SEP 4, 2008

Another Olympic Gold Medal for China

Steve 0 comments

Vice President/Public Relations

I thought I knew how important a well-planned, superbly orchestrated PR event can be in strategic brand positioning.

But after watching the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, I now realize that the way China orchestrated the Games to articulate their national brand is the new standard for the use of events in strategic marketing. From the jaw-dropping theatrics of the opening ceremony, to the meticulous management of the logistics and infrastructure, to the seemingly genuine friendliness of the people of Beijing, the Olympic event (at least for those of us experiencing it via television and the Internet) was a perfectly packaged showcase of Chinese competence, capability, creative ingenuity and intriguing culture. Not a bad brand profile for a nation pinning the future of its 1.3 billion people on its ability to position itself as the product sourcing solution for the world.

Granted, comparing the government-managed Olympics in Beijing to more conventional PR events is not exactly comparing apples to apples. The combination of carte blanche resource support, totalitarian message control and fawningly cooperative media partners is enough to make just about any PR event a world-class success.

Still, as a case study for integrating brand communication into an event whose purpose was to reshape consumer perception, the Beijing Olympics proved the Chinese can produce gold medal results in a lot more than gymnastics, diving and table tennis.

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