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After three weeks of Euro 2004 marketing madness, the race for a podium finish in the Athens Olympic Games is a very different game. With the rights to use Olympic imagery and wording tightly guarded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its Meridian marketing unit, brand strategies are as different as can be for two similarly global events.

Karen Earl, managing director of independent sponsorship consultancy Karen Earl Sponsorship, says The Olympic Programme (TOP) sponsorship, which began in 1985, is expensive and each partner has a long time to think about its strategy, be clever with it and, crucially, use it to totally justify the expenditure. 'Everyone can put football in their campaign; few can trade off the Olympic Games,' she explains.

Intensive, huge-appeal mass-marketing campaigns - the communications equivalent of the 100m - are not the only way to guarantee marketing success. TOP sponsorship offers a depth and subtlety not available at crowded events where only those who shout the loudest are heard.

Some of the 11 TOP partners - global sponsors that fling more than $600m (£330m) between them into IOC coffers - will be as unfamiliar to UK consumers by the end of the Games as they are at the beginning.

More often than not, it's a case of geographic priority, which could mean the UK simply won't figure on the radar. Three of the 11 - IT consultancy Atos Origin, US financial services firm John Hancock and US magazine Sports Illustrated - are not running any UK-targeted activity.

Earl believes brands stick with the event for so long because every Games throws up its own set of opportunities. 'Each Games is different. There are different marketing issues,' she says. 'The assumption is so often that everyone is doing the same thing. There may be a thread of similarity, but most have very different targets. Some aren't even going to try to stand out. Some are simply working toward their personal goals.'

So what can the UK expect from TOP sponsors? Having spent Euro 2004 extolling the virtues of its lead brand, Coca-Cola is approaching Athens with the emphasis on Powerade, the official sports drink of the Games - an effective way to utilise the sponsorship and create a platform for a relatively low-key product. A new flavour of Powerade will appear, branded Gold Medal.

With limited-edition gold packaging, it will feature not only the Olympic marks, but also on-pack promotions offering tickets to the Games and Adidas sportswear.

Crucially, it will be backed up by a partnership with News International. The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times will carry print ads on a daily basis, plus online support, with Powerade sponsoring all the papers' Olympic supplements. The deal, believed to be the first cross-title promotion, was initiated by Vizeum UK, Coca-Cola's communications agency.

Liz Lowe, Coca-Cola senior brand PR manager, says: 'The Coke brand is so synonymous with football in the UK, it made sense for Powerade to take the lead. It also allows us to have a different focus from previous campaigns.'

The Coke brand will have no media support in the UK off the back of TOP sponsorship, but will benefit from bespoke packaging. Its main focus in the run-up to the event was promoting the worldwide Olympic Torch Relay, which passed through London in July, an event co-sponsored by Samsung.

Samsung says it was delighted with the ability to activate its sponsorship from national to grass-roots level with just a small slice of its overall budget. UK marketing manager Eamon Collins says: 'The relay was a very effective way to start our push and allowed us good coverage for what was effectively a big PR drive, supported by a lot of people on the ground in London on the day. As it was just us and Coke as presenting sponsors, it provided us with a very valuable point of difference.'

As official wireless technology partner of the Games, Samsung is advertising an online tie-up with Yahoo! and investing in heavy national radio advertising.

It is also spending big and using the event to promote its E800 phone series.

Picture perfect

Panasonic is following Coca-Cola's lead with a major media push. It has teamed up with the Press Association (PA) to produce branded mini-guides and is pushing a 24-page supplement to the regional press. The link includes panasonic.co.uk, where PA will provide an up-to-the-minute results service.

For photocopier firm Xerox, Athens marks the end of a long association with the Games as it refocuses its marketing to other customer-facing initiatives. The company denies the platform was getting stale, saying the four-year gap between each event meant the advancement of technology has always left it considerable scope to sell itself without treading old ground. It will leverage its B2B approach this year through national press print ad campaigns, a PR push and trade press ads.

Photography giant Kodak, meanwhile, will trade heavily on its 104-year association. Its successful 'Share Moments. Share Life' campaign will be given an Olympic twist - 'Share the Spirit. Capture the Moment' - concentrating on single-use cameras and film while showcasing images from past Games.

Swatch, the Games' official timekeeper, has embarked on a major public awareness campaign. During August it is branding Piccadilly Circus Tube station with posters highlighting its association and showcasing its range of specially created Olympic watches. The biggest campaign Swatch has run in such a venue, it is backed up by a joint promotion with PlayStation 2. Co-branded booths in London and at airports offer the chance to win Swatch goodies.

As the exclusive payment card and official payment system for the Games, Visa's member banks in Greece will be supporting the company's Olympic association, not only by communicating the partnership, but also by providing Chip and PIN acceptance for the Games.

And as for who takes gold, silver or bronze - just remember, Olympic sponsorship is a marathon, not a sprint.

PANASONIC

Original TOP sponsor, supporting athletes such as Joe Glanfield (pictured), who competes in the sailing 470s class.

SWATCH

The official timekeeper is running a major ad campaign in Tube stations, airports and on TV. First Games as a TOP sponsor.

COCA-COLA

Pushing Powerade with a cross-platform campaign. Supported every Games since 1928. Original TOP sponsor.

XEROX

B2B push as firm prepares to bow out of TOP partnership. TOP sponsor since 1993.

SAMSUNG

Spending big to give its E800 mobile phones a head-start. Joined TOP programme in 1997.

MCDONALD'S

Staying tight-lipped, but expect a heavy in-store campaign. Sponsored 1976 Games and became TOP sponsor in 1997.

KODAK

Single-use cameras and packs of film get the five-ring treatment. The only current sponsor to have invested in the first modern-day Games in 1896. Original TOP sponsor.

VISA

Member banks get flexible options to exploit sponsorship. Original TOP sponsor.

THE GAMES

Sponsor facts

- The first Olympic Games to be televised live was the 1960 Games in Rome. Beamed live to 18 European countries, and on time delay across the US, Canada and Japan, 46 brands were involved in categories ranging from perfume to toothpaste.

- The price of becoming a TOP sponsor is a closely guarded secret. It is widely accepted that $50m-$60m (£28m-£33m) is required for global partner status. This will either be in cash or - most frequently - be in part through service.

- In a survey conducted by Sponsorship Research International, 81% associated the Olympic rings with 'success and high standards'. Meanwhile, 60% felt the rings symbolised a force for world peace.

GROWTH OF THE TOP PROGRAMME

Programme Period Total revenue

dollars

TOP I 1985-1988 95m

TOP II 1989-1992 175m

TOP III 1993-1996 279m

TOP IV 1997-2000 579m

TOP V 2000-2004 603m

Source: International Olympic Committee