Coke Is It!

For one of my early posts, the topic of The Coca-Cola Company and its longstanding support of the Olympic Movement was briefly detailed. In the months since that post, several new Coca-Cola Olympic experiences came into view both in Beijing and stateside.

It came as no surprise, Coke's pavilion on the Olympic Green was magnificent. Luck and timing took me to the site on three occasions during the Games.

First, our crew for B.C. Canada Pavilion visited Coke Olympic Central with the Premier of British Columbia (a VIP guest early during the Games). This afforded a few of us the opportunity to pose with a Beijing Olympic Torch at a photo- or postcard-ready window looking out to the Bird's Nest.

A few nights later, en route to retrieve photos taken on site (a generous gift for visitors to that makeshift photo-opp-spot), I ran into several Atlanta-based reporters in China to cover the Games, including Jennifer Brett from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and a crew from WXIA-TV, Atlanta's NBC affiliate. They were wrapping up reports from a Coke-hosted evening media event at which I learned about a special film project of Coca-Cola.

I was also slated to visit the Coke pavilion -- which will become a new World of Coca-Cola Museum for China (like the original in Atlanta) -- for a media event involving VIP Olympic Family members chosen for a special award presented to them by Coca-Cola (unfortunately, my arrival was late due to taxi snafu, but the venue staff gave me a refreshing beverage in spite of my tardiness). Of all the grand pavilions on the Olympic Green, the Coca-Cola experience was in the tops list (right up there with GE and Johnson & Johnson, two clients of the p.r. firm where I work).

Back in Atlanta a few weeks ago, The Coca-Cola Company's senior manager of marketing communications, Petro, shared the stage with other Olympic sponsor representatives at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Georgia Chapter luncheon on Olympic P.R. His presentation filled in a few blanks on how Coca-Cola executed some of their highly visible Olympic activities -- such as the Torch Relay and pin trading centers -- before and during the Beijing experience. We learned the company brought several employees to Beijing, and in spite of many challenges they apparently generated gazillions of media "hits" that were 96 percent positive. I was glad to learn of their commitment to the Games extended to at least 2020.

Coke also hosted a recent photo opp at the Atlanta World of Coca-Cola destination during which IOC Member and pole vaulting gold medalist Sergey Bubka joined Coke's archivist to install an official Beijing Torch into their vast collection of Olympic memorabilia (thanks, Petro, for the photo with this post).

All this Coke Olympic activity serves as a reminder of one of my earliest exposures to the public relations industry.

During the summer of 1993, while volunteering at the U.S. Olympic Festival in San Antonio, Texas, I spent two of the hottest summer weeks ever as a driver on the Festival's Texas Torch Relay around the city. On our last day of the relay, the crew chief assigned the primo driving assignment -- lead car ... a convertible -- as the team hosted three VIP guests from The Coca-Cola Company who were visiting as observers of the Torch Relay process (and more specifically how media were part of this Olympic Movement public relations tradition started in 1936).

Spending the day visiting with those Coke P.R. executives in the car convinced me to take a closer look at the P.R. track at college (to that point, I was undecided between newspaper journalism and P.R. -- thanks, Joan, Carlton and the other guest whose name escapes me while typing this post). And many of the elements they observed later became part of Coke's participation in the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay from L.A. to Atlanta.

I'll be sure to keep drinking in Coke's many Olympic touch points -- can hardly wait to see what they unfold for Vancouver, London, Sochi and beyond.

Fueling Olympic Families

It's been barely a month since saying goodbye to B.C. Canada Pavilion in Beijing, my Edelman Olympic assignment during the months leading to and during the 2008 Games.

But after spending a month with dozens of Canadians day and night, night and day, I can't help but keep an eye on news from the Great White North on all things Olympic (and other news, such as this Canadian newspaper blog asking whether Sarah Palin's ever visits Alaska's eastern neighbor with which her state shares a 1,538-mile border -- posing an interesting question about Palin's so-called international relations experience).

