Losers can be winners

Recent research indicates that losing a bid to host the Olympic Games can still have a positive economic impact on the bid city. Is this really true? If so, on what basis does the positive impact occur? Does the positive economic impact actually contribute to an overall net economic gain? In which case, should cities simply bid in the expectation of losing because they still stand to win? Does it make people view cities in a different way, possibly inducing them to visit and spend? Wouldn't bidding to lose make mega-event bid processes a complete mockery? Surely the notion that losing a bid to host the Olympic Games is akin to actually winning a bid, is a rather fanciful one?