Hill & Knowlton media survey reveals true winners of Olympic marketing race.

• Chinese brands achieved highly positive media exposure at home and internationally
• All sponsors achieved three times more positive media articles, than negative
• Sponsor media coverage focussed on the return on investment the Games provided

New analysis confirms the Beijing Olympic Games provided a positive return on investment for official sponsors.  Chinese brands emerged as the true winners of the Olympic marketing race and commercial sponsors had largely positive coverage across international media.

An analysis of 14,500 print media editorials over two years shows that in addition to the expected positive media exposure in China (60% positive), Chinese brands also managed to succeed internationally. Although Chinese brands had a lower share of voice, their coverage in international media was 17% more favorable* than articles mentioning global brands.

The survey which covers 36 participating brands was conducted for international communications consultancy, Hill & Knowlton, by Commetric Ltd, a UK-based media analytics firm.  

Hill & Knowlton's Chief Marketing Officer, Tony Burgess-Webb, said:  “Chinese brands were gold medalists in the Olympic marketing race. The media focused on their marketing efforts, financial growth and plans for expansion. The Beijing Games provided a higher return on investment for local companies looking to enter new markets.”

The topic that dominated Olympic media brand coverage overall was the return on investment (ROI) that the Games provided for sponsors and the host city. In global media, an overwhelming 60% of all Olympic-related articles discussed the theme of ROI. This was by far the biggest topic, with anticipated negative coverage of political issues only gaining a 16% share of voice in all coverage. The marketing efforts of brands featured in four out of ten sponsor-related articles.

The survey revealed that sponsors achieved three times as many positive media articles than negative during the Games period. Overall, more than 14,500 English-language press articles in the last two years were acquired which co-mentioned the Beijing Olympics and at least one of its sponsors and partner brands. Eighty percent of coverage was generated in the last year, with 30% of that coverage appearing in August alone. Analysis showed official sponsors were more likely to be featured in media coverage, with two thirds of articles in top tier press** mentioning official sponsors.

Tony Burgess-Webb continued: “It pays to be an official sponsor. Brands avoided political debate and negative coverage of sponsors was largely in relation to ‘ambush marketing'. The best media mindshare went to those companies that started their campaigns early and built over time through the crowded Games period."

Notes to Editors

About the research
The media analysis was carried out by Commetric Ltd, a global provider of communications research and market analysis.  With a staff of over 60 in London and in Sofia, Bulgaria, Commetric serves international clients, including Fortune 500 companies, with premium market insights, communications measurement solutions and influencer analysis.

Media set

Quantitative analysis: A total of 14,522 articles were acquired and quantitatively analyzed for all brands. Coverage was sourced from global English-language publications from Factiva's database for the period from 01 September 2006 to 25 August 2008.

Qualitative analysis: A total of 1,431 unique English articles were acquired for the period from 08 August 2008 to 24 August 2008. In addition 292 unique articles were acquired for the period from 01 August 2007 to 31 August 2007. A total of 457 unique Chinese articles were acquired for the period from 08 August 2008 to 24 August 2008. Each article was qualitatively analyzed from the perspective of one of the brands and from the perspective of the organisers. Coverage was sourced from global English- and local Chinese-language publications from Factiva's database.

Research design: The report provides insight into how Olympic sponsorship affected the media profile of the official sponsors and partners of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. It also identifies what the media profile of the overall Games was as reflected by global English-language and local Chinese-language media. Five separate analyses were carried out: 1) quantitative trend analysis; 2) brand and event profiling analysis in global English-language publications; 3) brand and event profiling analysis in Chinese publications; 4) pre/post-Games comparison analysis in global English-language publications; 5) Influencer Network Analysis (INA).

Competitor set
Analyses were based on articles mentioning the following brands:
Official worldwide sponsors: Atos Origin, Coca-Cola, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Kodak, Lenovo, Manulife, McDonald's, Omega, Panasonic, Samsung, Visa;

Official partners: adidas, Bank of China, BHP Billiton, Budweiser, China Mobile, Haier, Tsingtao, UPS, Volkswagen;

Chinese brands: Air China, Bank of China, China Mobile, China Netcom, CNPC, Heng Yuan Xiang, PICC, Sinopec, Sohu.com, State Grid Corporation of China, Uni-President, Yanjing Beer, Yili;

*Favorability

Favorability takes into account content organization, reputation driver penetration, spokesperson visibility, prominence, article size and publication rating. To measure attitudes we apply a three-degree favorability scale with that runs from -1 to +1, in which -1 implies negative sentiments, 0 infers neutrality and +1 stands for positive implications. Favorability can be measured both on an article and on a theme level.

** Based on Influencer Network Analysis (INA) methodology

INA Overview: Influencer Network Analysis identifies the influencers and commentators that drive coverage and the topics that generate traction with media outlets and reporters. By interpreting the linkages, momentum, influence and ‘pass-through' of ideas in the media INA identifies the Gatekeepers of Influence.