So this week, when an Edelman colleague mentioned our firm's work with Petro-Canada, it was fun to read about the company's new initiative to help the families of Canada's Olympians and Paralympians travel to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in British Columbia in just 495 days from today.

The program -- Petro-Canada's Canadian Athlete Family Program -- will help 500 athletes' family members see their loved ones compete live at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (in the interest of disclosure, Edelman also works on a pro-bono basis with the International Paralympic Committee).

This was not the first time I heard about Petro-Canada's support of the Olympic Movement.

Back in 1988, the only way to experience the Calgary Winter Olympics was via ABC Sports' broadcasts live from Alberta (including the spectacular daytime Opening Ceremony live on the day before Valentine's Day, which won't soon be forgotten as it was nearly 80 degrees Fahrenheit -- in February -- where I lived in Oklahoma at the time).

But back to Petro-Canada.

As a souvenir of that marathon TV watching experience, and for the sake of learning more about Olympic torch relays, sometime around 1995 a garage sale yielded a copy of the book "Share The Flame: The Official Retrospective Book of the Olympic Torch Relay" presented by none other than Petro-Canada. It's a book filled with great photos and personal stories of how they got the flame across Canada, and a great companion piece to a similar book published after the 1996 Atlanta Games. By today's standards, this was an old-school Torch Relay (and one of the best, thanks to the support of Petro-Canada.

Earlier this year I also read about the company's Totem Pole Legacy Project, which is so cool, and in Torino in 2006 the Petro-Canada pin was one of the most popular on my lanyard.

Now if we could just get some of their fuel stations down here south of the border (where I've been walking to work on-again-off-again the last two weeks since the gas stations are out of fuel to sell), we'd be all set, eh?

Beijing Blogging Blues

Oh, man. Blogging at the Olympics is tough business.

First there are work duties, which were vast (in addition to the B.C. Canada Pavilion's second week at the Games, assignments came in from one other client pavilion as well as another client who arrived for the Closing Ceremony weekend).

Then off-the-clock there are ticketed events, unexpected opportunities, spontaneous pin trades, transportation timing and challenges, new and old friend visits and other 'distractions' with which to contend. By the time you're back at home for the night, it's time to crash and gear up for the next day's adventures (sadly, blogging is not on the brain, though there are countless stories perfect for sharing).

Excuses aside: I'm now back from Beijing, following a 23-hour commute that included four-airports/flights, four overweight suitcases ($130 fees to transport hundreds of pounds of Olympic loot), and some of the worst airline food available (the prize goes to the Tokyo McDonald's so-called bacon cheeseburger, though they do deserve props for accepting the last of my China yuan AND a few U.S. dollars as payment).

It's Friday morning and my rear end is planted at my favorite Milwaukee Hotel (the historic Ambassador Hotel near downtown and Marquette University) and their awesome Deco Caffe. I have a six-pack of 10 oz. Coca-Cola bottles and plenty of wireless and laptop battery, so the blogging about Beijing resumes now. Sorry to leave everyone for my last week in China -- the 2008 Olympics will be very tough to top, and the next few entries/topics will explain exactly why.

Spotlight on B.C.

The first few days of the Games kept our B.C. Canada Pavilion team on the run for all the right reasons.

During sunset on Saturday, August 9, the Premier of British Columbia Gordon Campbell hosted Beijing city representatives and other VIP guests and officials to officially present the pavilion's Canadian hardwood archway entrance as a gift to the 2008 Olympic host city. Our Beijing Edelman team focused on getting Chinese media attendees to the event, while my Vancouver-based colleague and China roommate Paul and I tackled U.S., Canadian and other international media invitations. We also updated content for the B.C. Canada Pavilion website for this and other festivities at the Province's Beijing address. The photos tell the tale of secured media on site.

Our public relations activities also included outreach to large outlets in several nations. Though a high level executive friend of the Premier opened the big doors to create a TODAY Show segment, our team worked closely with the Premier's office and show producers to prepare for a live broadcast beamed back to North America from the Olympic Green. It was very satisfying to leave the TODAY Show green room with a few of NBC's coveted Olympic pins in tow, and it is always a great thrill to stand behind the camera operators and producers on the set with the live audience over the shoulders of Matt and Meredith.

