Skip navigation
Watchlist Sponsored By :

Current DateTime: 05:22:00 02 Dec 2009
LinksList Documentid: 24355697
  • The Cost of True Love

      In the popular holiday song "The 12 Days of Christmas," the cost of gifts - from the 12 drummers drumming to a partridge in a pear tree - is quite pricey.

  • Runway Angels

      The superbowl of fashion shows, models walk down the runway at the 2009 Victoria's Secret Show.

  • Smartphone Guide

      Here's a need-to-know guide to nine devices, based on features, price, network and platform.

FEATURED QUIZZES


Current DateTime: 05:22:00 02 Dec 2009
LinksList Documentid: 33793611
  • Test Your Google IQ

      How much do you know about the most popular search engine in the world? Take the following quiz and find out.

  • A Healthier & Wealthier You

      Take the following quiz and find out how much you know about the impact of obesity on the health of the U.S. economy.

  • How Well Do You Know Your Bird?

      Let's talk turkey. Test your turkey knowledge and perhaps pick up a bit of trivia to trot out at your holiday meal.


Current DateTime: 05:22:01 02 Dec 2009
LinksList Documentid: 24890560
  • Predictions '10

      After a brutal 2009, we're all looking forward to 2010. Here's what our bloggers expect.

  • Holiday Central

      There are plenty of reasons to believe that this Christmas holiday season will not be as bad for retailers as last year.

  • Winterizing Your Portfolio

      If 2009 was the winter of our discontent, will 2010 be a winter wonderland for investors? A lot depends on the recovery—or lack thereof.

powered by digg
Beijing Games 2008 -- Advertisers Try To Capture The Spirit
By: Ayesha Faines | 06 Dec 2007 | 09:38 AM ET
Text Size

The 2008 Beijing Olympics present an unparalleled marketing opportunity for global brands looking to expand their presence in the dynamic Chinese market.

Complete Coverage

World class companies including Johnson & Johnson, Samsung and Volkswagen will employ innovative marketing strategies and though companies aren't revealing spending plans, industry experts say they're likely to spend more money on the games than ever before in efforts to attract China's expanding consumer class.

"China is still a vastly under tapped market and Olympic sponsorship in China serves as both a brand building and broader market entry strategy for lesser known multinationals," says Scott Kronick, president of China operations for Ogilvy Public Relations World Wide.

"Currently only 150-200 million Chinese can afford the goods and services we are trying to market them," WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell told shareholders in the ad giant's annual report, "However, this is already equivalent to over half an America and this is a dynamic situation, one that will change rapidly in the coming years."

The Chinese economy has been enjoying double-digit growth for years and the IMF estimates that China's GDP will surpass that of the US by 2040.

Tom Doctoroff, CEO of JWT Greater China describes the Olympics as a "coming out party" for the country and its big companies, offering a venue for China-based sponsors such as Lenovo, China Mobile and Sinopec to project a more global, Western image. 

As for major Western sponsors and advertisers, industry experts say they will tailor their marketing strategy to the Chinese consumer.

Doctoroff explains that many Chinese "individuals use the nation's status as a surrogate identity for themselves."  That is to say citizens equate China's forward momentum and national ambition with their own. Advertising campaigns that capture a spirit of victory have a better shot at making their brand more meaningful to the Chinese consumer.  

Johnson & Johnson, for instance, will use a "Golden touch, Golden mom" campaign that refers to the mother as a "winner".

Yili, one of China's major milk companies, is airing a television commercial that shows a boy winning a race against Liu Xiang, the world-record holder in the 110-meter hurdle and now super-star. Of course, the boy only accomplishes this athletic feat after downing a glass of Yili milk.

Other companies will rely on a more traditional approach. Visa is currently running a commercial featuring Liu Xiang racing kangaroos.  Coca-Cola is one of the sponsors of the torch relay. (NBC will televise that event as well as the games.)

Doctoroff says that he expects an explosion of campaigns on August 8, the start of the year-long countdown to the games.

Eight is a very lucky number in Chinese society, signifying prosperity and fortune.  No doubt, China and the many companies involved in the Beijing Games hope that they will be an auspicious occasion indeed. 

© 2009 CNBC, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Tools:
Print EmailAdd This share icon
  • digg share

CNBC HIGHLIGHTS

  • Will the Fed raise rates? Will the dollar continue its slide? CNBC experts weigh in on the year ahead.
  • CNBC’s Larry Kudlow offers Tiger Woods some advice on dealing with tabloid scrutiny.
  • Lloyd Blankfein
  • Goldman Sachs has forbidden employees from gathering in private holiday parties of 12 or more.
  • esurient
  • Dictionary.com says that of all words searched for in 2009, a synonym for greed was the top gainer.
  • Heavily armed pirates in Somalia have set up a sort of stock exhange to fund their hijackings.
  • Since its launch in 1998, Google has become a primary force on the Internet. How much do you know about the company?
ADD COMMENTS
Remaining characters


Current DateTime: 01:49:20 02 Dec 2009
LinksList Documentid: 29778428

Current DateTime: 01:02:15 02 Dec 2009
LinksList Documentid: 29779196

Current DateTime: 01:42:02 02 Dec 2009
LinksList Documentid: 29779199

Current DateTime: 01:06:02 02 Dec 2009
LinksList Documentid: 29779198
  Data is a real-time snapshot  *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis

© 2009 CNBC, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.
A Division of NBC Universal
Thomson ReutersThomson Reuters