Sprinters Powell and Gay Lead Press Coverage of Olympic Athletes

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

For the first time since Dow Jones Insight began analyzing media coverage heading into the Beijing Olympic Games, Michael Phelps is not the most talked-about athlete, at least in traditional media sources (print and online). During the period of July 15 to July 28, Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell garnered the most coverage, with 645, or 17%, of the total 3,807 mentions of athletes being tracked. Following closely behind among the top 10 athletes was U.S. sprinter Tyson Gay, with 491 mentions, or 13%. Powell and Gay, along with Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, are expected to fight it out for the gold medal in the glamour event of the track and field competition – the 100 meters.

In third was Australian swimmer Grant Hackett with 444 mentions for 12%, followed by Phelps with 432 mentions for 11%. U.S. gymnast Paul Hamm was next with 365 mentions for 10%. Hamm made headlines a few months ago when he was named to the U.S. team despite breaking his wrist at the Olympic trials. He was back in the news this week when he announced he was withdrawing from the team because of concerns that his injury would not be fully healed by the start of the Games.

Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang and U.S. swimmer Dara Torres each had 9% of the total mentions. Australian hurdler Jana Rawlinson had 254 mentions, or 7%, mainly covering her failure to make the 2008 Australian team. Rounding out the top 10 were U.S. track athletes Jeremy Wariner, with 7%, and Allyson Felix, with 6%.

However, when it comes to social media, Phelps is still the fan favorite, dominating coverage in message boards and blogs. The swimming superstar had 186 of 663 total mentions of the athletes tracked, for 28%, which was nearly double the mentions for Torres, who had the second-highest total. Torres had 99 mentions, for 15%. Rivals Gay and Powell followed with 81 and 63 mentions, respectively. Hamm and Liu Xiang each had 8% of mentions. U.S. women’s gymnast Shawn Johnson had 38 mentions for 6% and Felix had 37 mentions for 6%. British marathoner Paula Radcliffe had 28 mentions for 4% and Wariner had 27 mentions for 4%.

Methodology: Analysis includes the English-language sources taken from a database of 6,000 newspapers, wires, magazines, radio and TV transcripts; about 13,000 current-awareness news sites; 60,000 message boards and about two million blogs.

Coverage of Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Visa Focuses on Feel-Good Olympic Ads

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

With a little more than a week to go before the Opening Ceremonies, Coca-Cola maintains its lead in coverage among the 12 global sponsors of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in both traditional and social media sources. Between July 15 and July 28, Coke had 186 mentions, or 22%, of the total 832 mentions in traditional media sources analyzed by Dow Jones Insight. McDonald’s was close behind, with 167 mentions, or 20%, followed by Visa with 143 mentions for 17%. Much of the coverage of these three companies focused on their new ad campaigns, which are just being unveiled in anticipation of the Opening Ceremonies. All three have introduced ads centered on the themes of global unity, working together and achieving dreams.

General Electric had 88 mentions for 11%, Samsung had 74 mentions for 9% and Lenovo, the only Chinese company among the global sponsors, had 56 mentions for 7%. Panasonic had 5% of mentions, followed by Omega with 4%, and Johnson & Johnson and Kodak with 3% each. The remaining two sponsors, Atos Origin and Manulife, each had less than 3% of mentions.

Coca-Cola also came out on top among the global sponsors in social media sources analyzed by Dow Jones, with 188, or 34%, of 553 total mentions. McDonald’s had 117 mentions, or 21%, and Visa followed with 68 mentions, or 12%. Like press coverage, bloggers and those posting to message boards were mentioning the top three companies’ feel-good ads. A handful of mentions were critical of the companies for their implied support of China despite criticism of the country’s human rights and environmental policies. But the majority of comments seemed more neutral in tone, mentioning the companies’ sponsorships in passing or tie-ins such as McDonald’s Olympic “Beijing Burger” and other theme menu items.

Samsung and General Electric each had 11% of mentions in the analyzed social media. Omega had 18 mentions, or 3%, and Lenovo had 16 mentions for 3%. Rounding out the top 10, Panasonic had 12 mentions, or 2%, Johnson & Johnson had eight mentions, or 1%, and Kodak had six mentions, or 1%. Atos Origin and Manulife each finished with less than 1% of coverage.

Methodology: Analysis includes the English-language sources taken from a database of 6,000 newspapers, wires, magazines, radio and TV transcripts; about 13,000 current-awareness news sites; 60,000 message boards and about two million blogs.

