As Newest Worldwide Sponsor of the Olympic Games, Lenovo Begins 150-Day Countdown to

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Leveraging a Sponsorship to Build a Global Brand

Lenovo this week begins the 150-day countdown to opening ceremonies of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino with activities designed to launch the Lenovo name on a global stage. Lenovo joined the Olympic Movement in March 2004 as computing equipment partner for the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games and the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, making it the newest worldwide sponsor. Objectives for the Lenovo sponsorship include establishing brand awareness, building unity among employees worldwide, and driving business with global customers.

In Torino, Italy, site of the Olympic Winter Games scheduled for Feb. 10-26, 2006, a team of some 30 Lenovo employees has been in place for more than a year, working with the Torino Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (TOROC) to install, test and evaluate computing equipment. Lenovo's hardware solution for the Olympic Winter Games includes about 5,000 desktop PCs, 350 servers and 600 notebook computers. This hardware supports the four major applications of Olympic operations -- Games Management Systems, Games INFO2006 System, Venue and Central Results System, and Commentator Information System. Lenovo equipment performed flawlessly in test events conducted in winter 2005, and the International Olympic Committee recently announced the successful conclusion of technology integration testing.

In addition to providing hardware for overall Olympic operations, Lenovo will create seven Internet lounges in three Athlete Villages including Torino, Sestriere and Bardonecchia, and in the Main Media Center in Torino. The 2006 Olympic Winter Games will be noted for providing the highest ratio of Internet lounge-based PCs to athletes, trainers and coaches in Olympic history. Lenovo is also planning a technology showcase for key customers in downtown Torino, featuring ThinkPad notebook PCs and Lenovo personal computers.

"The Olympic Games provide a platform to reach more than 3 billion television viewers," said Philippe Davy, vice president of marketing, Lenovo. "We want viewers to know our name, and market research shows that Lenovo needs to build name recognition outside China. But just as important, we want viewers to value our new brand and to know what it stands for. We want them to attach the Lenovo name to the highest standards of customer service and innovation, and the demanding context of the Olympic Games will show that."

Lenovo marketing activities surrounding the Olympic Games have been underway in China since March 2004. Lenovo desktop and notebook PCs are supporting daily operations of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), and Lenovo has started working with BOCOG in mapping out the technology equipment needs for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Lenovo also has named Olympic Games medalists Li Ting and Sun Tiantian of women's doubles tennis, and Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo of pairs figure skating, as Lenovo brand ambassadors. Lenovo television advertising with figure skating and winter sports themes is running nationwide on CCTV and key local TV networks, and a highly visible billboard campaign can be seen in key cities including Beijing and Shanghai. Global advertising is planned to roll out later in 2005.

Across Europe and the Americas, Lenovo is working with National Olympic Committees (NOCs) on personal computing support and other locally targeted initiatives, with work under way in Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia and elsewhere.

In November, the company will officially open a sports sponsorship exhibit inside the Lenovo building in Beijing. The exhibit features artifacts showing Lenovo participation in the Olympic Movement in China and illustrating technology equipment solutions Lenovo is providing to the Olympic Winter Games in Torino. Employees and media will be joined by Chinese Olympic Games hopefuls for the opening festivities. Also in November, about 27,000 company employees worldwide will become familiar with Lenovo's association with the Olympic Games through a global "Lenovo Olympic Games Cultural Week" celebration.

Through the Olympic Games association, Lenovo has already established new customer relationships with worldwide sponsor GE's NBC unit. Lenovo has been selected as NBC's Computer Equipment Provider of the Olympic Winter Games in Torino. Visa is partnering with Lenovo on various initiatives, including an Olympic-themed Lenovo credit card in China. Coca-Cola is partnering with Lenovo on marketing initiatives in China, including joint advertising and point-of-sale promotions.

"Created in China, headquartered in the United States and with employees worldwide, Lenovo is both a symbol of 21st century business and the Olympic desire to build international understanding," said Davy. "In Torino and again in Beijing in 2008, Lenovo will showcase the ingenuity and service that position it to become a global technology leader."

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