With the European Cup approaching, can Chinese overseas brands still reap the benefits?

Chinese brands are gradually going abroad and working hard to expand overseas markets. With the European Cup approaching, can Chinese companies seize the opportunity to expand their brand influence? Let's discuss this in this article. Recommended for Internet friends to read.

In the hot summer, there is never a lack of pure carnival and shouting!

After four years, the 2024 European Cup will kick off in Munich, Germany on June 14th local time.

As the pinnacle of European football and one of the international events that attracts global attention, the European Cup is undoubtedly a stage for major brands to compete for cooperation. In this European Cup, how will Chinese overseas brands choose to appear, shape brand influence and compete for overseas market share? Let's follow TOP to see what marketing actions Chinese companies have taken.

1. Targeting the European market, more and more Chinese brands are present

The official website shows that this European Cup has 13 official global partners: Adidas, AliExpress, Alipay, Atos, Betano, Booking, BYD, Coca-Cola, Hisense, Lido Mart, Engelbert Staruss, Qatar Tourism and Vivo.

Taken from UEFA EURO 2024 official website

Among them, AliExpress, Alipay, BYD, Hisense and Vivo are Chinese brands.

Judging from the numerical proportion alone , five brands from China account for more than one-third of the official sponsorship of this European Cup.

Judging from the trend , this is also the session with the largest number of Chinese companies participating in sponsorship.

From no company sponsorship more than ten years ago, to one company (Hisense) in 2016, four companies in 2020 (Hisense, Vivo, Alipay, TikTok) and five companies in 2024, Chinese companies are joining hands with the European Cup with increasing frequency.

TOP Jun believes that on the one hand, this is a testament to the growing strength of Chinese companies, as they try to flex their muscles in sports marketing in top international events; on the other hand, it is also a reflection of the increasing demand for companies to go overseas and their determination to further expand overseas markets in the era of globalization.

According to official data from UEFA, the 2020 European Cup had a cumulative global audience of 5.23 billion, with 328 million viewers watching the final, and an average of more than 100 million viewers per game. It can be said that its influence is no less than that of the US Super Bowl.

After all, Europeans' love and attention to football have been fully reflected in the competition for the World Cup championship : the World Cup championship competition can be said to be a competition between Europe and South America.

World Cup winning countries

This European Cup will be held in 10 host cities in Germany from June 14 to July 14, spanning from early summer to midsummer and covering multiple scenarios in space.

Data shows that UEFA received more than 20 million ticket applications in the first ticket sales phase , of which 1.4 million and 2.3 million were for the opening ceremony and final tickets, respectively, which are 21 times and 33 times the capacity of the corresponding venues.

With fans’ eager anticipation, it is not difficult to understand the determination of Chinese brands to sponsor.

Specifically, the five Chinese companies are all leading local companies in their respective fields. They have performed well in the field of sports event sponsorship in recent years . This time, they also launched different combinations in the European Cup sponsorship according to their own rhythm.

1. AliExpress — the first e-commerce partner

AliExpress is a cross-border e-commerce platform under Alibaba Group and the first e-commerce sponsor of the European Cup. According to AliExpress, during the European Cup, the platform will provide global consumers with preferential product discounts, interactive game play and surprise prizes including game tickets.

2. Alipay - Promoting the internationalization of China's payment industry

Alipay, which has long been integrated into the daily life of Chinese people, joined hands with UEFA as early as 2018 to reach an 8-year global partnership for UEFA national team events. However, due to various reasons such as financial barriers, Alipay's share in Germany is not yet among the top five. Whether it can further expand its layout with the help of the European Cup is also of concern.

However, in recent years, Alipay has actively participated in the sponsorship of sports events. For example, during the 2024 Australian Open, it successfully combined with spokesperson Zheng Qinwen to achieve the effect of brand exposure and image enhancement.

3. BYD - Promoting the green transformation of the European Cup

BYD will become the official travel partner during the 2024 European Cup, marking the first time in the history of the European Cup that it has joined hands with a new energy vehicle brand. It is reported that as the official vehicle, BYD's new energy vehicles will provide green travel services for the event and promote the green transformation of the European Cup.

In addition, BYD will also display a number of models at the competition venues and official fan squares, allowing European consumers to fully experience the technological charm of new energy vehicles and the infinite possibilities of future transportation.

4. Hisense - Firmly cooperate with each other for three consecutive years

As early as 2016, Hisense became the first Chinese company to sponsor the European Cup, which directly led to a three-fold increase in Hisense TV sales. This year is the third time Hisense has cooperated with the European Cup. Around the football event, Hisense has successfully entered the overseas market, and its excellent off-field exposure has also laid the foundation for its international brand identity.

5. Vivo – Mobile phone brand is gaining momentum

As the official partner of the European Cup, Vivo also launched the Vivo X100 series of mobile phones as the official mobile phones of the event before the game. It is reported that Vivo has previously set up its European headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany, which is enough to show its attention to the German market.

In addition to continuing its sponsorship of the previous European Cup, Vivo has also joined hands with other sports events in recent years, such as the Sudirman Cup, the Indian Premier League, the NBA Basketball League, etc.

2. Hisense, the “No. 1 in China”, reaps the first dividends from overseas expansion

Of course, seeing more and more Chinese brands shining in sponsoring international events, TOP also wants to take a look at Hisense, the first to take the plunge.

