Skip navigation
Watchlist Sponsored By :

Current DateTime: 02:20:34 15 Nov 2009
LinksList Documentid: 24355697

FEATURED QUIZZES


Current DateTime: 02:20:34 15 Nov 2009
LinksList Documentid: 33793611
  • The Billionaire BFF's

      Philanthropists. Bridge partners. Hockey players. Which responses are based on facts from Buffett's and Gates' real lives?

  • The Many Myths of Coca-Cola

      Can you tell which statements are true, and which ones are just rumors?

  • Think You Understand Markets?

      We've selected some questions from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's test of investor knowledge. See how you do ...


Current DateTime: 02:20:34 15 Nov 2009
LinksList Documentid: 24890560
  • 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.

  • Investor's Guide to Real Estate

      Some even say the long-awaited recovery is here. Regardless, buyers and sellers alike can profit from our guide.

  • Alternative Investing

      Stocks and bonds? Sure. But it's a big world out there for investors.

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

  • Warren Buffett and Bill Gates spoke to Columbia students, and Buffett made the students a startling offer.
  • Brian L. Roberts
  • For the chief of cable company Comcast, growth has been about making deals – generally very large deals.
  • Some companies may start using insurance to shift carbon risk from their balance sheets to maybe... yours?
  • The president and founder of Genesis Today wants to improve America’s health, and thinks Wal-Mart can help.
  • Switzerland's privacy watchdog is taking legal action to force Google to make changes to its Street View service.
  • A wealthy, distracted Texas driver crashed his million-dollar Bugatti Veyron sports car into a salt marsh, say police.
ADD COMMENTS
Remaining characters


Current DateTime: 07:13:45 15 Nov 2009
LinksList Documentid: 29778428

Current DateTime: 07:13:45 15 Nov 2009
LinksList Documentid: 29779196

Current DateTime: 07:13:47 15 Nov 2009
LinksList Documentid: 29779199

Current DateTime: 07:13:47 15 Nov 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