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This week I advertised in Saudi Arabia.To you of the Kingdom,my wishes for God's favor-blessed be His name.The Beijing Olympics are almost over.What will Olympics fans do then?I suppose we will dream of the Vancouver winter games in 2010.At least we won't have to wait four years for the next Olympics like we used to.

A Moment of Pride

NBC Entertainment is obviously the one piece we need to improve on,CEO Jeff Zucker continued.We're paying the people of NBC Entertainment to go with their gut.NBC has been a part of GE for 21 years.They've been a fantastic parent.I hope it continues for at least another 21 years.The fact that we're tracking ahead of the 2004 Athens Olympics,given what's happened to network television,is a tremendous accomplishment.The Chinese have a lot to be proud of.The Olympics hold a special place in my life.It's just an honor to be part of the Olympics,Mr.Zucker exclaimed.

The Digital Moment

Record numbers of fans have been turning to NBC Olympics.com,CEO Jeff Zucker noted.It is a watershed moment for NBC.One of the great things is the tremendous use of our digital properties.We're going to come out of this Olympics with great digital knowledge.There's no question we still have to learn how to monetize the digital page views,Mr.Zucker admitted.

Inside Media:The Power of a Network

Jeff Zucker,CEO of NBC Universal,has been reviewing the first week of his network's Olympics coverage.It's been a great week for NBC Universal,Mr.Zucker concluded.The ratings have been terrific.Advertisers have asked to be let into the party.The great story is,this shows the power of network television.The pipes work.If you put on programs people want to watch,they'll show up.NBC paid 900 million dollars U.S. for exclusive access to the games.We've been able to bottle that excitement since the opening ceremony.NBC-U is providing 3600 hours of coverage,75% of it live,over its seven networks.

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I advertised in Switzerland this week.My best regards to the Swiss and all my readers.Congratulations to all the Olympic athletes and the Chinese hosts.So far,everyone in the games has won a gold for good behavior.Late summer needs this bit of color.

China's Growth to Continue

China's growth will not slow further after the Olympics.The slowdown this year has been on account of exports dropping and government policies,says Tom Quinn of The Jordan Company,a private equity firm.Growth for 2007 was 11.4%.The forecast for 2008 is 8-10%.The Shanghai Composite Index is down 48% this year.The Chinese government needs to continue improving the standard of living.China has 350 years worth of coal in the ground.There is tremendous investment in infrastructure such as railroads and highways.China must develop the central and northern parts of the country,Mr.Quinn indicated.

Belief in the Olympics

According to CEO Neville Isdell,Coca-Cola is the number one brand in Olympic sponsorship.There is no immediate return in sales,but eventually there will be an uptick.We really believe the Olympics is beneficial to the world and the Chinese people.We're so proud to be a part of it.China is moving in the right direction,Mr.Isdell feels.There's always a downside to everything,he admitted,addressing China's human rights record.Nothing works absolutely perfectly,the CEO acknowledged.Besides the Olympics,Coca-Cola is benefiting from China's rapid urbanization.The company is extremely multinational,with 80% of its business being outside of the United States,which may protect it from U.S. economic problems.

Focus on China:The Coca-Cola Connection

Coca-Cola CEO Neville Isdell sees the Beijing Olympics as a long term branding opportunity.China is our fourth largest market,he said.We're using this to communicate with the Chinese people.Coca-Cola(KO) sponsored the torch relay,which was a huge success in China.The Chinese drink 24 Cokes a year,but they will eventually drink 150 a year.We see greater growth from teas and coffee,as well as Minute Maid juice,the CEO predicted.