Japan’s Olympic sponsors are scaling back advertising campaigns and delaying marketing events for this year’s Summer Games, concerned that public sentiment toward the event is souring amid a fresh wave of COVID-19 cases.
The uncertainty over the Olympics marks a fresh blow to domestic sponsors, including many of Japan’s biggest companies, such as Canon and Japan Airlines, who have pitched in more than US$3 billion to support the event.
Assurances by the Japanese government and the International Olympic Committee this month that the Games would begin as scheduled on July 23 have not quelled concerns.
In interviews with two dozen sponsors, organizers and officials, sources said that there is deepening uncertainty and frustration, as national infection numbers hit record highs this month, turning the public mood against the event.
Nearly 80 percent of the public believes the Games should be cancelled or delayed further, a survey released this month by Kyodo showed.
For some local sponsors, the perks of supporting the Tokyo Olympics have long since faded.
Six sources at sponsor companies said that they were still waiting on details from organizers so that they could finalize preparations and roll out advertising campaigns.
Several said that they had held back out of fear of alienating the public.
“It’s a little hard to say: ‘We support Tokyo 2021,’ when the government is under so much criticism,” said a source who works for a financial institution that is also a Games sponsor.
Although Japan has contained the spread of COVID-19 better than many other countries, hospitals are still besieged by patients and the public has been advised to stay indoors as much as possible.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has seen his support slide in recent weeks over the handling of the pandemic.
Asahi Group Holdings, the holding company of beer maker Asahi Breweries, postponed some of the ads that it had planned to air last year, after the Games were delayed, a firm official said on condition of anonymity, as it waits for more clarity on the schedule.
A spokesman for Asahi confirmed that it postponed some of its advertisements after the Games were delayed.
Five sources at separate sponsor companies said that they were also delaying ads and reconsidering marketing events, but many sources said that they saw the Olympics as a “national project” that they must support.
“The staff would never say the actual words ‘cancelation’ or ‘delay,’” said a source at a corporate sponsor, who regularly attends meetings with Olympic organizers.
“Of course we can’t ask them: ‘What’s going to happen to our money if it’s canceled or delayed?’” the source added.
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
RSS