Irresponsible advertising??

[Bonzo77]

We have got the London Olympics coming up next year. A competition overflowing with unbelievable athletic tallent. People who push their bodies to the edge of human ability.

 

So is anyone else wondering why (amongst the other sponsers) the likes of McDonnalds and Coke-a Cola have their logoes splashed all over the event?

 

Same goes for alcohol sponsering football and whiskey companies aponsering formula 1 teams!

 

Isn't this sending out the wrong message??

[Gazza58]

All down to the money im afraid.

[dosxuk]

Remember that every penny these companies pay is a penny which doesn't have to come from the public purse in order to put the event on.

[Bonzo77]

Remember that every penny these companies pay is a penny which doesn't have to come from the public purse in order to put the event on.

 

I've heard this before from some minister. The fact that they are getting these massive companies to put theie hand in their pockets.

 

I think there are many other events that coke, mcdonnalds, carling etc. can sponsor, not sporting events.

 

There are amny other companies that would love to have there name mentioned as a sponsor too.

[dosxuk]

I've heard this before from some minister. The fact that they are getting these massive companies to put theie hand in their pockets.

 

I think there are many other events that coke, mcdonnalds, carling etc. can sponsor, not sporting events.

 

There are amny other companies that would love to have there name mentioned as a sponsor too.

 

And many of them do. Macdonalds are the "official fast food provider" of the Games - it will be only their resturants on the sites (along with generic Olympics ones). Coke are the "official soft / sports drink provider" of the Games - it will be only their soft / sports drinks sold on the sites. Heineken was another "official drinks provider" of the Athens Games, and only thier alcoholic drinks were available on the sites.

 

Many of these sponsorships have aspects other than just a title and a right to sell to the public on the sites. Atos Origon is one of them, they're just listed as an "official IT providor", but they provide all of the computer systems, software, hardware and infrastructure which the Games need. When you think that every member of the 200,000+ media alone has access to a computer on the Olympic network, and every one of the ~5,000 commentary positions has it's own touchscreen computer linked to the network, you get an idea of the scale of the job. Coke as part of their role provide free drinks to all Olympics competitors, staff and volunteers.

 

All of these sponsorship positions are (were) advertised, and if your company thinks it can compete for one of them, there's nothing to stop them.

[Mecky]

Everyone is trying to chip away at your money by association

[Bonzo77]

And many of them do. Macdonalds are the "official fast food provider" of the Games - it will be only their resturants on the sites (along with generic Olympics ones). Coke are the "official soft / sports drink provider" of the Games - it will be only their soft / sports drinks sold on the sites. Heineken was another "official drinks provider" of the Athens Games, and only thier alcoholic drinks were available on the sites.

 

Many of these sponsorships have aspects other than just a title and a right to sell to the public on the sites. Atos Origon is one of them, they're just listed as an "official IT providor", but they provide all of the computer systems, software, hardware and infrastructure which the Games need. When you think that every member of the 200,000+ media alone has access to a computer on the Olympic network, and every one of the ~5,000 commentary positions has it's own touchscreen computer linked to the network, you get an idea of the scale of the job. Coke as part of their role provide free drinks to all Olympics competitors, staff and volunteers.

 

All of these sponsorship positions are (were) advertised, and if your company thinks it can compete for one of them, there's nothing to stop them.

 

So you are saying that only a company the size of McDonnalds and Coke can pull off the job?

 

Why not just have 100's of smaller companies do the job instead?

 

What about alcohol sponsoring football, or even worse, footballers advertising coke or pepsi??

[HeadingNorth]

So you are saying that only a company the size of McDonnalds and Coke can pull off the job?

 

Why not just have 100's of smaller companies do the job instead?

 

How can hundreds of small companies each be the only one allowed to have a franchise?

[ratter71]

go on then, why is coca cola as a sponsor irresponsible? Ditto Mcdonalds really

[dosxuk]

So you are saying that only a company the size of McDonnalds and Coke can pull off the job?

 

No, but companies of that size are the ones which can benefit most from the exposure that being an Olympic sponsor can bring. They also have the biggest marketing budgets.

 

Why not just have 100's of smaller companies do the job instead?

 

Because a big company like McDonalds is willing to pay more than that 100 together, plus it simplifies the logistics and bureaucracy. Having 50 individual lorries turning up each day at the Olympic park with individual loads all needing to be security checked is much more work than having 2 from McDonalds and 2 from Coke servicing all outlets. (nothing, at all, gets onto an Olympic venue site without being cleared by security (metal detectors, xray machines, sniffer dogs - the full works), so reduction of goods being moved onto site is a big concern, with quite large cost and resource implications).