Chinese computer giant Lenovo Group Ltd is hedging large bets on the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as the tool to help it become a world-renowned brand.

Lenovo, which was brought onto the world stage by its acquisition of IBM's PC-making business, views the Olympics as a great opportunity to increase brand awareness globally, according to Deepak Advani, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer of Lenovo.

Lenovo controls about one-third of China's PC market and is far ahead of its closest rivals, but the Lenovo brand is not very well known among overseas consumers despite the combined entity of Lenovo and IBM being the world's third largest PC maker trailing Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

Following the US$1.25 billion acquisition of IBM's PC business, Lenovo has been facing the challenge of integrating the IBM and Lenovo brands.

Lenovo, which became the first Chinese Olympic Partner last March, is to launch a series of marketing projects during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in order to promote its brand globally.

"We are aiming to build Lenovo into a strong brand known for innovation, customer service and high quality," says Advani.

Additionally, the firm will "strengthen the IBM Think product brand (including the ThinkPad and ThinkCenter), the strongest PC brand in the world," which has produced US$10 billion in revenues.

According to the deal, Lenovo will have the right to use the IBM Think logo five years after the acquisition.

Currently the priority for Lenovo is to maintain continuity of the IBM Think brand, said Advani.

Lenovo launched a global flagship shop in Shanghai on December 5, which Advani said would sell both Lenovo and Think-branded PCs.

And the firm will intensify marketing campaigns to get Think connected to Lenovo, in particular during the 2008 Olympics.

Advani revealed that Lenovo will soon launch a new TV commercial globally using the Olympics to promote both the Lenovo and Think brand.

The firm is inviting a number of Olympic champions to act as Lenovo's image ambassadors.

"We will let people know that behind Think is Lenovo," he said.

Eventually the firm hopes to launch Lenovo-branded products "country by country across the globe where Lenovo has operations."

Lenovo will exclusively provide its PCs, branded both with Lenovo and Think, to the 2006 Winter Olympics to be held in Turin, Italy.

That would give Lenovo a chance to test its marketing strategy for the Beijing Olympics.

Advani said Lenovo will continue to partner with other official Olympic sponsors in Olympic-related marketing projects to aid its overseas expansion.

Last December, the firm formed a five-year alliance with Visa International, another official Olympic sponsor.

Hong Kong-listed Lenovo recorded a profit of HK$354 million (US$45 million) for the quarter ended September 30.

(China Daily November 9, 2005)