Prepping for live or taped interviews involves getting background materials to reporters, editors or producers (to help them prepare smart questions) and to the spokesperson (in this case the Premier ... to help him prepare accurate and timely answers). We also arrange delivery of b-roll video. In Beijing, some of the most basic steps (like copying and pasting information into an e-mail, or getting a video tape across town) seem to take at least three times as long as usual. And don't forget: You must have your triple-stamped approval and paperwork to accompany EVERYTHING (this is my simple way of summarizing unbelievable, unexpected bureaucracy that accompanies most working hours -- but it's worth it all when you turn on CNBC and find your client interview went well).

For August 12, the team was all hands on deck at the Beijing International Media Center (BIMC), a haven for more than 10,000 reporters who could not get the official Olympic media accreditation for various reasons. It was hard work, but more than 25 TV cameras rolled -- including Chicago's NBC affiliate (look for their clip here, with the headline "Premier offers advice, eh?") and I don't know how many Chinese TV stations -- when the Premier took the stage to announce the International Media Center plan for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Perhaps the most interesting and satisfying media pitch thus far came to us by great timing. While enduring Beijing's summer heat just before our BIMC press event, I was waiting by security to greet our Chicago TV guests. A couple of young South American reporters with radio microphones passed through security, and after an impromptu pin trade negotiation, we also negotiated a live radio interview for the Premier to appear on W Radio, which is based in Colombia and airs across the Western Hemisphere. We were able to tune in live and listen to this phone interview, which involved a radio host (dare I say/write Latin America's answer to Bob Edwards) in Colombia, the Premier in Beijing, and other radio correspondents asking questions to the Premier from New York, Miami and Europe. !Que Bueno!

Oh, Donna

Backtracking now to August 7, the eve of Beijing's spectacular Opening Ceremonies. B.C. Canada Pavilion played host to the first of many Olympians who crossed under the Canadian hardwood arches.

The event du jour involved international organizations Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group (SDP IWG) and Right To Play, on site to announce a new report titled "Harnessing the Power of Sport for Development and Peace: Recommendations to Governments." I've not had time to dive into this report, but it sounds very interesting and is available for review.

It seemed that at almost every turn that evening there was an Olympic great with whom to speak.

Right To Play's President and CEO Johann Olav Koss (four time gold medal speed skater) was among the evening's presenters, sharing the stage and press conference with U.N. representatives and sports officials from several continents.

Then 1960 Olympic Champion and former ABC Olympic commentator, Donna de Varona, walked in to show her support and meet with other officials. Donna was keen to talk about Right To Play, and to introduce our team to her family, including her husband, John Pinto (who said to say 'hello' to one of my fellow Edelman bloggers), and their daughter, Joanna, an aspiring filmmaker whose first project involves Right To Play (more on her film to follow in a future blog entry).

We also got introduced to the attending International Olympic Committee members, including Sir Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee (an pro-bono Edelman Sports client).

The event -- and hearing the personal stories of the Olympians first-hand -- was an inspiring evening and prelude to the Games.

Feeling Very Olympic Today

Games Day One. Spectacular!

Started the day at 7 a.m. with a taxi ride for first visit to the Olympic Green, which is grand central Olympic station north of the city. My colleague Paul and client Julie shared a cab to just east of the Bird's Nest, scene of the greatest Olympic Opening Ceremony of all time just eight hours prior.

Our mission: Find the McDonald's pavilion, host of the Around The Rings breakfast press event slated to include World Olympians Association President Richard Fosbury. Though this high jumping gold medalist had to jump to another event, the breakfast was no "flop." But before I get to why ...

The taxi driver tried his best, but just could not get us to the right stadium. I think we visited two other massive stadiums in Beijing before we spotted the Bird's Nest on the horizon. Then there were the races from security gate to gate, in search of "the other one" to provide access onto the Green. Where are those padded insoles when you need them most?

