Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and Visa are the big winners in the contest for recognition among U.S. fans of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, according to the results of a study conducted by Turnkey Intelligence.

Among both avid and casual fans, 62 per cent of respondents recognised Coca-Cola as a sponsor of the 2010 games, compared to 53 per cent for McDonalds and 51 per cent for Visa. Similarly, 26 per cent selected Subway as a sponsor, although Subway has no official partnership with the Vancouver games or the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC).

"Given the condensed nature of the games, it's important to get your brand and message in front of fans frequently," said Steve Seiferheld, vice president at Turnkey Intelligence. "Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and Visa have been rigorous about engaging fans through multiple media platforms."

The study also revealed that while awareness of 2010 Vancouver sponsors is relatively strong, respondents have less knowledge of sponsors of either the USOC or individual U.S. teams (e.g. U.S. Figure Skating, U.S. Bobsledding). 48 per cent of respondents could not identify one USOC sponsor, while 62 per cent could not correctly select one team sponsor.

Seiferheld added: "USOC sponsors should be disappointed, with almost half of respondents unable to identify any of them as such. There appears to be substantial confusion among consumers as to which brands sponsor which organisations."

Apolo Ohno is recognised most often by 2010 Vancouver fans. 70 per cent of respondents are familiar with him, while 58 per cent believe he is the U.S. athlete that most embodies the spirit of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Other athletes thought to embody the spirit include Lindsey Vonn (29 per cent) and Shaun White (26 per cent).

Figure skating is the favorite sport among women, chosen by 60 per cent of female respondents. Among male respondents, hockey was selected as their favorite by 18 per cent, narrowly beating figure skating (17 per cent). Women are more likely to identify themselves as "avid" fans of the 2010 Winter Olympics, with 57 per cent of women doing so.

Olympic fans are consuming the games in high amounts. 41 per cent of fans are watching at least two hours per day of coverage, while 72 per cent of fans are seeking out Olympic news, scores, and results at least daily.

The study was conducted on Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th February. Respondents were sourced from Greenfield Online, part of the Toluna Group. The sample is representative of the U.S. population, with a focus on fans identifying themselves as either avid or casual fans of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.