An Olympic Challenge for Athletes and Brands at the 2022 Winter Games

Both athletes and brands will be walking a fine line when the Winter Olympic Games get underway in Beijing on Feb. 4.

According to multiple published reports, the games have been shrouded by criticism over China’s human-rights record. In early December, the Biden administration announced that it would not send an official U.S. delegation to Beijing as a statement against China’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at the time.

While Team USA is competing at the Olympics, the athletes might find themselves pressured to comment on the boycott. As The Wall Street Journal pointed out, those who stay silent or appear to defend the Chinese communist government risk criticism from those who believe the Games shouldn’t take place in China at all. Athletes who speak out, on the other hand, could face distractions that leave them at a competitive disadvantage and lose sponsorship deals.

“We have placed them in an untenable position and I don’t think they should be forced to have to comment, honestly,” said Jackie Speier, a California Democratic congresswoman who called for a diplomatic boycott of the Games.

All about the athletes

Meanwhile, advertisers are treading carefully when it comes to pitching their products and services. Rick Burton, the David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management at Syracuse University who served as chief marketing officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee for the 2008 Beijing Games, told the Journal that brands are “concerned how their actions could be interpreted by the Chinese government,” and history has shown that China could take action against them if they speak out. Brands such as H&M in the past have suffered financially after stating they were concerned about allegations of forced labor in cotton production in Xinjiang.

Optimum Sports, a sports marketing firm, has advised brands to focus their Olympic ads on promoting the athletes. Said Jeremy Carey, Optimum’s managing director: “The safest area for any brand supporting the Games is to say this is about the athletes.” — John Elsasser