Turned out we were about a mile south of our destination by the time we got on the Green. Which brought the question: Hike? Or risk another cab ride into infinity?

We walked. Well, we sort of race-walked, past some of the largest Olympic venues and other buildings I have ever seen. And everything -- EVERYTHING -- is covered with the gorgeous "look of the Games" colors, flags and emblems.

After three screening areas, 45 minutes, litres of perspiration and a few choice words, we at last arrived at what had become to us "Xanadu" with Golden Arches. But no Fosbury!

But also, no worries. His replacements turned out to be very cool and very experienced in the WOA and the Olympic scene.

IOC Member Anita DeFrantz and Olympian (and former Atlanta Olympic Village Colleague) Willie Banks, now president of U.S. Olympians, were the guests of honor, and we noshed on McMuffins while they answered questions from Around The Rings and other attendees.

For Mr. Banks, I posed a question about the WOA's challenges to track down Olympians in remote nations. He answered with great information about the WOA's mission and how the organization is establishing chapters in National Olympic Committee affiliates.

For Ms. DeFrantz, my question related back to discussion of the previous evening: How is the IOC going to tackle the challenge of the time it takes more than 200 participating NOCs to enter the stadium (my suggestion, for anyone interested, is to keep the tradition of letting every participant encircle the stadium behind their flag, but to have two, three or even four simultaneous entry points so there are up to four NOCs announced at once). DeFrantz responded that the IOC has looked at the challenge and considered options, but it is a fine balance to switch traditions entrenched in the Olympic lexicon.

We had barely finished our last round of hash browns when we trekked to the Main Press Center (MPC), the left ventricle of the media heart of the Games (the right ventricle being the next door neighbor International Broadcast Center (IBC). With thanks to the Vancouver 2010 media relations team, our MPC Day Pass and tour helped me reconnect with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Social Butterfly reporter/blogger Jennifer Brett to compare notes on our Games experiences thus far (I suspect you can read about her afternoon cooking adventure in her blog).

The MPC is only steps from the Olympic Sponsor Village on the Green, but there is a Great Wall of China security fence between the two. So to solve the challenge: MORE walking! My girlfriend would be proud of all these hikes! For me, I just get tired!

We needed to check out a few of the sponsor pavilions that British Columbia's Premier will visit next week, and we were greeted by a smiling Edelman colleague and our client, GE, at GE's Imagination Center, which is absolutely fabulous (I'll write more on their pavilion in future entry when we return next week). We were hosted for a quick tour, then our walking adventure resumed to find the Olympic Green's newly opened train station to get us back home to City Center to prepare for our evening event at B.C. Canada Pavilion.

I've not written much yet on our media mission for the pavilion. In addition to working with all of Canada's media deployed for the Games, Edelman Beijing and yours truly have been busy inviting media to experience all that B.C. Canada Pavilion offers as a destination in the Olympic City. Tonight, the pavilion hosted its third consecutive VIP evening, and media were on site in droves, including new friends from the Vancouver Sun, The Province, Global TV, CTV, Associated Press TV and the Reuters IOC Writer, who mentioned he'd seen this blog and gave me one of the best pins of Beijing (the coveted Reuters China pin -- thanks, Karolos!).

So tonight I'm blogging with some post-media event bliss, and some Games euphoria setting in for a fortnight. Can only guess what tomorrow's adventures will bring, and can hardly wait!

It is SO --- ON!

A note to London: GOOD (freakin') LUCK!

It will be unspeakably difficult for the 2012 Summer Games city to top Beijing's mesmerizing Opening Ceremony, which just concluded locally. Unfortunately, a ticket for this blogger was not in the cards, but no worries -- the Canadians took in this Yankee and we had a fab night next to Tiananmen Square, where the stream of (SPOILER ALERT) citywide fireworks launched en route across the skyline all the way to the Bird's Nest at 8:08 on 8-8-08.

It's my understanding the entire metro Beijing area was under a blanket of fireworks by night's end (more than two dozen major sites ignited). At T-Square, the post-ceremony explosions continued outside B.C. Canada Pavilion with tens of thousands of Chinese nationals chanting "Chi-na! Chi-na!" in Mandarin and English.

