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| April 11, 2008 |
Tony Chapman Believes that Olympic Sponsors' Opportunity For Gold Is Tarnishing
TORONTO, April 10 /CNW/ - Tony Chapman, Founder and CEO of Capital C, one of Canada's leading marketing firms, today cautioned Canadian marketers to carefully consider the dangers in fulfilling their Beijing Olympic marketing programs, noting, "Olympic sponsors are getting caught in an ever tightening
vice from which there may be no escape."
Chapman believes that despite the enormous market potential the Beijing Olympics opened up to sponsors, the impact and dominance of consumer driven, viral campaigns and their ability to affect global consumer behaviours far outweigh the market burst which sponsors expected from their Olympic sponsorship.
"Indeed," says Chapman, "the Tibet controversy currently interrupting the torch journey is inspiring a reaction of global proportions. It is becoming deafening as it is digitally enabled and swirls around the world, collecting images, commentary, evidence and an ever growing community of supporters.
"Conversations which started with Tibet and Darfur will cross over to China's environmental record, its treatment of workers, its foreign policy and every other cause imaginable, ultimately becoming an unstoppable force impenetrable
by spin doctors, brand managers, or even the most elaborate marketing
campaigns."
He goes on to say that the reaction to China and the viral phenomenon
surrounding it should be demonstrating to global brands that the rules have shifted from mass media (where they were in charge), to social media (where the consumer is in charge). This is an environment where consumer behaviour will not be based on immediate needs, but upon moral and ethical criteria.
"Consumers are now demanding more than great taste; they are demanding corporate integrity. Today, how a corporation behaves towards its employees, community and planet, and with whom they associate are the new benchmarks for decision making."