P&G Chief Explains Olympic Sponsorship; Dow CEO Talks Bhopal Disaster

P&G Uses Olympics to Reach Consumers

Procter & Gamble CEO Bob McDonald says the company’s worldwide Olympic sponsorship is a commercial innovation that enables better product sales.

Speaking at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, he outlined P&G’s worldwide partnership, which extends through 2020 and includes multiple brands.

"The reason that we’re doing this is that there’s a tremendous intersection between the Olympics, who are trying to improve lives through sport, and what we’re trying to do, which is improve lives through our brands," McDonald said.

Athletes are ambassadors for different P&G brands, an initiative that started with the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.

"We discovered that this is a good way to get in touch with our consumers," he added.

At Vancouver, the company also gained insight about an important consumer: mothers.

"No matter how much the mother sacrifices for the child and no matter how older the child becomes or accomplished the child becomes – that child is always looked at as a child to their mother," said McDonald.

P&G ran a commercial at the Vancouver Games and recently launched one for the London Olympics that thanks moms for supporting their children and raising them to be Olympians.

This week, the company launched the same campaign in China at a press conference in Beijing.

Dow Chemical, Bhopal Update

Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris says people attacking the company for the Bhopal disaster are trying to get into Dow’s "deep pockets."

In an interview with Bloomberg, Liveris said the company is not responsible for the 1984 industrial disaster in Bhopal, India where a pesticide plant owned by Union Carbide India Limited leaked gas, killing thousands.

"It was not us," he said. "The fact that you can speak back with science and fact rather than emotion and hysteria is your only defense."

Dow bought the Union Carbide Corporation in 2001, which Dow argued is long after a $470 settlement by the Indian government.

"To keep coming back to the notion that you acquire a company where there is a bright line on the liability that was settled way beyond your time, and to hook you into that event, it's beyond beliefthat people are still trying that," Liveris said.

"The obvious reason people are trying that is because we are a healthy company with deep pockets that people want a second bite of the cherry on," he said. "I keep saying, 'Please go to India, please talk to the government of India and please work it out with them.'"

Activists argue that there are several ongoing court cases and that Dow is liable since it acquired Union Carbide.

IOA Gains Sponsor

The dairy company Amul is the second sponsor of the Indian Olympic team after Samsung.

"Amul is committed to strengthening the Olympic movement in India and encourage young generation from all corners of the country to take up Olympic sports," said R.S. Sodhi of Amul in a statement.

"Itake great pleasure and pride in announcing our sponsorship of the Indian contingent to the London 2012 Olympic Games as ‘Olympic Partner’."

According the Indian media, all of the funds from the deal will go towards supporting Indian athletes.

Olympics Brings Quiznos to Russia

Quiznos will open restaurants in Russia ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Through a partnership with QSR Russia, Ltd (QRL), the sandwich company will open the first chain in St. Petersburg this year. By 2014, Quiznos plans to have restaurants in more than 20 cities.

"We anticipate the Russian people will embrace Quiznos’ taste and quality and we look forward to the opportunity to showcase the tremendous business potential that vibrant and growing cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow hold as we recruit potential franchisees," said QRL Chairman Darrin Stock in a statement.

"With the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2018 World Cup, I believe there’s no better time for Quiznos to enter the Russian marketplace," he added.

PR*Bar Sponsors USA Softball

PR*Bar joined the Amateur Softball Association and USA Softball as their official performance nutrition bar.

The company also supports U.S. Olympians and Paralympians and has a deal with the USOC through 2017.

Written by Ann Cantrell .

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