China Sports

Unprompted awareness of Olympic sponsors by Chinese consumers showed high interest and good results, according to a recent survey by SPORT+MARKT. Chinese brand Lenovo led with 38% awareness, followed by Coca-Cola (36%), China Mobile (30%), Samsung and Yiligroup (both at 18%), Bank of China 17%, and Adidas, Haier, Johnson and Johnson (all at 14%). (SportBusiness.com, 4/29/08)




Mercedes-Benz China and tennis star Roger Federer have entered into a multi-year advertising and strategic marketing partnership in cooperation with China Tennis Association (CTA) and the Junior Tennis Development Program called “Swing for the Stars” that is designed to improve Chinese junior players' skills and the coaches' teaching level. The deal was brokered by IMG. (SportBusiness.com, 4/30/08)

Asia Business

Acer, the Taiwanese computer company, overtook Dell to become the world's second largest notebook-computer maker, behind only Hewlett-Packard, after acquiring Gateway last fall. HP controls 20% of the global market, with Acer at 16% and Dell at 14%. Chinese company Lenovo is ranked fourth. (Los Angeles Times, 3/5/08)

Six Flags, the world's largest theme park company, announced it would develop a thrill park in Dubai, UAE as part of a massive entertainment and amusement complex to be known as Dubailand, a 3-billion square foot project that will include restaurants, htoels, Universal Studios Dubailand and DreamWorks Animation Park, and is scheduled for groundbreaking in 2009. This is the first project for Six Flags to be developed outside of the North America. (Los Angeles Times, 3/5/08)