(ATR) The promise of a new wave of innovation for the Olympic Games is possible thanks to new worldwide sponsors Toyota, Alibaba and Intel.
The trio of TOP sponsors takes the number four spot in the 2018 edition of the Around the Rings Golden 25. Published since 1997, the Golden 25 is an annual review of people, events and issues expected to influence the Olympic Movement in the year ahead.
It’s been a few years since the IOC has had such an infusion of new sponsors, each out of the box from the traditional worldwide categories.
Toyota is the first automaker to claim the worldwide sponsorship for the Olympics. The number-one automobile firm in the world has a presence in likely every one of the world’s 206 NOCs. Coke may be the only comparable worldwide sponsor that can match that penetration.
While an automobile firm, Toyota is officially designated as the mobility sponsor of the IOC through 2024. CEO Akio Toyoda wants to put his company at the leading edge of the industry with driverless vehicles and technology that makes cars safer and efficient.
As the best known Japanese brand in the world, Toyota is expected to make a big splash at the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo. How about flying Toyotas during the opening ceremony?
Alibaba, the Chinese technology firm, is the first worldwide IOC sponsor in the categories of cloud services and e-commerce platform services, distinctions unheard of a decade ago.
Led by the energetic entrepreneur Jack Ma, Alibaba could revolutionize the digital world of the IOC. Soon the company will unveil the e-commerce platform that is supposed to make Olympic products available for purchase anywhere in the world. Alibaba also aims to go even deeper, making its B2B commerce services part of the procurement activities of Olympic Games organizing committees.
Alibaba has signed on through 2028 and is the first sponsor from China for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Intel, the California based chip maker, takes another once unheard of category for a worldwide Olympic sponsor. But the Intel deal through 2024 envisions its semiconductor products turning the Olympic experience on its ear.
From technology imbedded into the field of play or sports gear, Intel wants to give spectators and TV viewers a vantage point at the center of the action. Intel is at the forefront of the push for 5g wireless services and its technology is part of upcoming Olympic Games.
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich has promised surprises from Intel in PyeongChang, the company’s debut in the Olympics. Those may come during opening ceremony Feb. 9. The show may include the first use of drone technology from Intel, bringing a new dimension to the spectacle beyond traditional pyrotechnics.
2017 ranking: #20
Reported by Ed Hula.
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