Can the 2008 Summer Olympics Break the Summer Slump?

The 2008 Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin in Beijing, China on August 8th.  Many companies and brands are investing large sums of money in advertising, promotion and sponsorship initiatives related to the Olympic Games.  Will their efforts give their brands a boost this summer?  NBC certainly hopes so.
In fact, NBC plans to carefully analyze consumers’ viewing habits during the 2008 Olympic Games to get a better picture of how those consumers are using and interacting with media, including on television and on the Internet.