Reading time: 1 min
The Olympic Games are about to end. It is therefore time to take stock for the athletes involved, but also for the companies that are partners of the event. Visa, Sodexo, Coca-Cola… A certain number have had to deal with a lot of criticism.
© Pixabay
– Coca-Cola has been heavily criticized for its overconsumption of plastic during the Olympics.
The end of the Olympic Games is fast approaching. While Léon Marchand, Teddy Riner and Cassandre Beaugrand, among others, were at the party, it was a little less the case for some sponsors. Coca-Cola, Visa, Sodexo… Many are the brands that have been at the heart of controversies, reports BFMTVAugust 9, 2024. First and foremost, Visaa partner of the Games, has obtained exclusivity for the event. In the official Olympic store on the Champs-Élysées, only Visa-branded bank cards are accepted. Result: if you don’t have one, or cash, there’s no point in queuing. You won’t be able to pay. However, the company has set up a prepaid card system so that all customers can find their way around.
Sodexo has also been the subject of numerous critiquescoming from the athletes this time. The catering company is the service provider in charge of food in the Olympic village. It has been called into question both for the quality of the products offered and for the quantity available at the table. Jean-Philippe Danglade, professor of marketing at Kedge Business School, estimates with BFMTV that there should be no consequences for the brand, given that “Sodexo and Sodexo Live are already positioned on global markets”In addition, the company took into account the criticisms from the start of the competition to improve the services in the heart of the village in the second part of the competition.
Also read: Free health check-up at the 2024 Olympics: American athletes can’t believe it
Coca-Cola’s image tarnished?
Coca-cola has also been in a slump during these Olympics. The American firm has been heavily criticized for the overconsumption of plastic during the event. All drinks served by the exclusive partner at the Olympic venues come from plastic bottles and are poured into… plastic cups! A surprising decision given that ecology is now at the heart of the thinking of the organizers of major sporting events. Similarly, the drinks too sweet go against the idea we have of athletes.
Unlike Sodexo, Jean-Philippe Danglade believes this time that branding Coca-Cola’s business could take a hit, at least in the short term. “We can think of what Cristiano Ronaldo did during a football Euro by pushing aside a bottle of Coca-Cola”he recalls. The marketing professor recalls that the “Olympic sounding board” East “powerful”.
Receive our latest news Every day, the selection of main info of the day.
