| Bob
Stellick, the president of Toronto's Stellick Marketing Communications,
said that while rights for the Games won't be available until
2005, he's noticed some firms already marking their territory.
"What's interesting right now is how much jockeying is
already happening," Stellick said. "It's really
quite fascinating that it's happening already."
Atop his list of major recent moves is the March 25 announcement
from phone company Telus Corp., which became the official
sponsor of the Canadian men's and women's snowboard teams
through 2012 - encroaching on rival Bell Canada's decade-long
role as a national sponsor of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
…Added Stellick: "The Olympics are kind of like
the Toronto Maple Leafs for whatever reason. There's an inelasticity
and a Teflon nature to them. People love watching, love being
associated with them and love hearing about the Olympics for
that very brief period of time. That's part of the beauty
of the Olympics.
"The good news is that more money is going to go toward
Canadian athletes, regardless of who wins the sponsor opportunities
over the next six years," he said.
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