The upcoming Summer Olympics in Beijing have sparked protests across the world. For sponsors and other companies, though, the event is a powerful opportunity to connect with China.

All politics, as legendary Massachusetts politician Tip O'Neill said, is local. Even, one might add, a global event like the upcoming Summer Olympics in Beijing.

For consumers of Western media, the Beijing Games are likely associated with protests by activist groups over Tibet's political status or human rights in China. But what Western ...