Corporate involvement in sport adds lustre to a brand.  Because of the emotional affinity which sport delivers though, and the glare of the spotlight in which it exists, their are reputation risks when things go wrong.  It is vital to be able to stand to one side and manage your own affairs when something is reported as not being done as one would have hoped.
The London Olympic games draw closer and each day in this period of preparation seems to produce a story the organisers would rather went unreported.
The company that gold-plates the Olympic torches has been alleged to have employed illegal immigrants and could face fines.  They were not directly contracted to the Olympic Organising Committee but security staff from that body were on site throughout and so are tarred with a rough brush in public terms.
Of greater damaging impact to the legacy of the games has been the news that almost half of the workforce that built the Olympic venues were contracted in from overseas. No doubt a reasonable number were from Ireland and the Games are doubtless no different from any other major construction project, but claims that they would produce a lasting ‘work legacy’ in the area of East London where most of the activities will take place have been damaged, and so too the reputation of the event, even if only in a local context.
None of these impacts directly on those who have spent significant sums to be involved but there remains the risk that a less than brilliant customer experience at the games will cast a shadow over consumers relationships with the brands.  Given that there can be no ‘dry run’ of an event like this the risks are greater than for an established event coming round year after year.
The potential upside is of course also far greater.  It just needs careful management to avoid collateral damage to a brand from the inevitable ‘oil spills’ that will occur.