Sponsors of the Olympics are walking a tightrope ahead of the Beijing Winter Games next month as worsening geopolitical tensions force them to consider downplaying their involvement without upsetting China.
Click here to read the story at cnn.com.
Discussion Questions:
- What is a product?
- Do you think the Winter Olympic Games represents a product?
- What is the difference between a domestic product and a global product?
- What is sponsorship?
- What is advertising?
- Is advertising the same thing as sponsorship?
- Based on information from this news story, why are sponsors of the Beijing Winter Games in a tough position?
- What is a “diplomatic boycott” and why are some countries taking that approach to the Beijing Olympics?
- What is crisis management?
- Why is a crisis management strategy important to a business?
- What are public relations?
- If you were a public relations consultant working for a brand sponsoring the Beijing Games, how would you advise they approach their advertising strategy? Why?
- Do you think that strategy would change based on whether those ads were airing in the United States or if they were airing during broadcasts of the Games in China? Why or why not?