Advertising, sales and digital programmes continue for Vancouver and London
LONDON, United Kingdom - October 29, 2008 -- GE, a worldwide partner of the Olympic Games, is kicking off a number of new marketing and sales efforts in advance of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and London 2012 Olympic Games.
For the London 2012 Olympic Games, GE has launched a ground-breaking moving image campaign on the side of London taxi cabs featuring a technique known as 'motion lenticular technology', never before used on the exterior of a taxi cab. The campaign, which runs until February 2009, features 300 London cabs displaying the new Olympic Games designs as side panels. Two creative executions have been developed -- one that depicts an Olympic hurdler, the other a cyclist. As a result of the printing technology used, as the cab moves along the streets, the images appear to be animated.
GE also created an Olympic-themed business event in London, aimed at educating audiences about complex infrastructure issues and solutions for host cities. The event brought together a range of stakeholders responsible for the delivery of the Games, including senior executives from the public and private sectors, including the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). The event focused on topics related to smart and sustainable building for the future, and highlighted technologies ranging from healthcare and security systems to energy, power distribution and water technologies that GE businesses expect to implement for London 2012 and other UK infrastructure projects. Guests were able to tour GE's interactive technology exhibition, which demonstrates how GE's cutting-edge technology can help business and society reduce their environmental impact without affecting performance.
The Decathlon Challenge: Olympic Games-themed Sales Incentive Programmes
As an extension of the Olympic Games sponsorship, GE has developed a range of global sales incentive programmes targeting customers, consumers and its own sales force. The flagship programme is the Decathlon Challenge, a sales staff incentive programme that has enrolled close to 40,000 GE salespeople worldwide. Through a simple digital framework, sales teams anywhere from Brazil to China can develop customised Olympic Games-themed sales incentive programmes for employees and distributors. Customisation options include measurement criteria, tools for ongoing communication with participants, and even an online leader board to keep participants updated on top performers and inspire healthy competition.
Following successful pilot programmes during the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games, GE ran 150 Olympic Games-themed sales incentive programmes across GE businesses worldwide for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. All programmes to date have resulted in more than $190 million in revenue growth in 2007 and 2008. In the past, sales incentive programmes were primarily implemented on a local level; however, GE's sponsorship of a global event like the Olympic Games provides the company with the opportunity to implement a uniquely themed programme that resonates with employees worldwide.
Olympic Games Advertising and Brand Building
Since announcing its Olympic Games partnership in 2005, GE has used the sponsorship to build brand awareness with business audiences in key markets. The print and outdoor advertising campaign in Beijing focused on GE's wind, water re-use and lighting systems technologies, and was featured in newspapers and business and news magazines, as well as on buses and billboards in airports in major hubs including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
To engage with the people visiting Beijing for the Olympic Games, GE produced an interactive game in taxi cabs. On the taxi touch screens, riders could access a map showcasing Olympic Games venues and descriptions of how GE's technologies contributed to building them, as well as a schedule of Olympic Games competitions.
GE's television campaign during the Olympic Games focused on its wind, biogas, and aircraft engine technologies, with three advertisements running on NBC networks. GE's U.S. campaign had an extensive digital presence with eight new online advertisements launching during the Olympic Games.
Imagination Center
As part of GE's on-site activation programme for Beijing, the company built a 16,500-square foot structure called the Imagination Center in the heart of the Olympic Green. The two-story, interactive experience provided a way for customers and consumers attending the Olympic Games to experience the brand.
Thousands of visitors toured the self-guided venue each day, including IOC President Jacques Rogge, Premier Gordon Campbell of British Columbia, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and LOCOG Chairman Sebastian Coe.
The Imagination Center connected the five core Chinese elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water with key technologies from GE businesses that contributed to building the infrastructure for the Beijing Games, including Energy, Water, Healthcare, Transportation and Lighting.
Following the Beijing Games, the Imagination Center was moved and installed in the lobby of the new GE China headquarters building in Shanghai.
On the Web
www.ge.com/olympicgames
About GE
GE is a diversified global infrastructure, finance and media company that is built to meet essential world needs. From energy, water, transportation and health to access to money and information, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com. GE is Imagination at Work.