As the Winter Olympics Open, Many of the Usual Marketing Opportunities Are Closed  – Opinion

China hosting the Games again poses many problems to all of its participants and corporations.

The influence of the Chinese government on the easily controlled International Olympic Committee is evident. It is not difficult to win the bid for hosting the Games. However, the Olympics are being held in exactly the same place as the first Olympiad in 15 years. The IOC and Chi-Coms seem to have merged together in a corrupt marriage.

This union has launched many challenges for broadcasters and athletes as well as the companies involved in the event. China has put strict quarantine restrictions on athletes who may become ill while attending the Games because of the pandemic. It was sufficient to deter athletes from testing positive during the Games by mandating a period of several weeks or even months. Keep the NHL’s players away. Due to Omicron surge-related delays, the league had already been postponing some games. The possibility of losing players during playoffs was unacceptable.

The COVID controversy has also sparked curiosity in the American broadcaster NBC. The network – which spends heavily on the rights, and is banking again on the Olympics to boost its ratings and the Peacock streaming service – is not sending correspondents to China. They will instead host the Games in a Connecticut Olympic studio. ESPN has also decided not to send any reporters to Beijing. Although it is an unfortunate reality, you should not blame pandemic issues for this.

They had to then severely reduce their promises of advertising. Following record low TV ratings for Tokyo Games, NBC had to offer make-good ads slots after not meeting promised audiences numbers. NBC reduced its promised audience for the Beijing Winter Games by a shocking 50 percent.

Technology concerns about going to China are not something you should be worried about, but a serious concern. The technology of being affected is virtually certain due to the iron-fisted control exercised by Chi-Com’s government. China has nationwide blocks on many western social media platforms and other websites its government deems threats to their sanctity – not just jokingly referred to as China’s Great Firewall.

Even though the Chi-Coms have eased restrictions on foreign tourists, there is a high likelihood that any technology used on the mainland will be compromised. Athletes have been instructed by the FBI to You can leave any personal items behindBecause it is almost certain that you will be tracked or violated. The Chinese Olympic authorities will also require that all athletes load a tracking application for their health to their smartphones. All athletes must obtain burner phones when they arrive in China.

American businesses, which are usually enthusiastic supporters of the Games, have also been troubled by the reality that China is violating human rights. The brands we used to see are often involved with the Olympics seem almost silent. In the States, there has been much discussion about how businesses can support a country that is committing human rights violations. Andrew Malcolm wrote here that the Chinese Games withdrawal would be understood by consumers. It has seen a significant shift in marketing.

Many corporations have become social activists and virtue-signaling machines over the last few years. The overall impression is that corporate America does not want to look like awoke, so their financial engagement with China has been a big contradiction. It is difficult for companies to be vocal on domestic issues, giving lectures on social propriety and supporting the government which denies basic rights and runs ethnic internment camp.

These decisions may seem subtle initially, but they soon reveal themselves to be crucial. VISA, a credit card company, is a regular fixture at the Games. But this year? These are quieter. participant. Proctor & Gamble, which touts many equality issues in its marketing, is directing its focus on the athletes, not the event locale. Delta Airlines Is it taking the same approach?The campaign is centered on Team USA. Many others are going forward with their campaigns, while leaving out the word “Beijing” whenever possible.

Real danger is the fact that these corporations might not withdraw all their support, for fear of outrage from the Chinese. Coca-Cola has now been suffering from a migraine. Remember that Coca-Cola had been transforming into a multinational corporation. extremely vocal in opposition to Georgia’s new election laws. James Quincy, CEO of Quincy, was unaffected by the new voting stance.

Coca-Cola is now facing the truth of hypocrisy, since it supports Chinese interests. Coke doesn’t even acknowledge the Olympics. This is the US. While most advertising is suspended in the United States, China accounts for the majority of their promotional effort.

Atlanta grocery stores don’t have any Olympics-themed soda aisles. As the opening ceremony unfolded in Beijing on Friday, the main page of Coke’s U.S. consumer website made no mention of the Games. Coke told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution it instead will “activate the Games through our local, on-the-ground team in China.” That includes Olympics-themed cans and branded displays.

This is their marketing disaster. This is a problem that many businesses are currently facing, since they were previously involved in activist causes. How can you partner with an oppressive regime that has significantly worse social behaviour if you declare as a company you support social causes and rights?

As we see with the Olympic Games, there is a simple answer: It’s quiet.