Coverage of Athlete Doping Increases as Opening Ceremonies Draw Near

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

As the start of the Beijing Olympic Games draws closer, coverage of athlete doping is starting to catch up with the hot-button issue of pollution concerns, according to analysis of traditional and social media sources tracked by Dow Jones Insight.
While there still was more coverage of Beijing’s polluted air and water (2,094 mentions) than doping (1,186 mentions) in the 10 days from July 14 to 23, doping coverage has been increasing in the wake of coverage of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s vows that the Beijing Games would be “the cleanest Games in history.” WADA announced the existence of a new test to detect the presence of erythropoietin (EPO), a banned blood booster, which was previously considered undetectable. According to WADA, the new test detects the presence of a molecule implanted into EPO during the manufacturing process. It was this test that nabbed Italian cyclist Ricardo Ricco during the 2008 Tour de France.

Mentions of doping increased to a high of 177 on July 24 with coverage of U.S. swimmer Jessica Hardy’s positive test for a banned substance. Hardy tested positive for clenbuterol, a stimulant. The next move for Hardy, who denies cheating, is unclear, but she can pursue appeals through the American Arbitration Association and the Court of Arbitration for Sport in order to hold onto her spot on the U.S. team.

This increase in doping coverage was also driven by news that Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou was included on Greece’s official roster for Beijing. Thanou served a two-year ban after missing a mandatory doping test prior to the 2004 Athens Games. Thanou had won a silver medal in the 100 meters in Sydney in 2000.

Coverage of environmental issues seemed to be subsiding during the past week, following a high of 293 mentions on July 21 driven by green algae on the sailing course, soot in the air and Beijing’s last-minute plans to clean it all up. But that changed again early this week with reports that Beijing’s attempts to reduce the soot in the air were not working as hoped and more measures would have to be taken.

Methodology: Analysis includes the English-language sources taken from a database of 6,000 newspapers, wires, magazines, radio and TV transcripts; about 13,000 current-awareness news sites; 60,000 message boards and about two million blogs.

Compared with Athens in 2004, Beijing Is Under a Media Microscope for Environmental Issues

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

Beijing is not the first Olympic host city subjected to scrutiny of its air quality and pollution. In the months before the start of the 2004 Athens Olympics, that city’s notorious air pollution was the focus of some media coverage. But coverage of Athens was small compared to the attention focused on Beijing’s problems thus far. Coverage of Beijing’s environmental issues has been more than 10 times that of Athens’ in the seven months prior to each event, according to analysis by Dow Jones Insight of more than 2,000 mainstream media sources that were publishing during both time periods.

From January 1 through July 31, 2004, there were 353 documents mentioning environmental issues related to the Athens Games in these same newspapers, magazines and newswires. The number of documents increased steadily over the seven months but from a very small base of seven in January, peaking at 101 in July, the month before the Games.

In comparison, during the first seven months of 2008 (data are through July 28), there were 4,216 documents mentioning environmental issues related to Beijing as host city. Of these, 392 were in January with a general upward trend to a high of 876 documents in July.

The striking difference in coverage may be a reflection of growing worldwide concern over the state of the environment and the effects of global warming. In addition, environmental issues were almost a secondary concern prior to the 2004 Games. More attention was focused on domestic and international terrorism in Greece following the World Trade Center attack in September 2001 and the Madrid train bombings in March 2004. There were also worries that Athens wouldn’t have all of its facilities completed in time for the start of the Games. However none of these fears were realized as the Athens Games have been seen as a success.

Methodology: Analysis includes more than 2,000 English-language mainstream media sources which were publishing during both periods, the first seven months of 2004 and 2008.

Swimmers Phelps and Torres Lead Coverage of Olympic Athletes

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

The Beijing Olympic Games begin in a little more than three weeks, and the media spotlight is shining more brightly on the athletes with the potential to become stars of the Games. Swimmer Michael Phelps continued to lead the way among the 10 U.S. athletes being tracked by Dow Jones Insight in the period July 1 to July 14.

On the strength of his performance at the recent U.S. Olympic trials, where he qualified for eight events and set two world records for good measure, Phelps had 2,799 mentions, or 33% of the 8,380 total mentions of the U.S. athletes tracked, in traditional (print and online) and social (blogs and boards) media sources analyzed. Fellow swimmer Dara Torres, who qualified for two events in Beijing, was second with 1,916 mentions, or 23%. Torres, 41, made headlines by being the oldest American swimmer ever to qualify for the Olympics. She won nine medals over four Olympics and came out of retirement two years ago after the birth of her daughter to train for Beijing.

