Your friendly soft drink, Coca-Cola, or affectionately known as Coke, is getting all out to woo the 1.3 billion Chinese population in this year Beijing Olympics. It is believed that Coke has spent US$75 million on the Games to boost sales and build long-term loyalty in China.

“The Olympics goes beyond sport,” said Kevin Tressler, Coca-Cola’s director of worldwide sports and entertainment marketing.

“There’s a warm feeling that comes to people when they think about the Olympics.”

Coke’s red marketing strategy aligns with the national colour of China. Good move!

Image: The Searcher | Via Sydney Morning Herald

Adidas and Jet Li (鏉庤繛鏉�) have collaborated to develop a fitness course called “Wu Ji” (鏃犳瀬). This course will be introduced to nationwide gyms next year and the aim is to get city dwellers to move their butts and achieve physical and mental nirvana after the Beijing Olympics. Of course, Adidas will also debut a new “Wu Ji” product line to satisfy fans.

Via Shanghai Daily

If you are going out on your own to the Beijing Olympics, you might want to download this free Beijing Olympic Games 2008 Ebook Guide. This electronic guide gives you the locations and schedule (specific dates) of various Beijing 2008 events. A rundown on the hotels, restuarants and places of attraction which are near to the competition venues is also available. Information on Beijing’s transportation and attractions can be found at the end of this informative 184-page colour guide.

Japan’s electronics giant, Sharp, expects a real boost to its LCD televisions sales from the Beijing 2008 Olympics. China is already the third largest market behind Japan and North America for Sharp’s LCD flat screens. As China is becoming more affluent, imported luxury goods and electronics will be getting more popular. Businesses have to make use of Beijing 2008 as a platform to showcase their products to China and to the world as well.

Sharp hopes to sell 10 million LCD televisions worldwide in the year to March 2009, up about 11 percent from sales of about 9.0 million expected in the current year, group president Mikio Katayama told a press briefing.

Via AFP

For the geeky side of you, Microsoft Silverlight platform will be used in NBC Olympics website (NBCOlympics.com).

The new site will host 2,200 hours of live event video coverage, with more than 20 simultaneous live video streams at peak times. An additional 3,000 hours of on-demand video will be available, including full event replays and highlights.

Silverlight will be used for an 鈥渆nhanced playback mode鈥� and will allow full screen viewing 鈥渢hat is as good or better than anything on the Internet today.鈥� There will also be metadata overlays that enable viewers to additional content like results, statistics, bios, rules and expert analysis.

Is it better than YouTube?

Via TechCrunch

Beijing, Construction, Pollution

Beijing has created a lot of buzz and positive press from its splendid Olympic architectures, grandious pre Olympic celebrations and super-friendly Beijing Olympics Friedlies Friendles (Fuwa mascots). However, the air pollution problem in Beijing is yet to resolve.

Beijing city may face some problems below if the pollution still lingers during the Beijing Olympics period…

• Endurance events such as marathon running and cycling may be postponed or even cancelled.
• Casual tourists may encounter asthma, sore throats and allergic reactions.
• Leaves a bad first impression for first-time tourists and visitors to Beijing.

Less than 8 months away, Beijing is coming up with viable solutions…

• Cutting emissions from the city’s top 5 power plants.
• Accelerating the construction of urban railway lines.
• Cloud seeding by firing rockets into clouds to induce rain.
• Cutting bus fares to encourage the public to take up public transport.
• Taking 1.3 million cars off the roads and closing down factories during Beijing 2008 Games.

But…

There was much official celebration at news that the capital had squeaked past its target of 245 “blue-sky days” in 2007 鈥� by just one day. In 2006 Beijing had 241 clear-sky days, and local media said 2007’s figure of 246 marked a steady improvement for nine straight years, even if many international scientists do not recognise Beijing’s standard for a “blue-sky day”.

We only hope there’s clear blue sky every day during the 2-week Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics.

Via The Independent

The number “8″ (eight) is viewed as a lucky number by the Chinese. “8″ means “Fa” (鍙�) or “Prosper” and Italian fashion designer brand, Gucci, decides to get lucky with its eight 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Gucci Limited Edition designs and accessories which are only available in Gucci stores in China and Hong Kong. From the US$3150 set of Gucci mahjong to the US$3420 Gucci bicycle, Gucci has almost successfully captured the essence of Chinese culture. The only qualm I have is that almost everything is only in one colour which is called the China Red and a weird-looking (leather?) panda.

Gucci Beijing 2008 Products Photo Gallery

3000 “Made in India” portable toilets will be used in next year’s Beijing Olympic Games. Sintex, a top Indian plastic products manufacturer, has collaborated with UK Poly John International Limited to make portable toilets for the athletes and participants of Beijing 2008 to relieve themselves happily.

At least 100 people can use it at a stretch before the tank needs to be vacuumed. A vacuum cleaner can do the job and the toilet does not smell foul like conventional ones. The over seven feet tall portable toilet weighs around 80 kg and its width is nearly four feet. The cost of one toilet is $600. The best part of this toilet is, it can be fixed and unfixed in an hour and shifted to another sports venue without any difficulty.

In addition, this portable toilet can withstand harsh weather conditions and even natural disasters.

Probably you are a lot safer in the toilet.

Via Monsters and Critics

Your parcel may be scanned by a Gemini Parcel Inspection System from American Science and Engineering Inc (AS&E) if you are in the Beijing Olympics next year. The company has received an order for 15 Gemini X-ray Inspection Systems to secure checkpoints at the Games.

These machines use the Z Backscatter technology which provides users with photo-like images and highlights organic materials. Small wires which may the parts of a bomb or Improvised Explosive Device (IED) are not missed either. The image below is what the Gemini is capable of.

With such advanced technology and security, visitors to the Games can at least, have some peace of mind.

Via Bizjournals.com

The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, has decided that he will try his best to like China or at least, going to execute a series of politically-correct moves to improve his ugly and troubled relationship with China which he has never visited.

Prince Charles has agreed to attend an awards ceremony to honour the Chinese community in Britain, and in a rare overture of friendship he will do so in the company of the newly-appointed Chinese ambassador, Madam Fu Ying.

The prince is also hosting a lunch for a group of the country’s “new rich”. In what may prove a politically sensitive move, he wants to work with them in developing charity and “civil society” projects in China.

Madam Fu hopes that the Prince will attend the Beijing Olympics next year, happily. We can’t hope for more.

Is better for Prince Charles to learn some Chinese to woo the Chinese.

Via Telegraph.co.uk