• by Val Brickates Kennedy , February 13, 2014

Sponsoring the Sochi Olympic Games will prove to be a winning move in terms of raising brand awareness and trust, according to a new report by Boston-based Arnold Worldwide.

"Both the Olympics and other sports organizations are perceived as traditional and fun, however, the Olympics is also viewed as having integrity and being authentic. With advertising spend during the games expected to reach record levels, that's an important advantage for brands among this rare broad audience," said Neela Pal, Arnold's global director of brand and business strategy, in a statement.

A December survey of 400 U.S. adults showed that public awareness of the Games was high. Of those surveyed, 82% expressed interest in following the Games, with 64% stating they would like to watch the events live. Of those who planned to follow the Games, 56% said they hoped to watch the actual competitions, while 45% said they wanted to watch the Opening Ceremonies.

How fans plan to watch the Games, however, is shifting. While 82% of respondents said they plan to catch events on TV, 53% said they also plan to follow the Games on their smartphones or tablets.

And this year's fans are more social -- in cyberspace, that is. Arnold said that Sochi fans will be 41% more likely than watchers of the 2012 London Games to share Olympic moments online, with 62% stating they will probably share content via social media. Facebook remains the fan favorite, with 81% stating they will probably use the social network to share Olympic content, while 36% plan to access YouTube and 34% will use Twitter.