Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Visa Lead Post-Games Coverage of Olympic Sponsors

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

Although the Beijing Olympic Games had 12 global sponsors, three sponsors led coverage in traditional and social media sources in analyses before, during and, now, after the Games. Those three – Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Visa – combined to garner 65% of coverage in both traditional and social media during the period of August 26 to September 8.

Coca-Cola had 158 of the 565 total mentions in social media sources analyzed by Dow Jones Insight, for 28%. McDonald’s was second with 135 mentions, for 24%, and Visa was third with 73 mentions, for 13%. Of the 768 total mentions in traditional media sources, Coca-Cola had 209 mentions, for 27%, Visa had 158 mentions, for 21%, and McDonald’s had 129 mentions, for 17%. In the weeks leading up to the Games, a significant amount of coverage of these three sponsors was negative, focusing on their implied complicity in China’s poor human rights record. Once the Games started, however, coverage of these companies softened somewhat, focusing instead on their presence in Beijing, their commemorative merchandise and their feel-good ads.

In social media sources, GE was fourth with 53 mentions, for 9%. Samsung had 44 mentions, for 8%. Lenovo, the only Chinese company among the global sponsors, and Panasonic each had 5% of mentions. Omega and Johnson & Johnson each had 3% and Kodak had 2%. French IT company Atos Origin and Canadian financial services company Manulife failed to make the top 10.

In traditional media sources, General Electric had 66 mentions, for 9%. Samsung had 60 mentions, for 8%, and Lenovo had 54 mentions, for 7%. Omega and Johnson & Johnson each had 4% of mentions. Atos Origin and Kodak rounded out the top 10, each with 2% of mentions. Panasonic and Manulife did not crack the top 10 in traditional media sources.

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, Visa Earn Coverage of Their Television Commercials

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

The Beijing Olympic Games have drawn to a close, and coverage of the Games’ 12 global sponsors is closing just as it began, with McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Visa leading the way. Between August 11 and August 25, McDonald’s had 673 of the top 10 companies’ 3,566 mentions, or 19%, in traditional media sources analyzed by Dow Jones Insight. Visa and Coca-Cola were close behind, with 18% of mentions each. Coverage of McDonald’s was centered on the company’s physical presence in Beijing, while Visa and Coca-Cola garnered coverage due to their ads. Mentions of Visa focused on the company’s “Go World” ad campaign and its sponsorship of Michael Phelps.

General Electric followed with 455 mentions, for 13%. Much of the coverage of GE focused on the ratings for NBC’s coverage of the Games. Coverage of Omega nearly doubled compared to the previous two-week period analyzed by Dow Jones Insight, from 5% to 9% for the period of August 11-25. Omega got a boost in coverage due to its position as the “official timekeeper” of the games. The company was surprisingly thrust into the spotlight after Phelps’ last-second, by-a-fraction-of-a-fingertip victory over Serbian Milorad Cavic in the 100-meter butterfly. To spectators, the finish seemed to be a dead heat, but Omega’s timing system had Phelps in first with a time of 50.58 seconds and Cavic in second with a time of 50.59 seconds. The finish was backed up by digital photos captured by Omega’s overhead cameras.

Samsung and Lenovo, the latter being the only Chinese company among the global sponsors, had 7% of mentions each. Johnson & Johnson had 181 mentions, or 5%. Kodak and Panasonic each had 2% of mentions. French IT company, Atos Origin, and Canadian financial services company, Manulife, failed to make the top 10.

In social media sources analyzed by Dow Jones, Coca-Cola took the top spot, with 735 of 2,974 total mentions, for 25%. McDonald’s was close behind with 656 mentions, for 22%. Visa followed in third, with 491 mentions, for 17%. Coverage of the top three companies on blogs and message boards seemed to focus on their television ads, with Coca-Cola getting positive reviews for its commercial featuring a montage of gold medal ceremonies for Olympians and Special Olympians. While much of the negative attention garnered by Coca-Cola and McDonald’s has diminished as the Games have wound down, there were still some mentions critical of the companies for their connections to China and its questionable human rights and environmental policies.

GE was fourth with 265 mentions, for 9%. Lenovo had 8% of mentions and Samsung and Omega had 7% each. Johnson & Johnson, Kodak and Panasonic each had 2% of mentions. Atos Origin and Manulife again failed to crack the top 10.

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.

Top Sponsorship Dollars Don’t Always Buy the Most Media Coverage

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

Each of the 12 global sponsors for the Beijing Olympics has invested significant sums of money to attach its brand to the Games, but not all of them are getting their money’s worth in terms of press coverage yet. During the period of June 10-16, two companies had a combined 51% of all mentions of sponsor companies in conjunction with the Games in traditional and social media sources analyzed by Dow Jones Insight. Visa, with 115 mentions for 29%, and Coca-Cola, with 87 mentions for 22%, outpaced the rest of the global sponsors. McDonald’s was in third, with 54 of the 399 total mentions, followed by General Electric with 39. The remaining eight – Samsung, computer maker Lenovo, watch-maker Omega, Panasonic, Johnson & Johnson, Atos Origin, the IT services company, Kodak and Manulife – have barely shown up yet.

Overall, mentions in social media (blogs and boards) made up only about 20% of all media mentions. Coca-Cola and McDonald’s received the most significant coverage in social media sources, with 32% and 33% of their overall coverage, respectively, coming from blogs and boards. For Visa, mentions in the social media accounted for only 13% of its overall coverage. Johnson & Johnson and Atos Origin received no mentions in the social media during the analyzed time period.

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.