Sprinter Tyson Gay was third in overall coverage, with 1,659 mentions, or 20%. Gay easily made the U.S. team for the 100 meters race but failed to qualify for the 200 meters when he fell in a qualifying heat at the trials. Fellow track stars Jeremy Wariner, Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards followed Gay. Wariner had 601 mentions, or 7%, Felix had 593 mentions, or 7%, and Richards had 426 mentions, or 5%. Gymnast Paul Hamm, whose trip to Beijing hinges on his performance at the upcoming U.S. team training camp, had 201 mentions, or 2%. Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, whose places on the women’s gymnastics team are secure, had 131 mentions, or 2%, and 54 mentions, or 1%, respectively.

Among the tracked athletes from outside the U.S. hoping to use success in Beijing as a springboard to increased exposure, it was ironically Australian Jana Rawlinson who led coverage during the past fortnight, with 455 of the 1,907 total mentions, or 24%, for her failure to make the Australian team in the 400-meter hurdles. Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell, who is considered one of the favorites in the men’s 100 meters, was a close second with 406 mentions, or 21%. Australian swimmer Grant Hackett had 304 mentions, or 16%. Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, one of the superstars for the hometown fans, had 214 mentions, or 11%. Libby Lenton, an Australian swimmer, had 178 mentions, or 9%. British marathoner Paula Radcliffe had 141 mentions, or 7%. Leisel Jones, who is expected to be one of the strongest competitors on a very strong Australian women’s swimming squad, had 118 mentions, or 6%. British yachtsman Ben Ainslie had 39 mentions, or 2%. Another Aussie swimmer, Cate Campbell, had 35 mentions, or 2%. British middle-distance runner Jo Pavey had 17 mentions, or 1%.

Methodology: Analysis includes the English-language sources taken from a database of 6,000 newspapers, wires, magazines, radio and TV transcripts; about 13,000 current-awareness news sites; 60,000 message boards and about two million blogs.

Coca-Cola Leading Coverage of Olympic Global Sponsors

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

The Beijing Olympic Games open in a little more than three weeks and overall media coverage of the 12 global sponsors of the Games has increased since the end of June in traditional and social media sources analyzed by Dow Jones Insight. This coverage is in part tied to discussions of their ad campaigns, which have begun in earnest in China where the 12 will spend an estimated $6 billion on ads aimed at the Chinese audience.

Coca-Cola saw its share of coverage increase to 24%, or 257 of the total 1,062 mentions of all 12 sponsors, during the period July 1 to July 14. Some of this coverage was driven by bloggers commenting on Coca-Cola’s putting its soda in special commemorative cans labeled in languages of different participating countries. In addition, the company has commissioned recording and visual artists to contribute to another project, recording tracks or decorating soda bottles inspired by the theme of “What the Olympics means to me.”

General Electric had 192 mentions for 18%, in part because of rumors it might sell Olympics broadcaster NBC. McDonald’s was third, with 162 mentions for 15%. A portion of the McDonald’s coverage was also focused on the company’s marketing of Olympic collectables, including commemorative soda cups. Visa had 146 mentions, for 14%. Samsung had 116 mentions, for 11%. Lenovo, the only Chinese company among the global sponsors, and Omega each had 5% of the total mentions. Panasonic had 4%, and Johnson & Johnson and Kodak each had 2% of total mentions. Manulife and Atos Origin rounded out the 12.

Beijing Pollution Concerns Continue as Subject of Media Coverage

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

The poor air quality in Beijing has long been a concern for the athletes training to compete in the Olympic Games. Now comes another environmental issue: water pollution. The Yellow Sea in the city of Qingdao, the site of the Olympic sailing and yachting events, has been inundated with a thick algae bloom. News of the slimy green problem precipitated a spike in media coverage of the environment and athletes’ health.

Coverage increased more than fourfold, from about 50 mentions of environmental issues on July 5 to 236 mentions on July 8. The increased coverage included reports of the algae bloom, China’s extensive clean-up effort and expressions of concern from athletes who will be competing at the venue. The environment stayed in the news, though with a bit less fervor, in the days that followed. Coverage turned to Beijing’s continuing pollution problems and the government’s additional remedies, including closing some factories and other businesses such as dry-cleaning, cement-mixing and auto-repair facilities until after the Games.