I've not yet found words to describe my reactions and emotions about the Opening Ceremony presentation. It absolutely buries any past Opening, throwing out the shovel and dusting off the hands. Cheerleaders at Atlanta '96 -- huh? Flaming arrow in Barcelona '92 -- that was cute. Athens in '04 -- fah-get-a-bout-it! Tonight will be talked about in 25, 50, 100 years in the Olympic lexicon of "that's how you do Opening Ceremonies!"

I'll wait to post video so as not to spoil the show back on the East Coast (and so as not to get my Olympic credential revoked -- rules are rules!).

You are in for a treat -- savor and enjoy! The Games are ON!

Oh, Henry!

At B.C. Canada Pavilion's location aside the Beijing Planning Exhibition Center, there was a bit of buzz on Thursday. We've had a couple of false alarms about VIP arrivals, but this one turned out to be real.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger emerged from an air conditioned bus and shook hands with a few of the pavilion staff before he took a tour of the BPEC's famous floor model of the skyline of Beijing. His small entourage included his son, who tried to help facilitate a brief FlipCam interview (which the good doctor declined, unfortunately).

The FlipCam DID capture Kissinger's photo opp with the museum director and translator and an impromptu handshake with one of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Kissinger stepped out of the photo opp specifically to offer his hand to this uniformed officer). He was polite and smiled as he was presented a book of photos from his diplomatic missions to China of the early 1970s.

Had Kissinger agreed to interview, my questions would have been two or three: When he was Secretary of State for Nixon, did he ever dream of returning to China to attend an Olympic Games? Given his personal history spanning several continents, what are his favorite personal Olympic moments? And, What's better from his perspective -- winning a Nobel Prize or an Olympic Gold?

While snapping the shots of Special K in the museum, he did comment on the Bird's Nest stadium he'll apparently visit today for Opening Ceremonies. "Very good," he said.

Gotta LOVE that accent of his!

Ronnie At The Games

Though I'm a huge fan of the big documentary film that took on the Golden Arches, I also am a lifelong fan of McDonald's continued support of the Olympic Movement.

According to information sent from the Help A Reporter Out call for Olympic suggestions, Ronald & Co. started supporting the Olympic Family as early as 1968 when athletes in Grenoble, France, were homesick for burgers, fries and the like (the Illinois-based company reportedly answered the call by airlifting food to the Games).

My earliest McD & Games memories take me back to 1984 and commercials involving Sam The Olympic Eagle mascot and Ronald thick as thieves (and perhaps as thick as Grimace -- the purple and possible inspiration behind 1996 Olympic mascot, Izzy). And speaking of the 1996 Games, as a staff member in the Olympic Village my colleagues and I supped daily on McNuggets and sauce (action repeated in Sydney's Olympic Village during volunteer gig -- they had exotic curry and spice sauce for dipping down under - OY!).

In Beijing, I've visited one 24-hour Mickey D and did my best to order a happy meal ('smile meal' in Mandarin, from what I can tell) to receive a mascot Fu-Wa as the "prize" inside. Not sure whether I'll be back to collect all five mascots, but will visit the Olympic Green McDonald's pavilion opening (as work schedule permits) at which the likes of Carl Lewis and other Olympians are slated to attend.

We also scheduled our client, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell, to share the stage at the Around The Rings/McDonald's Newsmaker Media Breakfast on August 13 (he will join VANOC to discuss the status of preparations for the 2010 Winter Games). If you're an Olympic nut like me, you need to be reading Around The Rings and the great daily content by Ed and Sheila Hula and their Atlanta-based (yet on the ground in China) team. Thanks to McD's for a great central location for their events!

Wondering whether Morgan Spurlock will attend.

Be sure to check out the website for this sponsor, on which they have an Olympic video contest (deadline to vote is August 7, so hurry up and cast your ballot).

Sites and Sounds of Day One

The first two days in Beijing were absolutely amazing. Sensory overload and sheer exhaustion mixed with elation to be at the Olympic host city and to get reacquainted with friends from past Games.

