Olympic Sponsorship (tdctrade.com)

September, 2001

Olympic Sponsorship

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Olympic sponsorship is a partnership between the Olympic Movement and a corporate entity that is intended to generate support for the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games. Olympic sponsorship operates on three levels :

The Olympic Partners (TOP) Programme: The worldwide Olympic sponsorship programme managed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Olympic Games sponsorship: The sponsorship programme established within the Olympic Games host country to directly support the staging of the Games, managed by the Olympic Games Organising Committee (OCOG) under the direction of the IOC.

National sponsorship: A sponsorship programme established within a country to directly support an National Olympic Committee (NOC) and its Olympic team, managed by the NOC.

The Rights & Benefits of TOP Partnership

The TOP programme managed by the IOC is the only sponsorship with the exclusive worldwide marketing rights to both Winter and Summer Games, providing support for the OCOGs, all 200 NOCs and their Olympic teams, and the IOC.

Benefits of sponsorship

Sponsorship can provide benefits for the sponsor in the following areas:

Brand equity: Sponsorship of the Olympic Movement can increase goodwill and esteem toward a sponsor as the ideals and spirit of the Olympic Games are associated with the sponsor's brand.

Business objectives: Sponsorship of the Olympic Movement can enhance core business objectives such as revenue goals, share goals, or brand awareness.

Brand repositioning: Sponsorship of the Olympic Movement can assist a sponsor in repositioning itself.

Internal rewards: Sponsorship of the Olympic Movement and the rights and benefits afforded to sponsors can be used internally to improve morale or motivate employees.

Showcasing: The Olympic Games, as the world's largest sporting event, provide unmatched opportunities for sponsors to showcase technology, products, or services.

Defense: Part of a corporation's decision to sponsor the Olympic Games is to benefit from the exclusivity of Olympic partnerships by keeping its competitors out.

Altruism: Part of a corporation's decision to sponsor the Olympic Movement may be derived from a desire to be a good corporate citizen.

Olympic Marketing Rights

TOP Partners receive exclusive marketing rights and opportunities within their designated product category. Partners may exercise these rights on a worldwide basis, and they may develop marketing programmes with the various members of the Olympic Family: the IOC, the NOCs, and the OCOGs. In addition to the worldwide marketing opportunities, TOP Partners receive:

Use of all Olympic imagery, as well as appropriate Olympic designations on products

Hospitality opportunities at the Olympic Games

Direct advertising and promotional opportunities, including preferential access to Olympic broadcast advertising

On-site concessions/franchise and product sale/showcase opportunities

Protection from ambush marketing

Acknowledgement of support through a broad Olympic sponsorship recognition programme