Former London 2012 marketer Greg Nugent, who launched the "#filltheseats" campaign to fill the Paralympic stadiums with Brazilian children, said that "while brands such as Allianz and Sainsbury’s have grasped the opportunity afforded by the Paralympics," top IOC partners have been "slow to engage," according to Nicola Kemp of PR WEEK. Toyota, Visa, Samsung, Atos and Panasonic are among those that are worldwide partners of both the Int'l Paralympic Committee and the IOC. Brands including Procter & Gamble, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Omega "are only worldwide partners of the IOC." Nugent believes marketing investment in the Paralympics "will achieve parity with the Olympics in a decade." He said, "There is a truth to Paralympians and they inspire us more -- their stories connect. Now the world has caught on, and will tune in, the value will rocket." From a broadcasting perspective, the world "will have a greater opportunity than ever to watch the Games." According to the IPC, there has been a 30% increase in territories showing the tournament, which will reach a cumulative global audience of 4 billion for the first time. Sports sponsorship consultant Synergy CEO Tim Crow said that there is "no question that the Paralympics is undervalued" as a marketing platform. He said, "If the Paralympics came before the Olympics, there would be more of a marketing focus." However, "pioneering brands" such as Sainsbury’s, which became the first sole sponsor of the Paralympics in '10, say the investment has "already exceeded expectations." Sainsbury’s Sponsorship Manager Pete Ward attributed the success of the partnership to the fact that it’s "based on mutual values." Ward believes the partnership represents a "sweet spot to be in" for the brand. The Paralympic movement "also has its own marketing job to do." British Paralympic Association CEO Tim Hollingsworth said that the competition is being refocused as a "unique sporting property." He suggested that, as well as the excitement of field performance and "the pride that comes from getting behind your team," the contest offers brands the chance to "make a social impact." Hollingsworth: "Brands and their staff and supporters can feel the benefit from both the traditional sporting association but also a genuine ability to be transformational in attitudes to disability" (PR WEEK, 9/8).
