Coke has an agreement with the International Olympics Committee (IOC) that extends its involvement to almost a century of sponsorship.
"On August 5, 2005, the Coca-Cola Company and the IOC announced the renewal of our historic partnership for...12 years... Our pact with the IOC through 2020...extends the most-enduring partnership in the history of the Olympic Games to 92 years without interruption." (Coca Cola and The Olympic Partners (TOP) Agreement, at cocacola.ca)
About Olympic Corporate Sponsors
Corporate sponsorships are an important part of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. It's a quid pro quo trade; the Games committee gets an injection of cash, services, and expertise, and the corporation gets tremendous publicity and exposure to an international market.
Coca-Cola and the Olympic Movement
The Coca-Cola Company has been associated with the Olympic Games since 1928, making it the longest continuous corporate supporter of the Olympic Movement.
- The Company's sponsorship supports NOCs (National Olympic Committees) in more than 200 countries, providing funding to help athletes train and compete.
- Coke has been Presenting Sponsor of the Olympic Torch Relay in Atlanta, Nagano, Salt Lake City, Athens, Torino, and Beijing and will continue this tradition in Vancouver in 2010.
- US Rowing Team member and Olympian J. Paul Austin went on to serve as Coke's president, CEO, and Chairman of the Board
- The company distributed 100,000 sun visors in Melbourne in 1956.
- Coke's guide-maps and phrasebooks have been popular in Japan, Mexico, and Germany
- The Coca-Cola Company has sponsored national television coverage of various Games for U.S. viewers
- Coke has funded youth programs in various countries for Olympic sports and education
- Coke's Official Olympic Pin Trading Centers have been popular since they were introduced at the 1988 Calgary Winter Games
- The company has organized, sponsored, and presented variety of art and entertainment projects, including feature films and winter sports simulations, teen art contests, student journalist reports, and many more.
Coke Goes Green at Olympics
Since 2002 at Salt Lake, Coke has used a completely biodegradable cup and has set up recycling centers for plastic soft drink bottles.
Coke aims to be a carbon-neutral sponsor of the 2010 Winter Games and to this end has a waste management program with specific and measurable goals:
- Ensure that at least 95% of its waste materials is diverted from landfills
- Arrange for all recyclable materials such as shrink wrap and cardboard trays to be sent to a recycling center in Richmond, BC
- Collect and recycle 100% of the single-serve plastic bottles from beverages consumed in Games’ venues.
Other aspects of the program include hybrid delivery vehicles, low-energy cold drink equipment and staff uniforms made from recycled bottles.
In recognition of the Coca-Cola 's environmental commitment to the 2010 Games, VANOC (the Vancouver Games organizing committee) awarded the company a Sustainability Star.
Although the economic impact of Coke's marketing and involvement has been considerable, and although a lot of Coke has flowed at the Games over the years, it is clear that there is far more to this Olympic partner than just donating cash to the IOC and stocking the venues with cola.
For more information:
Other International Sponsors of the Olympics:
- Samsung Electronics
- Acer Laptops
Coke and Coca-Cola are registered trademarks of the Coca-Cola Company.
Thomas Alan Gray - Tom has been writing for over 30 years; curiosity leads him to dig into a wide variety of topics.
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