During the Olympics, even Nike relies on clever strategies to make big gains in marketing. During the Atlanta Games in 1996, Nike set up athletic centers in the Olympic City and Olympic Park for spectators. Nike also hired college students to distribute Nike cardholders for spectators to carry their tickets in. This caused many people to assume that Nike was the official sponsor, not Reebok.

"The success of corporate sponsorship depends on how the TV cameras are used by the media. And each time there is a broadcast, every host and correspondent will be wearing Lining clothing," stresses Zhang.