Corporate sponsors of the Tokyo Olympics have brought in marketing consultants to determine whether a direct association with the Games would damage their brands.
According to people working directly with some of the 47 big sponsors of the Games, Japanese companies have asked advisers whether they should embrace the Olympic imagery. The alternative is to proceed with minimal reference to an event that has generated more than $3bn in sponsorship after polls suggested that more than half of the Japanese public thinks the Games should be called off.
The consultants, which people close to several sponsors said included Kantar, Macromill and Intage, have been brought in as companies approach the six-week countdown to the opening ceremony.