The Gold Rush for Endorsements
May 12 2008
Going for Gold
Coca-Cola, Lenovo, and Samsung each paid millions to sponsor the Olympic torch—and each is feeling the heat from pro-Tibet groups. Activists confronted Coca-Cola executives on the issue at the company’s shareholder meeting in April. But the protests that disrupted the torch relay and embarrassed China this spring haven’t yet thwarted advertisers. Says Robert Kapp, former head of the U.S.-China Business Council: “Walking away from sponsorship opportunities would entail substantial risks.” Both superstar and niche athletes have so far been spared as targets. Here, a few key players and lucrative deals.
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