Coca Cola's sponsorship of Games is a 'gold medal opportunity to
Athletes, spectators and the planet stand to benefit if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) opted to cut its ties with Coca Cola. That is the message conveyed in an editorial to be published shortly in the open access journal BMJ Global Health. The authors are Trish Cotter and Sandra Mullin from Vital Strategies, an international public health organisation based in New York City.
The argue that Coca Cola’s sponsorship forces athletes to implicitly endorse unhealthy sugary drinks and provides the company with elite access to political and corporate leaders to exert its influence.
The fact that Coca Cola has sponsored the Olympic Games for almost 100 years makes economic sense, they note: ‘High profile sporting event sponsorship is usually a highly effective marketing strategy. In 2022, The Coca Cola Company had 233 active sponsorship agreements worldwide across 21 sports. In fact, in 2023, Coca Cola had the most sports sponsorship of any other brand.'
Ms Cotter and Ms Mullin point out that its largest active deal is with the IOC.
These deals not only enable brands to ‘leverage consumers’ emotional connection with sports’ greatest sporting moments … But sporting event sponsorship also lures individual athletes into tacit endorsements that many would otherwise choose to avoid,' they note.
Cristiano Ronaldo cited
As an example of the power of sport, they cite footballer Cristiano Ronaldo setting aside two bottles of Coca Cola at a press conference for the European football championships in 2021 – despite Coca Cola being an official event sponsor – and holding up a bottle of water instead.
The gesture ‘was seen by the public as a rebuke to the idea that Coca Cola is a benign drink embraced by athletes at the top of their game', write the authors. With just a few seconds of footage, US$4 billion was reportedly wiped off the drinks giant’s market value, they add.
Despite the evidence of sugary drinks’ contribution to obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, and the IOC’s mission to champion athletes’ health, Coca Cola remains a top-tier sponsor of the Olympic Games and retains a contract through at least 2032, note the authors.
The millions poured into this agreement get Coca Cola far more than a seat at the opening ceremony. The company has bought entry to various events where relationships are forged behind the closed doors of corporate privilege [Trish Cotter and Sandra Mullin]
Games offer a 'coveted opportunity'
The brand has much to gain, they suggest. More than three billion people worldwide tuned into broadcast coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Games, and 28 billion video views took place on broadcasters’ digital platforms.
‘With a viewership this size, advertising during the Olympic Games is a coveted opportunity for companies to feature their products, however detrimental to consumers, say Ms Cotter and Ms Mullin. Sponsorship also gives the company’s senior executives ready access to the world’s elite athletes and corporate and political leaders, the authors point out.
‘The millions poured into this agreement get Coca Cola far more than a seat at the opening ceremony. The company has bought entry to various events where relationships are forged behind the closed doors of corporate privilege.'
'Sportswashing' an 'unhealthy product'
Such a strategy ‘culminates in a gold medal opportunity to “sportswash” an unhealthy product,’ they suggest, adding that the packaging and distribution processes contribute hugely to plastic pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and water insecurity in poor communities as well.
‘By continuing its association with Coca Cola, the Olympic movement risks being complicit in intensifying a global epidemic of poor nutrition, environmental degradation, and climate change,’ Ms Cotter and Ms Mullin write.
Major international public health bodies – such as the World Health Organization and the World Obesity Federation– also need to take action, according to the authors. The bodies' advocacy for a reduction in sugary drink consumption must include a better understanding of the unique role of sports marketing.
‘The IOC must acknowledge that Coca Cola's continued association with the Olympics contradicts the fundamental values of this global event and puts the Games at risk of being complicit in our nutritional and environmental crises,’ write Ms Cotter and Ms Mullin.
They add: ‘By severing ties with Coca Cola, the IOC can send a powerful message that the Olympics stand for integrity, health and sustainability. Let’s implore the IOC to act swiftly in the best interests of athletes, spectators, and the planet.’
The article – titled Olympic Game’s up: It’s time for the IOC to stop promoting sugary drinks Doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-016586 – will be available to access here once the PDF is posted.
Author: Ian A McMillan
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