Panasonic Shares Games through Technology

(ATR) TOP Sponsor Panasonic is “Sharing the Passion” of the Games via technology, as it adds digital cameras to its list of Olympic equipment.

Panasonic added the digital camera equipment to its audio and visual equipment category one year ago, after Kodak ended its Olympic sponsorship.

Panasonic will now offer consumers digital cameras with the Vancouver 2010 logo.

“This is the first time that we are doing this and we hope that we can extend it,” Yoko Nakamizu of Panasonic’s Worldwide Olympic Marketing Brand Promotion Group told Around the Rings.

“We’re hoping to do a little more, and hopefully we can do the official supply of the Games.”

Panasonic supplies area screens, televisions, projectors and broadcast cameras for the Games. The Vancouver Games are the first HD Winter Olympic Games.

“It’s kind of a support to share the passion of the Olympic Games with the people around the world with our technologies, so basically we’re supporting the Games with our equipment,” Nakamizu told ATR.

“We provide equipment to the Vancouver Olympic Committee, competition venues and the IBC,” Nakamizu said.

In addition to providing equipment during the Games, Panasonic opened the Panasonic Full HD 3D Theatre in Vancouver, Feb. 12 to 28.

“The Pavilion allows athletes, spectators to view competition highlights in 3D,” Nakamizu said.

The theatre is located in the Live City at David Lam Park, and features two HD 3D theatres.

“We are going to launch the 3D home theatre program in North America after Vancouver and figured the Olympics were a good time to promote that,” Nakamizu told ATR.

With the opening of the theatre, Panasonic released its song, “Shall Be Done.”

“The song clearly shows Panasonic’s spirit, emphasizing the value we place on new ideas and caring for the future. It made perfect sense for us to launch the song to the world at the 2010 Winter Games,” TakumiKajisha,Managing Executive Officer of Corporate Communciations, said.

The song will be featured through Panasonic’s advertising, website and events.

Panaconic focused its marketing for the 2010 Games on the Canada and North America market for the 2010 Games.

Panasonic offered customers the opportunity to travel to the Games through a blog contest. Customers were encouraged to blog on Panasonic’s site. The person who provided the most content won a free trip to the Games and is blogging from Vancouver showing his Olympic experience.

Panasonic also connected its customers with the Games and athletes. Five athletes blogged about their experiences beforeand during the Games on Panasonic’s site. The athletes include Robel Teklemariam, Cross-Country Skiing, Katharine Eustace, Skeleton, Kazuhiro Koshi, Skeleton, Tugba Karademir, Ladies Figure Skating and Clyde Getty Argentia, Freestyle Skiing.

To get its employees involved in the Games, Panasonic Canada had a contest for employees to write essays about what the Olympics mean to them. The contest allowed 15 employees to visit different areas during the Games.

Panasonic, based in Osaka, Japan, has more than 100 people from its headquarters working in Vancouver.

The company also provided some clients and customers the chance to experience the Games through its hospitality programs.

Its hospitality packages included transportation, accommodations, tickets to competitions and tours of the 3D HD theatre.

Panasonic has been an Olympic sponsor since 1988, sponsoring 13 Games.

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With reporting from Isia Reaves

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