- Controversial Winter Olympics put sponsors in a bind
- China’s consumers display sustainability
- Fewer car sales in China
- Semiconductor company plans massive expansion
- Attacks on Chinese stores in the South Pacific
- Virtual EU-China summit scheduled for spring
- Eileen Gu experiences Chinese censorship first hand
- Portrait: BDI board member sees change in China critically
Major sporting events such as the soccer World Cup, the Super Bowl or the Olympic Games play an increasingly important role for the marketing of large corporations. So it’s no wonder that a sponsorship contract with the International Olympic Committee is causing popping champagne corks in PR departments
But the Winter Games in Beijing create an unexpected dilemma for large sponsors. Corporations are wondering: How to respond to harsh criticism of the host country, China? And how should the company position itself towards its production partners in Xinjiang or the diplomatic boycott by several governments? Ning Wang shows the dilemma the Olympic sponsors are in – and how they try to escape the situation unscathed, with absurd actions at times.
It is a complex picture that China represents when it comes to environmental protection. On the one hand, it is the world’s biggest climate offender, generates tons of radioactive nuclear waste with its myriad of reactors and burns mountains of dirty coal. On the other hand, Beijing has realized that China cannot avoid climate change. That’s why it wants to become a pioneer in climate protection.
In the future, companies are to offer their products and services in a climate-neutral, sustainable – in short, an eco-friendly manner. At least, that’s what the central government’s new climate protection plan envisions. Nico Beckert took a closer look at Beijing’s regulations and points out the problems that still need to be solved on the way to sustainable consumption. Otherwise, these promising plans will quickly turn out to be an eco-friendly mirage.
Michael Radunski
Feature
Olympic sponsors in a bind
US companies are once again some of the biggest Olympic sponsors of this year’s Winter Games in Beijing. Be it Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Airbnb, Intel, or Visa – they are all among the 13 “TOP” partners of the world event. Partnering their company with one of the world’s biggest sporting events is a major success for PR executives.
After all, the Olympic Games are a no-brainer for companies: A huge stage on which the world’s top athletes set new records. Higher, faster, further! And millions of people are watching. And the brands are everywhere: On sports suits, equipment, food, drinks, and snacks.
But this time, PR departments had little reason for celebration. When the US government called for a diplomatic boycott just a few weeks before the start of the Winter Olympics, alarm bells started ringing at corporate headquarters. Nightly Zoom meetings and hours of phone calls were the result, as Mark DiMassimo recently told CNN.
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