Few sponsors of the Olympic Games are as visible as Adidas. The German sporting goods group is not only outfitting more than 3,000 athletes but all the volunteers and stewards involved, as well as providing several marketing devices throughout Beijing led by the opening of its biggest store in the world in July.

That means it should be omnipresent in China. But it also highlights the delicate balancing act of many western sponsors who have to attract new consumers in one of their fastest-growing markets without deterring their original clients back home.