During this time discussions surrounding the effects of pollution on athletes’ health tracked closely with coverage of the environment around Beijing in general.

Methodology: Analysis includes 6,000 newspapers, wires, magazines, radio and TV transcripts; about 13,000 current-awareness news sites; 60,000 message boards and about two million blogs.

Radcliffe Leads Coverage of U.K. Athletes in British and Global Media Sources

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

For athletes from the United Kingdom, the Beijing Olympic Games present the chance to compete against the world’s best, and the additional challenge of building interest and excitement in anticipation of the 2012 London Games.

Among the marquee U.K. athletes being tracked by Dow Jones Insight, marathoner Paula Radcliffe garnered the most coverage in traditional and social media sources within and outside the U.K. during the period of July 1 to July 14. Radcliffe received 59% of the 162 total mentions in U.K. sources. But she did better in the global press -- 78% of the 58 mentions found -- as she is one of the better-known British Olympians outside her home country.

Yachtsman Ben Ainslie had 29 mentions, or 18%, of mentions in U.K. sources and 10 mentions, or 17%,

outside the U.K. Middle-distance runner Jo Pavey had 17 mentions, or 10%, in the U.K. and no mentions outside the U.K. Badminton players Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson had eight and six mentions, respectively, or 5% and 4% of the total mentions, in the U.K. Emms and Robertson, who are doubles partners, had 3% and 2%, respectively, of total mentions in sources outside the U.K. Triathlete Helen Tucker received six mentions, or 4%, in U.K. sources but no mentions outside the U.K.

Methodology: Analysis includes 6,000 newspapers, wires, magazines, radio and TV transcripts; about 13,000 current-awareness news sites; 60,000 message boards and about two million blogs.

Phelps Begins Quest to Make U.S. Team; Leads Press Coverage of Athletes

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

The Beijing Olympic Games open in five weeks, and coverage of Olympic trials events has focused the media spotlight on the most promising candidates for a number of U.S. teams. It was no surprise, then, to see that swimmer Michael Phelps, one of the biggest names among U.S, athletes, led all athletes in coverage in both traditional and social media. He received 1,612 mentions, or 21%, of the total 7,851 mentions in traditional media (print and online) of the athletes being tracked by Dow Jones Insight. Among the total 965 mentions in the social media (blogs and boards), 200, or 21%, were about Phelps.

Following the recently completed gymnastics trials, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin were the only competitors guaranteed berths on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team. Accordingly, during the period of May 30 to June 30, Johnson received 1,110 mentions, or 14%, and Liukin received 994, or 13%, mentions in traditional media. Paul Hamm, who was named to the U.S. men’s gymnastics team despite not competing because of a broken hand, had 1,028 mentions, or 13%, in the press. In the social media sources, Johnson received 161, or 17%, Hamm received 111, or 12%, and Liukin received 73, or 8%.

The Olympic trials for track and field also just got under way. Competition for media and commercial exposure is expected to be heated between women’s sprinters Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards, although the two will not compete head-to-head in China. Felix, who plans to double in the 100- and 200-meter races, has the edge in coverage going into the trials, with 762 mentions, or 10%, in traditional media and 98 mentions, or 10%, in social media. Richards, who plans to run the 400 meters, received 397 mentions, or 5%, in traditional media and 34 mentions, or 4%, in social media. Jeremy Wariner, the defending gold medalist in the men’s 400 meters, received 530 mentions in the traditional media and 83 in the social media.

Among the non-U.S. athletes being tracked, Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang received 943 mentions, or 12%, in the traditional media and 140, or 15%, in the social media. Paula Radcliffe, a British marathoner, received 279 mentions in traditional media and 50 in social media. Rounding out the top 10 athletes in the analysis of traditional media, Australian women’s swimmer Leisel Jones received 196 mentions. Australian men’s swimmer Grant Hackett rounds out the top 10 in social media, with 15 mentions.

Methodology: Analysis includes 6,000 newspapers, wires, magazines, radio and TV transcripts; about 13,000 current-awareness news sites; 60,000 message boards and about two million blogs.

