I think Olympic communication will significantly raise the level of China's sports marketing and sponsorship development. You could say that before Beijing 2008, there wasn't a mature sports marketing and sponsorship industry in China. Beijing 2008 has placed the city on a competitive list of contenders for holding international sports competitions and events, which is a very important factor in attracting tourism to a destination.

In a recent survey conducted by ArkSports, an international sports research company, Beijing was ranked the eighth best city out of 20 cities for hosting an international sports event. The top five, in order, are Melbourne, Paris, Sydney, Berlin and London. The company looked at each city based on the experience of hosting large international sports events, city environment, government support, people's interests towards sports and quality of life.

Beijing's high ranking helps place the city as a top destination for sports and cultural events, which gives PR and advertising companies tremendous opportunities.

On the other hand, Olympic sponsors invest a significant amount of money to have the right to use the Olympic marks. These companies will spend three to four times more to promote the sponsorship, which offers many opportunities for the PR and advertising industries in China.

Only Olympic sponsors have the right to use the Olympic images and logos in marketing and in designated areas and at specific times. Non-Olympic sponsors aren't able to use Olympic logos or marks at all. IOC and BOCOG are also very concerned about protecting sponsors' rights, and have developed strict rules that prohibit ambush marketing.

On the other hand, non-Olympic sponsors can also benefit from an Olympic economy. As I said before, China's sports marketing industry is developing vigorously. Finding other sports events or doing promotions in line with the public's enthusiasm and participation in sports can also achieve good marketing results.

As an Olympic sponsor, companies should leverage their sponsorship and conduct promotions or PR immediately. The opportunity cost of Olympic communication is very high and if they miss the chance now, they will have to wait four more years until the next Summer Games.

What are H&K's plans for Olympic communication over the next two years?

We plan to serve BOCOG well over the next two years.

At the same time, as a PR consultancy that provides integrated communications solutions for our clients, we have a sports marketing and sponsorship practice to provide expert advice for companies interested in raising their brand awareness through sports. We believe this will become a rapidly developing practice in China and the rest of Asia.