Samsung quizzes kids to promote brand and Olympics

Sumedha Srivastav - Televisionpoint.com | Mumbai
You don't talk about the brand in itself and still build your brand. You reach out to a segment, which is not primarily your target group and yet promote your brand.

Hyperbole? Not at least if one goes by what Samsung India, an arm of the $ 103.4 billion global leader in semiconductors, telecommunications, digital media and digital convergence technologies — Samsung Electronics, is doing riding on the Olympics wave.

Samsung India is organising a Samsung Olympic Games Quest, a first-ever quiz contest on the Olympics for schools across the country, in association with The Times of India group.

Samsung India is the sponsor of the Indian team for the forthcoming Beijing Olympics and also a Worldwide Olympic Partner. "Samsung's association with the Olympics is helping the brand gain recognition globally and in India too through indirect brand building," said HB Lee, president and chief executive officer, Samsung - South West Asia Regional Headquarters.

"A leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT LCDs (thin-film transistor liquid crystal displays), Samsung is already recognised as one of the fastest growing global brands. Sumsung India is seeking to strengthen the Olympics movement in India by organising the Samsung Olympic Games Quest in India." Lee said.

"We believe that this national-level quiz will provide the children participating an opportunity to learn and develop more interest in the Olympics and at the same time build more support for the Indian team to the Olympic Games," Lee added.

Samsung India had also set up a Samsung Scholarship Programme to support top Indian athletes for their training expenses for a year between October 2007 and September 2008 as they prepare for the Olympic Games. The Indian athletes selected for programme have been identified as Samsung Olympic Ratnas. Under the programme, Samsung has been and will be providing scholarship support and related marketing/advertising services.

"And going beyond advertising, our effort has been in the direction of supporting the Indian team and players, generating interest around the Olympics and strengthening the Olympic movement," said a Samsung India spokesperson.

Samsung's quiz competition kicked off in Kolkata on July 22 and will eventually also be held in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi.