Sponsors weigh risks of Olympic Games

For sponsors there is always the risk of negative connotations surrounding the Games, following the disruption by Tibetan protesters around the Olympic torch in some cities, particularly Paris.

Reebok, which is owned by Adidas and is outfitting 250 Games participants with sportwear, shoes, and tracksuits, has decided against making its athletes available for press conferences or one-on-one interviews during the event.

Instead, it plans to use a video news service to interview athletes and distribute content to media organizations.

"As a brand, we didn't want to put our athletes in the position when being interviewed of having to explain their personal views on the human rights issue, and we also didn't want to act as a censor either," explains Josie Stevens, Reebok director of global public relations.

However, the Olympic Games have always been a platform for discontent.

But most experts do not believe any negative publicity will have an impact on the associated brands' long-term reputation.

"Olympics sponsors have never suffered [damage to their] image," one unnamed source told Tootoo.com.

"Consumers can distinguish between the political situations of host countries and the engagement of a sponsor in a great international sporting event."