Sponsor Spotlight - Coke Marketer of the Year; Chevrolet Sponsors Pan Ams

Coca-Cola: Marketer of the Year

Advertising Age magazine named Olympic sponsor Coca-Cola its marketer of the year.

"While it boasts the world's most valuable brand - and Coke has certainly been a success story with 3% volume growth worldwide - it also has a stable of smaller upstarts," said Ad Age editor Abbey Klaassen.

"We've been impressed by how deftly it meets the marketing challenges of brands both big and small," she added.

Coca-Cola, a TOP sponsor,was selected from a shortlist of companies that have shown marketing success and strong business results. Coke has sponsored the Games since 1928. The trade publication has recognized businesses with this award since 1993.

Pan Am, Chevrolet Partner

Chevrolet Canada is teaming up with the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.

As part of a four-year agreement, the automobile manufacturer will serve as the exclusive vehicle partner for the Games.

"Chevrolet shares our vision to create a better Ontario," said Toronto 2015 CEO Ian Troop, who announced the partnership on Tuesday.

"A focus on families, combined with a wealth of transportation experience and a reliable track record at multi-sport games, makes Chevrolet an ideal partner for the Toronto 2015 Games."

During the competition, Chevrolet will provide 1000 vehicles – many of which will have green technologies that help reduce fuel emissions. The fleet will include a wide variety of automobiles from passenger vans to trucks.

McDonald’s Recruits Employees for Olympic Restaurants

McDonald’s is hosting events throughout the United Kingdom this month to recruit people for its Olympic Park restaurants.

HR Magazine reports the fast food chain launched its first Olympic Champion Crew Super Team event at a store in London to pick employees to work at its four restaurants.

"This programme is a great example of the efforts some sponsors are going to in order to play their part in ensuring visitors to the Games get the best possible experience," said the British Olympic Association’s director of sport Clive Woodward.

The former England rugby player was on hand to give advice about performing under pressure. The company is looking for employees that can work quickly and deliver great customer service.

Audi Continues to Support International Ski Federation

Audi is the new title sponsor of the International Ski Federation’s (FIS) Ski Cross World Cup.

"FIS is extremely pleased that the long and successful partnership between FIS and Audi is now integrating the Ski Cross World Cup alongside the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup," said the federation's president Gian Franco Kasper.

Audi began supporting the organization in the 2002-2003 season with the Alpine Ski World Cup.

Samsung Texting Application

Olympic sponsor Samsung is introducing an application that test mobile phone users typing abilities.

Through the "Fastest in the Stratosphere" app, people are engaged in a competition to see who can type the quickest, according to Ad Age. The results of the competition show up on Facebook.

The game is intended to show off the keyboard for Samsung’s Stratosphere mobile phone.

Coca-Cola Recycling at London 2012

All clear bottles at the London Olympics eventually will become 80 million new Coke bottles.

Through a joint venture with ECO Plastics, Coca-Cola will recycle all clear bottlesdiscarded at Olympic venues.

"London 2012 provides a spectacular opportunity for everyone in the UK to raise the bar on sustainability," said Jon Woods, manager of Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland.

"We know from experience that our sponsorship can inspire our own business to take a leap forward in sustainability, and we’re committed to building on what we’ve learnt to help LOGOG make London 2012 the most sustainable Games of modern times."

Organizers have hyped London Olympics as sustainable and aim to send no waste to landfills.

Greene King Sponsors Team Rwanda

A sponsorship deal will allow the Rwandan Olympic team to use pre-games training camps in Britain.

The pub retailer and brewer Greene King will support the team as they prepare for London 2012. The funding will go towards equipment and uniforms and enable the Rwandan team to train at the West Suffolk Athletics Arena in Bury St Edmunds in the U.K., also Greene King’s headquarters.

"The Games Training Camp in Bury St Edmunds is vital for our athletes," said Rwanda Olympic Team President Charles Rudakubana. "It will allow our athletes to acclimatise to the British environment, by training in the climate in which they will be competing."

About 18 coaches and athletes will use the facilities in Bury St Edmunds next summer.

Written by Ann Cantrell.

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