Olympics help shrug off 'Country of Origin' effects
For the 'country of origin' effect to work in a country's favour, after years of negative association, the country will have to pull off, at a macro level, something that gets the rest of the world to sit up and take notice and for all the right reasons.
And that's exactly what China has managed to pull off. Even though the Olympics has had negligible direct impact on China's economy, analysts say, the near flawless organisation of the Games was a priceless 17-day advertisement for the "Made in China" brand. AFP reports that billions of television viewers saw athletes performing in gleaming high-tech stadiums in a city rebuilt by some of the world's most renowned architects, projecting the image of a modern and cutting edge economy.
For a country traditionally seen as a low-cost manufacturing hub which had been damaged by scandals over shoddily made toys sent to the United States and spoiled food shipped to Japan, the Olympics was a timely re-branding exercise.
And that's exactly what China has managed to pull off. Even though the Olympics has had negligible direct impact on China's economy, analysts say, the near flawless organisation of the Games was a priceless 17-day advertisement for the "Made in China" brand. AFP reports that billions of television viewers saw athletes performing in gleaming high-tech stadiums in a city rebuilt by some of the world's most renowned architects, projecting the image of a modern and cutting edge economy.
For a country traditionally seen as a low-cost manufacturing hub which had been damaged by scandals over shoddily made toys sent to the United States and spoiled food shipped to Japan, the Olympics was a timely re-branding exercise.
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