"Kellogg expands Olympic Ties" (vol 8, issue 18, p.10) by Sarah Galiotto

Kellogg Company has been affiliated with the U.S. Olympic Committee’s teams for the past 30 years. Since it became a sponsor again in 2000, it is now building upon its sponsorship in being the official cereals, cookies, and crackers for the next two Olympics and the Pan-American Games in 2007. With this deal, Kellogg will be featuring U.S. athletes in the activities for promotions.
When this is all well and good and giving the USOC money (there is a “minimum multiyear commitment of $10 million, mostly cash”) and showing who the U.S. athletes are to the public through advertisements, it is also taking away from other brands. It is as if Kellogg is monopolizing advertisement of cereals, cookies, and crackers in the Olympic Promotions.
Many people watch the Olympics when it rolls around every two years. This new deal is going to be focused just on cereals, cookies, and crackers made by Kellogg, along with the other sponsors including Hilton Hotels, Jet Set Sports, 24 Hour Fitness, and Nike. Many people will think because these athletes eat this type of cereal that it is the best cereal. Athletes have an impact on what the audiences choose to eat, wear, stay, etc. Also, because being in sports and it being related to being healthy and fit, the audience may infer that because these certain types of advertisements are shown that they are the “right” products to buy when there may be a better product out there.
I do feel that the exposure of the athletes being used in the promotions is good because a child or an adult may see them promoting a product that they eat and then may get them to watch that sport. They’d wonder who this athlete is and may get interested in the sport that they participate in.
The bottom line for me I guess is that a certain company should not just be the only brand able to advertise cookies, cereals, and crackers or other products for that matter. I don’t go out buying Nike because U.S. athletes wear it. I actually don’t even like the brand and prefer other brands. The company may have more money than many other companies but there may be just as good if not better products or places out there that just don’t have the money to be able to promote during these times. It is a money grubbing world out there and it is showing that if you have