Interview: IOC satisfied with BOCOG marketing program

Mr. Gerhard Heiberg

Video: Interview of Gerhard Heiberg (.wmv windows media)

(BEIJING, August 6) -- Since the marketing program for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was launched on September 1, 2003, a total of 54 enterprises have become Games partners, sponsors and suppliers.

Among them are Volkswagen, a prominent international business giant, Haier, a famous Chinese household electrical appliances producer, and Sohu.com, the first ever Internet content sponsor in the history of the Olympic Games. Their participation has provided the necessary funds and services for the success of the Beijing Olympics.

Mr. Gerhard Heiberg, chairman of the Marketing Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has witnessed the whole marketing process of the Beijing Olympics. On the occasion of the one-year countdown to the Games, he spoke about his feelings in an exclusive interview with the Games official website.

"Their strengths match the Olympic brand"

"I feel that Chinese business and industry really have taken this on. They are doing a great job; they have shown a lot of interest, so we are very, very satisfied."

Mr. Heiberg said he was impressed by BOCOG's move to use the Olympic Games as a vehicle to promote their goods and services and think about going abroad after some time. "To my amazement, they immediately understood that this is an excellent way of getting better known inside China and hopefully outside China as well."

Mr. Heiberg, who has visited many partners and sponsors of the Beijing Olympic Games, believes that their strengths match the strengths of the Olympic brand.

"I was a little skeptical in the beginning; but I had faith after some time that they were really interested, they know what they are talking about; they learned very quickly what this was all about; they understood the values of the Olympic Movement, so yes, I think everything has worked out very well, and also the cooperation with our own top sponsors. The top sponsors have been very good, so the interaction between our top sponsors and our Chinese sponsors is excellent and that way they learn from each other," he went on saying.

The chairman said he has "no advice to give" to the Chinese sponsors at this stage because the Chinese enterprises have already learned a lot in the process. "They have really listened to the IOC, they have seen the possibilities they would like to develop until the Games start in a year from now," he said.

"They have been very good at advertising. Everywhere when I go around China, I see a logo on the Bank of China, or CNC or China Mobile. Today we are preparing for the hospitality, for the servicing, for the tickets, and so on for the Games. And they have understood how to do this. We are working very closely with them as we are doing with all the top sponsors, so we are changing from only advertising to inviting people and doing the hospitality during the Games."