 Chen: Lenovo's Olympic sponsorship turns its brand gold
By Xie Chuanjiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-22 06:53
The Beijing Olympics has enormously helped computer maker Lenovo expand into a global brand. Fully 53 percent of the respondents in a recent BusinessWeek/Interbrand survey named Lenovo as a top emerging global player. The US magazine also found that Lenovo is recognized by more international marketing experts than any other Chinese brands. In 2004, Lenovo became a Worldwide Olympic Partner (TOP) of the Beijing Olympic Games, which greatly boosted its exposure at home and abroad. It followed with the purchase of IBM's PC business in 2005. "After Lenovo signed its TOP agreement with the International Olympic Committee in 2004, its reputation improved greatly in overseas markets over the following three to four years, helping it grow from a local company in China to a global player," said Chen Shaopeng, senior vice president of Levono Group and president of its China and Russia business. "The Games are a golden opportunity for us to promote brand building, especially in establishing our image and reputation overseas." Chen added the company profited from overseas acquisitions and integration in the past three years. Its sales have increased over the past three years, surpassing the average industry growth rate in the domestic market and have yielded stable profits. Lenovo now has more than 30 percent of the domestic market. "It is the Games that led Lenovo to glory today, and I believe rapid growth will continue even after the Games," Chen said. Lenovo has sponsored a range of major sports events worldwide. "The strategy of focusing on the Olympics as well as supporting other sports events will not change," the senior vice president said. The computer maker has long participated in NBA, Formula 1 and World Golf Championship events. "With the combination of exciting events, Lenovo is absorbing more energy and vitality," Chen added. Supplying nearly 30,000 pieces of hardware - including servers, laptops, desktop computers, printers and touch screens - Lenovo helped construct the computing backbone for the 2008 Games. More than 580 engineers from Lenovo built and maintain the information system, which ranges from scores and results management to data distribution and the information system for media commentators. Server solutions used at the Games are based on the IA framework of Lenovo, replacing the RISC system commonly used before. It not only meets the capacity and stability needs of the Olympic information system, but also reduced overall costs by about 50 percent. Chen noted, "Lenovo is going all out to ensure the steady operation of the information system for the Games". The delivery speed of data at venues has also been enhanced - it is four times faster than the system used in the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games. Technology director Jean-Benoit Gauthier from the International Olympic Committee said he is most satisfied with Lenovo's performance. "In 2006, Lenovo also provided flawless technology support to the Torino Winter Olympic Games," Gauthier said. "Today, Lenovo is providing quality products that can handle all kinds of weather and to support the most complicated IT system in Olympics history," he said. Lenovo's IT hardware and technology service team also supported the Good Luck Beijing test events and two major technical rehearsals. Chen said he understands the withdrawal of 2004 Olympic gold medal hurdler Liu Xiang. "People love Liu not only for his excellent achievements in sports, but also his colorful life story," Chen said. "His spirit of a people's Games and bravery will encourage every one of us." "Sports are full of changes, and no one can secure every second with the best status," he added. Chen emphasized that Lenovo supports national teams, especially those that are having difficulty making a breakthrough. "Lenovo designed the Beijing Olympic torch, the Cloud of Promise, leaving an important cultural legacy for the Olympic movement. The unique design, its patterns, shape and color combine the essence of traditional Chinese culture and the Olympic spirit." he noted. The Cloud of Promise designed by Lenovo passed three rounds of selection by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games. It won over 388 other candidate designs. The torch is in the shape of a paper scroll. Paper is one of the four great inventions of ancient China. The design is in lacquer red, a color that has been characteristically Chinese for 1,000 years. The Cloud of Promise pattern has become one of the key visual elements representing the Beijing Olympic Games. The Lenovo Showcase at the Olympic Green features interactive experiences that highlight technology innovation and encourage participation. Visitors can experiment with Lenovo's facial recognition technology or create a photograph of themselves carrying the Olympic Torch. It receives more than 4,000 people every day, including visits by Jacques Rogge, president of the IOC. It has six sections including an Olympic Torch exhibition area, where visitors can take photos with the Bird's Nest or Water Cube as a background, and a product interaction zone. The sleek exterior of the building features light-weight materials and a bold design that evokes a bird in flight - providing an optimistic view of technology and the future. In a display area for Lenovo and the science of the Olympics, visitors see a wall of three screens that show a video detailing Lenovo's contribution to the Olympics. One interesting attraction is a collision test that drops a ball on a laptop below that has an anti-roll frame, a technology used in Formula 1 cars. Lenovo is the first to apply the technology to a computer. Another display area tests its water-proof keyboard technology. Using a plastic pad and drainage system, the keyboard is able to withstand spilled water 5 mm deep. (China Daily 08/22/2008 page16) |
