Sochi sponsors gotta pay to play

The Winter Olympics are here, and the event-junkie in me likes to check out all the behind-the-scenes workings of this huge event.

I was interested in the sponsors for the Olympics, since I read that this Olympics is the most expensive ever.  Isn’t every Olympics the most expensive ever?  According to CNNmoney,  the sponsors (partners) are paying $100 million for the right to be called an Olympic Sponsor, oops, Partner.  These are the folks that are allowed to put the 5 rings on their products.  This $100 million is just the start of the money spending that these partners will do.  Once they pay to play, then they get to start the marketing machine that goes with it.  You can bet the 5 rings will start to appear on all of their marketing materials. 

Who are the partners of the Sochi2014 Olympics?  I checked out the official website and found they have several levels. Surprisingly, the levels are not called Gold, Silver and Bronze.  Go figure.

The WORLD sponsors

The NATIONAL sponsors

There are a couple other levels, with fancy names like – Partners and Suppliers.  On their website, there is a 39-page Marketing Newsletter describing the Sochi2014 Marketing Program and Partners.  Many of the worldwide partners took some social media heat for being associated with a worldwide event that does not welcome homosexuals.

My favorite part of the official website is the page titled Logistics.  I got all tingly and checked it out.  Not as fun as I thought it would be.  Mostly customs and freight stuff.  Snoozer.

Team USA has their own set of worldwide and domestic Official Sponsors.  No idea of what they paid and what they get.