• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, August 15, 2008

If one picture tells a thousand words, then a blogger adds color through human experience. Eastman Kodak Co. is offering fans an inside look at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games through a variety of interactive online features.

The company has supported the event since 1896, but began highlighting the Games online in 2000 at Sydney. This year, the company added a blogger to bring Olympic fans a unique perspective and to add a marketing twist for the company.

Kodak's blogger and photographer Jenny Cisney relies on a regular PC laptop. She says it's "super easy" to download the hundreds of pictures from a Kodak digital camera and then upload daily to 1000words.kodak.com. "I don't know that it's an attempt to demonstrate how easy it is, but it certainly is demonstrating it," she says. "It's wonderful sharing all the pictures I am taking."

Relying on the auto settings like "sport" and "close-up" mode to take the best picture for various situations, Cisney didn't need training to use the cameras. "I don't have the time or inclination to fiddle with manual settings, and the auto settings get it right for me," she says. "I also love the panoramic feature. It walks you through three shots, showing you a bit of the last to line up the next shot, and then stitches them all together."

Former Sports Illustrated contract photographer Richard Mackson, now covering the Games for Kodak, shares his photos, observations and inspirations daily on PluggedIn.Kodak.com. His biggest challenge: getting enough sleep after working an 18-hour day. "This is my 12th Olympics, and they've done an outstanding job here in China," he says. "The experience has been great."

There are no plans to use the photos in marketing or advertising campaigns, but pictures and blog posts drive awareness to other Kodak online activities, such as an exclusive Kodak Olympic pin promotion that consumers can find in the online store.

Tom Hoehn--who from Beijing spearheads Kodak's brand communications and new media efforts--says other sites focus on countries and medal tallies, but Kodak turns the lens on the human experience to provide an in-depth look into life at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Each day, Kodak selects one photo based on artistic merit and passion. Many colorful pictures showcase the national spirit of countries worldwide, but only one becomes "The Olympic Picture of the Day." It gets distributed through dozens of media outlets such as kodak.com's home page, Kodak's Times Square display, large prints at Kodak facilities worldwide, posters and postcards for various partners in Beijing.

Since the start of the Games, Kodak's Web site--including the blog-- has experienced a spike in traffic, but Hoehn says becoming eyes and ears of Olympic fans really means "connecting with our customers in a unique way and demonstrating our innovative products and services."

This year, Kodak stepped in to assist the 1,220 accredited photographers at the Kodak Image Center in the heart of the Main Press Center, as well as print accreditation badges for athletes, coaches, and staff--hundreds of thousands of them. The support helps to bring the Olympic Games from Beijing to the world while showcasing Kodak products and services.