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Lenovo lifts profile through sponsorship

By Liu Baijia (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-01-25 13:46

In June, the computer maker began an Olympic roadshow that traveled to almost 1,000 counties and towns, with over 1 million participants.

The roadshow spread the Olympic spirit, but Lenovo also got returns its shipments to county- and town-level markets rose by 55 percent in November.

Believe in the power of partners.

In October, Lenovo partnered with NBA, the most popular sport shared by Chinese and Americans.

NBA and Lenovo even tailor-made the Lenovo Stat service used by basketball fans to find official statistics.

This is especially important for Lenovo in the United States. Although it acquired IBM's PC business in 2005, the firm needs to publicize its company and products and build its brand in the US.

Be quick to learn and innovative in execution.

For a newcomer to sports marketing like Lenovo, decreasing the learning curve is important.

After signing the TOP deal, Lenovo was coached by the IOC's marketing experts on how to take full advantage of its rights as a sponsor.

It also sent officials to Samsung Electronics to learn tips and launched marketing campaigns with long-time TOP partner Visa.

Lenovo also grasped every opportunity to expose the company and its products. In the 2006 Torino Winter Games, the firm created the concept of Lenovo Internet cafes, allowing athletes and participants to use Lenovo computers to surf the Internet at venues.

Find a consultant that is not necessarily big, but highly committed.

When Lenovo won the TOP sponsorship, many world-class sports marketing agencies offered the firm consulting services.

But the computer maker chose Prescient Marketing, established in 2003 in Beijing.

Li said Christopher Renner, founder of the firm, had rich experience in Olympic sports marketing, having participated in TOP programs since 1991.

                                                                         (China Daily 01/25/2007 page15)