McDonald’s Sees Boost in Coverage Thanks to Gay’s Record-Breaking Sprint

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

With five weeks to go before the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, McDonald’s, one of the Games’ global sponsors, has seen its share of media coverage increase. Three weeks ago, McDonald’s was trailing Visa and Coca-Cola in the media coverage game, with just 14% of the 399 mentions of the companies being tracked in traditional and social media sources analyzed by Dow Jones Insight. For the period of June 23-30, McDonald’s increased its share to 20% of 418 total mentions in all media sources.

Part of this increase in coverage was the result of sprinter Tyson Gay’s performance at the Olympic track and field trials. Gay ran the 100 meters in a world-record time of 9.68 seconds, but the time did not qualify as a new world record because the tailwind was over the allowable speed. Gay now heads to Beijing as one of the favorites in what is considered the glamour event of the track and field competition. McDonald’s is one of Gay’s primary sponsors and would benefit considerably from his appearance on the medals podium.

Close behind McDonald’s on a percentage-share basis were Coca-Cola, with 19% of all mentions, Visa, with 17%, Samsung with 15% and General Electric with 11%. Omega, the official timekeeper for the Beijing Games, had 5% of all mentions. Lenovo, Panasonic, Johnson & Johnson, Atos Origin, Kodak and Manulife each secured less than 5% of media mentions

Methodology: Analysis includes 6,000 newspapers, wires, magazines, radio and TV transcripts; about 13,000 current-awareness news sites; 60,000 message boards and about two million blogs.

Speedo’s New LZR Suit Will Create Waves in the Olympic Pool

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

Thanks to Speedo, space-age technology has entered the Olympic swimming pool. Speedo, the world’s top manufacturer of performance swimwear, is causing waves with its LZR swimsuit. The suit, which was developed with the help of NASA scientists, has become the subject of some controversy in the swimming community. Based on the success of swimmers wearing the suit – 40 of the 44 world records set since the suit was introduced in February were set by swimmers wearing the LZR – swimmers from a number of countries are looking to break endorsement contracts with other swimsuit manufacturers in order to compete in the suit in Beijing. In some cases, entire national teams are seeking to break their team sponsorship agreements with companies like TYR, Adidas and Mizuno.

The controversy has been a media bonanza for Speedo. The company received 372 mentions, or 62%, of the total 597 mentions of the four swimsuit manufacturers in media sources analyzed by Dow Jones Insight during the period June 23-30. TYR was a distant second with 117 mentions, or 20% of the total, followed by Adidas with 81, or 14%, and Mizuno with 27, or 5%.

If swimmers wearing the LZR continue to break records and frequent the medals podium during the Olympics, the attention could provide a significant boost for the Speedo brand and increase its share of the performance swimwear market.

Coverage of Athletes’ Health Concerns Increases As Coverage of Tibet Wanes

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

When the Olympic torch began its official journey from Mt. Olympus to Beijing three months ago, the relay was a lightning rod for protesters at several stops along the route. In European and U.S. cities, activists came out to voice their opposition to China’s policies regarding Tibet. As a result, Tibet was a major topic in the media coverage of the Olympics in April, during the early days of the torch relay. Of the 47,440 mentions of Tibet in traditional and social media sources analyzed by Dow Jones Insight during the period April 1 through July 1, nearly 30%, or 14,020, were seen during the week of April 7-13, when the protests were at their height.

Since then, as protests have died down, so has the media coverage, down to 804 mentions, or about 2%, during the week of June 9-15. Coverage doubled the following week, June 16-22, to 1,664 mentions, or 4%, coinciding with the torch’s brief visit to Tibet. Coverage dropped off again the week of June 23-30, to 997 mentions, or 2%.

In contrast, coverage of concerns over athletes’ health and how it may be affected by Beijing’s pollution and poor air quality has increased as the Games have drawn closer. Athlete health issues were a popular topic in mid-April, when the Games were drawing a lot of negative coverage over a range of issues. Of the 2,315 total mentions in traditional and social media sources tracked by Dow Jones Insight, 391, or 17%, occurred from April 14-20. Coverage then dropped off, with only 75 mentions, or 3%, during the week of June 9-15.

Media mentions of athlete health issues spiked again the week of June 16-22, to 342 mentions, or 15%. This increase coincided with China’s announcement of measures designed to reduce pollution and improve air quality in Beijing during the Olympic Games. The government announced a ban on all construction and industrial projects between July and September. Drivers will be allowed to drive on alternate days only, based on an odd-even system. And some drivers will be given financial incentives to keep their cars off the Beijing streets for the entire period.