major brands grow is by being successful globally, and China is in many ways the next frontier." IOC TOP sponsor Manulife Asia Senior Manager of Regional Brand Development & Communications Catherine Battershill said in an e-mail, "Our Olympic activation is focused on the 10 countries and territories in Asia in which we have operations." Steinberg notes "while some marketers still rely on appearances by former Olympians or even zany antics, many are using the Olympics' setting as a chance to offer a twist on the usual themes." TOP sponsor McDonald's is airing an ad that "depicts two Chinese children fighting -- 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' style -- with chopsticks to win one last Chicken McNugget" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/20).
GOLDEN APPROACH: The GLOBE & MAIL's Grant Robertson reports "a growing number of athletes have been plugging McDonald's in interviews," resulting in "a stream of free advertising." But the QSR said that it "has not been paying athletes to talk up the brand." Robertson notes it is the "result of a savvy marketing strategy," as McDonald's "is free for all athletes [at the Olympic Village], meaning the product is finding its way into the hands of many." Jamaica sprinter Usain Bolt said that his pre-race meal before setting a world record in the men's 100m Saturday night "was none other than Chicken McNuggets," and after winning her second Gold Medal, Great Britain swimmer Rebecca Adlington said, "I'm going to have McDonald's." U.S. Gold Medal-winning discus thrower Stephanie Brown Trafton, U.S. runner Billy Nelson and U.S. boxing coach Dan Campbell have also publicly mentioned the QSR. While McDonald's does have endorsement deals "with several top U.S. athletes," including U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte, McDonald's spokesperson Laura Cain denied it has one with Bolt. Cain also "played down suggestions that the restaurant may now try to seek" a deal with Bolt, but advertising execs suggested that his interview "could be worth millions in terms of endorsement value" (GLOBE & MAIL, 8/20).
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Walsh Giving Tape Company Kinesio
Primetime Exposure During Beijing Olympics |
TAPE IT UP: CNBC’s Darren Rovell reported the Beijing Games “is definitely the coming-out party” of New Mexico-based therapeutic tape company Kinesio. The company donated 50,000 rolls of its tape to “athletes from 58 countries without paying a single cent to the athletes.” Such high-profile Olympians as U.S. volleyballer Kerri Walsh and sprinter Shawn Crawford have worn the tape during the Games. Kinesio USA Dir John Jarvis said the exposure from Walsh wearing the tape has “really broadened our horizons out there as far as the retail is concerned. To us, it is virtually unlimited.” Rovell noted Kinesio “at some point … is going to have to give Kerri Walsh some money because this (exposure) is as amazing as it gets” (“Squawk Box,” CNBC, 8/20).
CORPORATE OUTINGS: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Wang & McKay report "while sponsors regularly entertain guests at Olympic Games, Beijing offers a prime locale in the growing Chinese market, and many chief executives have made the trip." Additionally, companies "are using trips to the Games or assignments in China as a motivational tool for their own employees." Coca-Cola's "Go for the Gold Ambassadors" campaign, its first Olympic employee-reward program, "grew out of a company strategy adopted a few years ago that puts a priority on programs to inspire the work force." GE "held a kite-design contest, open to all its employees world-wide," with the winner receiving a trip to the Games. Johnson & Johnson "sent the top three winners of company-wide essay and photograph contests to Beijing to blog about and photograph the Games for an internal Web site" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/20).
WINS & LOSSES: In London, Carl Mortished writes under the header, "Speedo Swimwear Is The Real Star Of The Games: The Body-Hugging Suit Worn By Swimmers Should Deliver An Olympic Boost To Sales Once The Beijing Games Are Over." Speedo and its U.K.-based Owner Pentland Group "have been relishing every moment" at the Games, "counting the number of LZR-suited swimmers on the starting blocks." However, Mortished writes "beyond the intimate world of extreme athletics and body fetishists, Speedo may find relatively few takers for its unadulterated product" (LONDON TIMES, 8/20)....In DC, Leonard Shapiro wrote he loves the "beautifully animated United Airlines Rhapsody in Blue commercials" airing during the Games, but he hates McDonald's "trying to convince us that all these flat-bellied, buff-to-the-max, world-class athletes are being fueled in their respective sports by greasy chicken sandwiches and Big Macs" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/19).
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