First the Stadium, Then the Country-

I thought it was some what amusing, and perhaps tacky, a few years ago when 3Com paid a bundle for the naming rights to a major sports stadium. Apparently others didn't think it was a joke because soon company logos were popping up on sports venues all over the place. I should have realized that it would catch on since mini-billboards featuring company logos proclaiming that this stretch of clean highway is brought to you by Brand X have become commonplace. Now Japan seems to want to raise the stakes in this bizzare game and is linking the fortunes or misfortunes of their economy to the dominant cellphone company - DoCoMo.

No lesser personage than Diet member Hiroyuki Arai (he just happens by coincidence to be the director of the Diet's telecom policy-making committee) was quoted in the February 22nd issue of TIME magazine:

"Our mobile-phone technology is ahead of the rest of the
world for now. DoCoMo is our flag bearer. If the company
takes its time getting into the global arena, we will
lose our lead to American or other foreign companies.
Without that kind of commitment from Japanese companies,
our economy will never recover."

I'll have to check the next time I travel out to Narita and see if they have erected a giant DoCoMo sign over the terminal building. !:')


- posted by tempusmaster @ 11:35 PM