By Wang Shanshan (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-08-09 07:05

Chinese and foreign companies have been praised for their sponsorship of the Games.

Coca-Cola tops the sponsors' list, according to rankings published by the Paris-based survey company Ipsos Group.

About 22.1 percent of Chinese people surveyed said the beverage maker was the most popular Olympic sponsor.

It was followed by Lenovo, with 21.5 percent, and Haier, 21.4 percent.

Others to make the list's Top 10, were Yili, a dairy products company; China Mobile; Bank of China; Tsingtao Beer; Mengniu, also a dairy company; Li Ning, a sports clothing company; and Sohu, the Internet portal.

An interesting observation is that Mengniu and Li Ning are not sponsors.

Adidas, the sports goods manufacturer, is a sponsor, but it only ranked 17th on the list.

Mengniu and Li Ning were mistaken as sponsors because they are so famous in China, the survey said.

It said Adidas needs to make itself better known as it is one of those paying the bills.

The survey showed people preferred to buy the products of the Games sponsors. Purchases increase by an average 13.65 percent when the Games' logo appears on their products.

As sponsors of the Olympics, the companies are displaying social responsibility, the survey said.

Tsingtao Beer has benefited the most as a sponsor, sales are up 21.6 percent. The two non-sponsors, Mengniu and Li Ning, have also seen sales increase by 13.21 percent on average.

The survey also ranked the popularity of sponsors' slogans used in their advertisements. Sinopec topped the list.

Also on the list were Tsingtao Beer, Lenovo, Bank of China, Coca-Cola, Adidas, Yili, China Mobile and Sohu.

(China Daily 08/09/2007 page5)