Page 1 2
For Beijing, Image Worth More Than Olympic Gold
With the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing rapidly approaching,
State of Business connected with members of the Atlanta
sports and business communities to provide an assessment
of how the Olympic Games might impact China, the legacy of
the Atlanta games, and how major Atlanta companies use the
Olympics to burnish their brands around the world.
 At 2:30 a.m. International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch
appeared live from Monaco. There was hushed silence as he began thanking
various cities for submitting their bids. He mentioned Beijing first and, without
hesitation, the students began to celebrate. The scene was repeated at the Central
Television Station auditorium, official site of the Olympic announcement party, and
at several other locations throughout the city. But the celebration was short lived as,
moments later, television began showing images of Sydney, Australia, the real winner
of the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.
It was a devastating moment for many in China who
thought their country was ready to host the world’s
most impor tant spor ting event, ready for all the
attention accorded a host city, ready to take the
image of their country to the next level.
Luck and Timing
 According to Charlie Battle, Olympic consultant and
former director of international relations for the
1996 Atlanta Games, “Everything is about luck and
timing. China thought they would win in 2000, but
human rights issues were very big then – even bigger
than they are now. Congress passed a resolution
in opposition to Beijing hosting the games. Beijing
overreacted and took a very defensive position.”
When it came time to bid for the 2008 Games,
Battle said he did “a little consulting” with Beijing.
He told them instead of overreacting to the criticism
they should “keep emphasizing their strengths.”
By that he meant that the Chinese should continually
talk about how the Olympics would improve human
rights and open their country. Their success in
staying “on message” was a factor, when on July
13, 2001, Beijing was finally selected to host the
Games of the XXIX Olympiad, a first for what is
now a country of 1.3 billion people.
Both the subsequent euphoria associated with the
2001 announcement and the disappointment of 1993
are well founded. For the pride of the people, for
business, for the country’s image worldwide, there
is nothing like the Olympic experience.
For each country, however, there is a different
agenda. According to George Hirthler, an Atlantabased
brand communications strategist, Atlanta
saw these games as a way to put the city on the
map as an international business center. For Beijing it’s
a way to show that the “gates of China are open
and everybody is invited, including a worldwide
television audience that could number 4 billion.”
“Change is another message China is trying to convey
with the Olympics,” said Hirthler. “The Olympics
should reveal that the world’s largest country buys
into the Olympic ideals of friendship, mutual respect,
and excellence.”
Continued on next page
Top |
Next Page 
|
