Q&A: Panasonic and Torino 2006 - January 2006  

As the world's top winter sports athletes push themselves to the limit at the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games, Panasonic will be using its technological expertise to help capture and deliver the intense competition and record-breaking achievements to billions of spectators around the globe. S&T spoke to Brendon Gore, head of corporate communications at Panasonic Europe, about how the sponsorship is progressing.

Please briefly outline which sports properties Panasonic sponsors and how long the deals are

“Panasonic is heavily involved in two global sports sponsorship programmes: the Olympic Games (as a TOP sponsor) and Formula One (as title sponsor of the Panasonic Toyota Racing F1 team). We have been an Olympic TOP sponsor since the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary and Seoul and have committed to support the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in China. Panasonic has been Toyota F1's title sponsor since Toyota entered the FIA Formula One Championships in 2002. In October last year, we announced an extension to the title sponsorship through the end of 2009.”
 
What were your objectives in sponsoring the Olympic Games in particular?

“Panasonic collaborates with the organisers of sporting, musical and cultural events in a wide range of fields. Our involvement in the Olympic Games, generally recognised to be the world's premier sporting event, is aimed at contributing to society and promoting the image of the Panasonic brand on a global scale. We believe that this involvement, which began with the 1988 Calgary Olympics and has continued ever since, enhances the sense of quality, reliability and excitement people feel towards our products and technology.”

What does the sponsorship involve - i.e. what rights do you have?

“We have the right to use the five-ring Olympic emblem, the logo of the Organising Committee and the mascot of the Games in our global advertising activities for our products in the categories of Audio Video equipment and Recording Media. Panasonic's DVCPRO series were selected as the official video format for recording the Olympic Games in high quality images. Our audio and video equipment will be used throughout the various sporting venues and our video monitors, editors and other broadcast equipment will be used at the International Broadcast Centre to bring the Olympic Games to billions of people around the world. As an Olympic Partner (TOP) for the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games, Panasonic's sponsorship has been extended beyond the current Video and Audio categories to include car navigation systems and related multi-media equipment, as well as security equipment for the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games.”

How have you been leveraging your sponsorship of Torino 2006 so far?

“We use the Olympic emblem and logos for every marketing opportunity including advertisements, promotional events, publicity materials, exhibitions, websites, annual reports and company brochures. A variety of hospitality programmes offer tours for leading dealer representatives and salespeople and act as incentive trips for key customers from around the world. In the US, gold medalist Picabo Street is supporting Panasonic's marketing initiatives with a variety of media and tradeshow appearances. In Italy, Panasonic is a Technology Partner for the Atrium Torino 2006 project, two pavilions in Torino's popular Solferino Square, which use Panasonic plasma displays and DVD-RAM recorders to show the plans for the Games and the Olympic history.”

How will this compare to your sponsorships at previous Games?

“We adopted a similar approach for the Athens Olympics in 2004 and the Salt Lake Olympics in 2002.”
 
What will be special about your sponsorship of Torino 2006?

“For the first time in the history of Olympic Winter Games, the broadcasting equipment in Torino will be completely digital, making it the most technologically advanced ever. As the official supplier of standard and high definition recording equipment for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, Panasonic will be providing the Torino Olympic Broadcasting Organization (TOBO) DVCPRO P2 solid-state memory devices as well as DVCPRO HD and DVCPRO50 recording equipment for the Torino Games. The P2 card, as a solid-state device, has no moving parts, making it an ideal choice for the Olympic Winter Games, because it is reliable and robust, even in severe weather. This digital solid-state recording technology is regarded by many in the industry as potentially the most significant change to news and broadcast acquisition since the arrival of videotape over 35 years ago.”

How will big screens at Torino be used to entertain crowds?

“Our giant Astrovisions will be used in the main stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies continuing a tradition of providing Astrovision screens for the Olympic Games that began in 1984. Panasonic will also be providing 25 RAMSA audio systems, featuring line-array speakers that have been developed to cope with extreme conditions and minimize sound leakage.  The line array speakers will be used for the first time at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. In addition, Panasonic will be providing no fewer than 8,800 colour televisions and monitors, including 200 plasma TVs, for the Main Press Centre, the International Broadcast Centre, the Media and Olympic Villages.”

How do you measure the success and/or return on Panasonic's sports
Sponsorships (e.g. do you commission research)?

“Being a sponsor allows us to showcase our products at Olympic venues, and we consider sponsorship to be a foreword-looking investment that brings results in the form of future orders. However, MEI’s key aims in agreeing to be a corporate sponsor are to contribute to society by supporting the international sporting event known as the Olympic Games and to enhance the image of the Panasonic brand. We feel that being an Olympic sponsor is
significant with regard to both of these aspects.”

What excites you about the technology industry at the moment?

“Panasonic is the world leader in plasma TVs, which are currently revolutionising the TV industry. In January, at the CES Show in Las Vegas, we unveiled the world's largest 103 inch 1080p HD resolution plasma display. Large-size flat-panel TVs are expected to gain further popularity with improvements in digital broadcasting services expected during 2006. Panasonic expects the global plasma TV demand to reach 25m units in 2010. To meet the accelerating demand, the company has just opened the world's largest plasma panel-making plant in Japan. For sports fans, the prospect of being able to watch events like the Winter Olympics in high definition on this type of plasma display, with its quick response time, is mouthwatering. Moreover, 620 ‘Super-Dynamic III’ surveillance cameras will be provided for the first time to facilitate safe and secure Olympic Games operations.”

This article was seen first by people who receive the monthly newsletter, join them.