Top Biz News
Advertisers cash in on marathon
By Cui Xiaohuo and Zhao Yanrong (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-16 15:13
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 CCTV weatherman Darryl Snow trains for Sunday's marathon.[China Daily] |
The marathon organized by the Chinese Athletics Association and approved by the State Sports General Administration, as well as the Municipal Government of Beijing is the crown jewel of annual outdoor sporting events held in the capital.
Millions of people are expected to watch the marathon, which begins at Tian'anmen Square and finishes at the Olympic Sports Center Stadium, a symbol of Beijing's successful Olympic Games. Chinese world champion Bai Xue, 20, is the favorite.
Sources involved with this year's marathon sponsorship program said investment had reached 30 million yuan, the largest on record.
Sports industry analysts said this could possibly be the most commercially successful Beijing marathon.
"Sponsors seek social impact, instead of commercial profits, at a marathon event like this," said Ren Hai, an expert on the sports industry at Beijing Sports University. "Beijing marathon will need more commercial partners to help it become more popular and more successful as global event."
Shanghai-based wool maker Hengyuanxiang has paid about 10 million yuan for the naming rights. It is the second time the company has held the marathon naming rights.
After tough competition from long-time rival Adidas and aggressive local sports brands in China, sportswear giant Nike has been named as the official sponsor.
The four gold sponsors, including Inner Mongolia-based Mengniu, a Chinese dairy giant, Seven & i Holdings, a Japanese-investment company that runs Ito Yokado department stores, and 7-Eleven convenience stores, individually paid between 3-4 million yuan for their contracts. Automaker Dongfeng Honda and electronic products manufacturer Canon are also gold sponsors.
But despite the huge sums paid for sponsorship of the event, advertisers said they are still looking for ideas about how to transform their investment into publicity.
"We are looking for some tangible publicity. Something that links our brand with the marathon as a popular sport among the public," said Yang Kai, gold sponsor Seven & i Holdings' senior manager of public relations in Beijing.
Yang said sponsors usually spend an additional 1 million yuan to come up with ideas to build their brands during the event.
Dongfeng Honda will send a fleet of upgraded, branded vehicles to the event and will expect its hybrid-powered model CIVIC to appear repeatedly on China Central Television's live broadcast on Sunday.
Canon will try to attract extra attention with runners dressed as cartoon figures. Other sponsors told METRO that their aim was simply to link their brands with a healthy lifestyle.
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Guests staying in the hotel this weekend will also receive free entry to the race.
"We are not splashing everything around, but what we do is to give a little push to the initiative of a healthy work-out."
