ITI BLOG

Olympic Trustbuilding For Overseas Manufacturing

As the Beijing Olympics have already shown, China really knows how to throw a party for the world. An indication that the country may serve as the host for the 2022 Olympic Games has already stirred a great deal of interest among potential sponsors of such an event. Domestic Chinese firms would love to be able to showcase their wares to an audience of overseas viewers and influential fans attending the games in person.

Of course, the camaraderie and spirit of international cooperation fostered by the event would also serve as an excellent venue for US companies engaged in overseas manufacturing to burnish their image with the Chinese domestic market.

In recent years, tensions between the partners on either side of the Pacific have risen, and these games would be a magnificent opportunity to close the rift somewhat. This is especially the case for those companies who have placed big bets on the growth of the Chinese economy, but now find themselves looked upon as less welcome than before. The dispute between Russia and the West serves as an illustrative example of this. McDonald’s was a pioneer in opening the Russian market to foreign goods, but it has recently witnessed a great deal of blowback against its operations inside the country despite being innocent of any ill intent towards the Russian state or people.

To a lesser degree, the same impulses are slowly building in the China-US relationship. The Olympic spirit offers the perfect way to heal these suspicions and help build a better world for all concerned. Many US companies with an extensive domestic footprint in China would be ideal candidates for capitalizing on this phenomenon.

Among those most likely to have an interest in sponsoring the event would be restaurant chains such as Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut, both of which are extremely popular in China. These companies could do a land office business at the venue itself, as well as cementing a benign identity in the minds of their everyday customers in China proper.

Manufacturers of popular athletic apparel and sports equipment have extensive overseas manufacturing facilities in China. Companies such as Nike and Wilson would undoubtedly be delighted to produce Olympic-themed items for use in the competitions as well as for commemorative purposes. Smaller niche brands including the developers of specialized competition uniforms such as the much-talked-about low friction swimsuits showcased at Beijing would jump at the chance to exhibit their latest products in front of the massive Chinese audience.

GM’s China operations would no doubt be thrilled to be chosen as the official vehicle of the event. There are many other companies that are already good corporate citizens in China and would be solid backers of such a project. In truth, there is an almost endless list of US companies that use China as a manufacturing hub but are not looked upon as anything more than an employer by the Chinese public itself. A successful 2022 Olympic bid would offer these firms a huge chance at introducing themselves to China as a desirable product and not just as a job for factory workers.

We at ITI are interested in who will be picked to host the 2022 Olympics, considering the great potential our clients will find if China is chosen. Though eight years is a while from now, why not start your overseas manufacturing today? Contact us, we’re here to help!

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