He IOC presidential candidate Morinari Watanabesaid this Wednesday that “The International Olympic Committee should review the Olympic marketing strategy to offer greater value to sponsors.
Watanabea veteran businessman who has led the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) since 2017 and He is one of seven candidates running for the top Olympic positiontoo He said the IOC should review its decision-making process.
He is facing the head of World Athletics and former Olympic champion Sebastian Coein Kirsty CoventrySports Minister of Zimbabwe and former swimmer, to Juan Antonio Samaranchson of the late former IOC president, and the international cycling boss David Lappartient.
They also seek to replace the outgoing President, Thomas Bachhe Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan and the Olympic newcomer Johan Eliasch. Elections are scheduled for March.
Watanabean experienced sports administrator as well He is a member of the board of directors of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Gamestold Reuters in an interview that the Olympic marketing plan had to be reviewed following the withdrawal of three major Japanese sponsors after the Paris 2024 Olympics this summer.
Toyota, Bridgestone and Panasonicone of the main sponsors of the IOC since 1987, They ended their Olympic sponsorship a few months ago. «Many Japanese companies want to sponsor the Olympic Games because they are of great value to the company. They want support but of course they need courage» said Watanabe.
“Right now the balance is not good. A lot of money is paid but (the company) is not profitable. This is a problem«… If I were president of a company, (I would say) “please support football because we have advertising there”».
The IOC, which does not allow sponsors to advertise in stadiums during the Olympic Games, collected revenue of $2.295 million from its major sponsors for the 2017-2021 periodthe second largest source of income for the Olympic movement, while television stations paid 4,544 million during the same period.
«We must change the marketing system. The current marketing system of ‘use the five rings and give me 200 or 300 million’ cannot continue,” Watanabe declared.
Watanabe, 65, said the same The IOC’s decision-making process needs to be reviewedthat, under Bach, gave more power to the President and the Executive Committee, at the expense of ordinary members and annual sessions.
«Many people want to participate in the decisions of the IOC because we are a sports family. But the executive board (IOC) is too strong,” said Watanabe. «Many things are decided only by the members of the board or the president. It’s not good.
«The IOC must respect international federations and National Olympic Committees. Today the IOC is very powerful. The NOCs and the FIs should come together more because now it’s a bit like (instructed),” he added.
Source: La Verdad
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