The Olympics demand years of practice, patience and discipline, for competitors as well as the brands that underwrite the Games. Athletes find their reward with medals; marketers win with brand recognition and share of market.
For both cohorts, risk is a dark shadow. And failure does happen. But so does recovery: Indeed, some of the most inspiring Olympic stories are tales of contestants who lose one year, but come back later not just to compete, but to climb onto the winners' stand.
The Dow Chemical Co. doesn't bring the same ferocity to Olympic advertising as AB InBev, McDonald's, or Procter...