The Real Cost Of Sponsoring The Sochi Winter Olympics

<p>TheGayUK asked readers about their thoughts on Olympic Corporate Sponsors - the results quite damaging for any brands who don't speak out.</p> <p>Newsdesk | 5th Feb 2014</p><p></p><p>With one of <a href="http://www.thegayuk.com/magazine/4574334751/Gay-Rights-Protest-Targets-Sochi-Winter-Olympics-Worldwide/7455692">biggest mass organised world-wide protests being organised for today</a> (5th Feb 2014) TheGayUK unveils it's readers' survey about what gay people think about the brands that are sponsoring the Winter Olympics in Sochi.</p><p></p><p>We asked a representative sample (162) of TheGayUK readers their thoughts on the commercial supporters of this year's Winter Olympics.</p><p></p><p> </p><p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4605397467.png" width="460" height="652" alt="The Real Cost of Supporting The Olympics | TheGayUK" title="The Real Cost of Supporting The Olympics | TheGayUK"/></p> <p></p><p></p><p>A whopping 76% of the people who were questioned knew at least one of the Olympic Sponsors.</p><p></p><p>When asked whether they’d boycott the brands involved 60% said that they would consider banning a brand from their house.</p><p></p><p>Nearly half of those questioned had already boycotted a brand with a Russian connection (44%)</p><p></p><p>75% agreed that sponsorship of the Sochi Winter Olympic games damaged a company’s LGBT friendly credentials.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.thegayuk.com/magazine/4574334751/AT-T-Become-First-US-Team-Sponsor-To-Condemn-Russia's-LGBT-Policies/7455946">AT&T were the first brand that actively condemn</a> the current situation that LGBT people face in Russia - and although it's not an official overall Olympics' sponsor, it does sponsor the US Olympic team.</p><p></p><p> </p>