As the first mainland Chinese company to sponsor the European Cup, Hisense has demonstrated its wisdom and strategy in going overseas through actions and data.

First of all, it has a bold and unique slogan.

As we all know, the main benefit of sponsors is to appear on the stadium advertising fences and the background boards of press conferences. Hisense chose to seize the attractive characteristics of stadium advertising to amplify its own positioning.

Whether it is "Hisense TV is No. 1 in China" in the 2016 European Cup, "Choose U7 when buying a TV" in the 2020 European Cup, "Hisense is No. 1 in Chinese TV" in the 2018 Russia World Cup, or "No. 1 in China and No. 2 in the world" in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Hisense's positioning for itself is simple and clear: No. 1.

Hisense 2016 France European Cup slogan

Hisense 2018 Russia World Cup Hisense slogan

Hisense 2022 Qatar World Cup slogan

Of course, these slogans have caused controversy in China to a greater or lesser extent. Some netizens questioned whether Hisense's actions violated the domestic "Advertising Law". However, amid the waves of condemnation, Hisense's popularity and attention have risen to a higher level, and its overseas sales data have reached an unprecedented high .

In 2016, Hisense spent 50 million euros in sponsorship fees to get eight minutes of brand display in each of the 51 European Cup games, including the display of the Shanghai logo on the ticket and official background board, as well as the application of Hisense TV and mobile phones. In the end, Hisense's global brand awareness increased by 6% , its sales in the European market increased by 65% ​​in the second quarter, and its domestic TV market share increased by 1.87 percentage points. In France, the host country of the European Cup, Hisense's local sales increased by nearly 300%.

Secondly, it is the strong binding relationship it insists on establishing. After tasting the sweetness of sponsoring the European Cup, Hisense subsequently started a continuous sponsorship model and set its sights on the more grand World Cup.

Just like the slogans listed above, these advertising slogans including "first" and "second" also left a deep impression of Hisense on sports audiences around the world.

Of course, Hisense's ambition does not stop there. It has continued to sponsor more overseas events, such as F1 teams, the US NASCAR car race and other niche events, etc., paving the way for the company's "going overseas" in many ways.

Data shows that in 2023, Hisense Group's revenue exceeded 200 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9%; overseas revenue was 85.8 billion yuan, accounting for 42.6%, a year-on-year increase of 13%.

It can be said that Hisense has really found its way to “going overseas”.

This year, Hisense will also focus on technology . As the exclusive partner of VAR technology (Video Assistant Referee), it will carry out in-depth cooperation with the European Cup on the technical level of the event.

It is understood that Hisense's brand logo will appear on the VAR screens on the sidelines of the stadium, on the VAR moments on the large screen inside the stadium, and in the VAR studio of the International Broadcast Center. While increasing brand exposure, it also showcases the technological innovation of Chinese companies.

3. AliExpress, the “new partner”, takes advantage of the European Cup to reach a higher level

In addition to Hisense, the three-time "Pure Love Warrior", TOP also noticed the European Cup's first e-commerce partner - AliExpress.

In March this year, AliExpress officially announced that it would become the official partner of the 2024 European Cup.

AliExpress, which was launched in 2009, is regarded by the industry as the beginning of Alibaba's e-commerce overseas expansion, and is known as the "Four Little Dragons Going Overseas" together with Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop.

Just as Temu’s marketing boost came after its appearance at the Super Bowl, AliExpress is also trying to use the European Cup stage to gain a lot of exposure and market opportunities.

It is understood that this year, AliExpress released its first "Consumer Insights" report, exploring the online shopping landscape across Europe. The report surveyed consumers in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom , revealing key trends and insights into European consumers' online behavior and shopping patterns.

According to Alibaba's financial report, AliExpress orders grew strongly by 60% in the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, mainly driven by Choice. In March last year, AliExpress's Choice service based on the hosting model was officially launched overseas, providing consumers with rich products, faster logistics and better services. Its "Global Five-Day Delivery" service in cooperation with Cainiao has also expanded to more than a dozen countries, covering three continents of Europe, America and Asia.

In the context of the overall positive market, AliExpress has also actively worked on spokesperson marketing this year . Since 2024, AliExpress has signed two football stars in the Middle East and signed Tang Wei and Ma Dongxi as local spokespersons in South Korea.

And not long ago on May 27, AliExpress officially announced that it had signed football superstar David Beckham as its global spokesperson.

With favorable discounts, new ways of playing, surprising interactive prizes and highly appealing spokespersons, AliExpress had made sufficient preparations to reach its target customers before the European Cup and introduced multiple traffic streams to the platform .

IV. Conclusion

Whether it is the European Cup that is getting closer or the much-anticipated Paris Olympics, we can see that Chinese brands are appearing more and more frequently in the sports marketing of top events.

From a manufacturing power to a brand power, the generous sponsorship of Chinese companies also implies that sports marketing is responsible for changing global concepts. After all, the process of brand "going global" is not only the shaping of corporate image and the enhancement of brand influence, but also the proof of the comprehensive strength of enterprises and countries.

The summer of Europe belongs to football! Can Chinese brands achieve good results off the field? TOP and everyone are waiting to see~

Author: TOP Jun

Source: WeChat official account: "TopMarketing (ID: TMarketing)"