As the Winter Olympics kick off in China big brands such as Samsung, Panasonic and Intel appear to have taken the view that the games are “tainted” and that there are real risks associated in sruiking their involvement.
So far Samsung Electronics has not published any press releases promoting their sponsorship, a marked departure from the past when they bombarded journalists with information about their involvement in Olympic Games events.
Japanese Olympic sponsor Panasonic have refrained from splashy advertising campaigns featuring the Beijing Winter Games out of fears of a possible backlash amid criticism about China’s human rights practices in the U.S. and Europe.
Panasonic, serve as top-level sponsors, known as Worldwide Olympic Partners.
So far Panasonic have not run any Olympics-linked TV advertisements in Japan.
As of Friday, there has been no Olympic-themed ads, from sponsors such as Toyota a major global sponsor according to CM Soken Consulting.
This compares with ads by about 30 companies that ran roughly 2,650 times from late January through February during the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics in South Korea.
The U.S., the U.K., and Australia decided on diplomatic boycotts of the Games by refusing to send government representatives, citing the alleged detention of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang and other concerns. Sponsor companies are worried that aggressively supporting the Games could affect their business in those countries.
Only a limited number of corporate representatives, including Panasonic Chairman Kazuhiro Tsuga, attended the opening ceremony.
“We have no choice but to tone down our PR activity,” said a source at one sponsor company. “This was totally unexpected.”
This comes after last year’s Tokyo Summer Olympics, during which sponsor companies dialed down their advertising out of consideration for public opinion critical of holding the Games amid a pandemic.
Industry insiders say companies have avoided the usual fanfare due to geopolitical tensions.
Samsung’s flagship showcase store located in the Beijing shopping district Sanlitun, has moved to the metaverse.
At its virtual Samsung Olympics showcase store, visitors can receive limited edition souvenirs.
The company is also operating a virtual media center on a metaverse platform to offer daily Olympics news and real-time sports information for fans.
A special Galaxy Z-flip 3 Olympics edition, which has been launched to boost its zero percent market share in the Chinese smartphone market, will be only sold inside China for US $1,260.
The products are offered for free to all Winter Games and Paralympic athletes.
It will be also hard to see South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor’s logo during the Winter Games, which continues through Feb. 20.
Experts say the Olympics could have been a huge marketing opportunity for South Korean companies that have struggled from growing anti-Korean sentiment in recent years as a result of political spats between Seoul and Beijing.
“Korean companies have struggled in China and the Olympics could have been their opportunity (to promote brand reputation and product quality). But it is regrettable that the timing to do so is not right,“ said an industry insider who requested anonymity.
The ongoing US-China tensions have not only ensnarled South Korean companies, but many other global brands are also choosing to lie low for the time being, according to market experts.