After a restful night and sumptuous breakfast (including pork dumplings!) at Novotel Peace Beijing, I spent a bit of the first morning in my room getting organized (packing back in Atlanta was a bit of a late-night whirlwind). But by noon on Day One, it was time to venture out across the city with Olympic credential in hand, braving Beijing's metro system.

The city subways are the best I've ever seen (at last, a "Metro" like the one imagined from the famous and totally awesome '80s hit by Berlin (that's the band Berlin). Every station is spotless and fussed over by a small army of security, maintenance and blue-shirted Games volunteers eager to help. The nearest station to our hotel is just four stops, including one transfer, from Tiananmen Square, and I'll always remember emerging from the underground to see Mao's Tomb in person for the first time, as well as a sea of tens of thousands of tourists spending time in the square (across a 12-lane street from the tomb).

T-Square's outer border (across other highway-like surface streets) is lined with massive sycamore and evergreen trees providing much needed shade. I stumbled into the first of three Olympic stores just before spotting my new work home for the next 28 days: British Columbia Canada Pavilion, the Games destination created by Edelman client, The Province of British Columbia.

After a quick tour and introductions in the Pavilion (which I will describe in much more detail in a future post), it was time to head over to Edelman's Beijing office, another metro ride. By this early evening time, my eyes were a bit blurry, so in the time spent looking up at the 40-or-so level tower that houses Edelman, I completely missed the iconic new (and gargantuan -- must-see-it-to-believe it!) CCTV Tower under construction behind me (the photo taken from Edelman Beijing is a bit dark, so hoping to snap a daytime shot later -- I was speechless when seeing it for the first time, overwhelmed and also stunned at the question to self, 'How did I miss that?!').

Everyone is so friendly here! From the volunteers to colleagues, street vendors to complete strangers, Beijing is about to burst with pride and excitement. I've captured many stares and curious looks from kids, but always with a smile and usually with an attempt at conversation (starting to pick up a few catch phrases ... for the folks back at Edelman Atlanta, none of these phrases qualify for the "curse word fundraising board" - yet).

I didn't make it out of the Edelman office that first night until about 11:30 (2330 hrs), which made for an intense search for a taxi. It was wonderful to rest and start the whole thing over again yesterday. More from Day Two to come in next post.

Blame Canada

"You're going to China on vacation, right?!" was the question posed by a colleague.

Reply, with smile: "Not exactly!"

As a part deux of work that began in Torino in 2006, for 30 days I'll be in Beijing for a client of Edelman public relations, home for the last nine-and-a-half years of my career. As in Italy's northern metropolis, while in Beijing my host (and media relations assignment) is with client The Province of British Columbia, and more specifically B.C. Canada Pavilion (be sure to watch the video!).

In Torino, the Province built the hugely successfuly B.C. Canada Place "log cabin" on an urban piazza not far from the Shroud of Turin (the lines at B.C.C.P. were affectionately nicknamed "The Crowd of Turin"). In the Chinese capitol, the Province took over part of a museum adjacent to Tiananmen Square, and I'll be spending time with many of the Canadian friends met in 2006, as well as colleagues/friends from Edelman Vancouver and Edelman Beijing. B.C.C.P in China is one of several Olympic clients for the firm, most of which are part of Edelman Sports (we're just one big happy Edelman Olympic Family with several folks bound for the Olympic City).

The B.C.C.P. setup is a bit different for the summer Games, but I'm sure we'll find time to fit in a game of street hockey, and hopefully host some of Canada's favorite sons and daughters (shaking hands with Alanis, Celine, Leonard, Avril or Alex would be very interesting, but impossible to top Tom Green's visit in '06 -- no, this was not my video, but his appearance on The Tonight Show from the B.C.C.P. was hilarious yet not available online).

Our mission is to tell plenty of B.C. Stories and get business, tourists and Olympic fans to experience all the Province will offers before, during and after the 2010 Winter Games.

No vacation, but definitely a pleasure to be back in the company of red & white-clad friends.