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Football Brands China - Patrick Crowe
Football Brands China - Patrick Crowe
Contents
Introduction: What does China represent for football brands?...................
Content design...........
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Summary.....
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Contact Information.......
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Source: http://www.internetworldstats.com/top20.htm
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Source: http://makeawebsitehub.com/chinese-social-media-statistics/
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In May 2010, the government issued a white paper on the Internet that emphasized the
concept of Internet sovereignty, requiring all Internet users in China, including foreign
organizations and individuals, to abide by Chinese laws and regulations.
Weibo
Weibo is a microblogging site that has been described as the Chinese Twitter. A group of
similar core features have allowed comparisons to be made between the two sites. For example, both sites use hashtags to link cross-platform discussions, and both sites employ a
verification policy used to authenticate accounts.
However, there are a multitude of additional features available for use on Weibo that make
it a more dynamic and diverse platform than Twitter. This vast array of features may seem
daunting to new users, but once studied and understood present themselves as a valuable
set of tools for brands to use in their efforts to engage with fans in new and exciting ways.
The following list is a brief overview of some of the unique features Weibo has and how
they could be used to engage with fans and build brand equity.
Expansive Posting
Weibo has a 140 character limit on standard posts, just like Twitter. However, you can say a
lot more in 140 Chinese characters (around 70 or 80) words than you can in English. This
allows for more detailed posts that can tell followers more than the slender snippets offered
up on Twitter. Also, there is the option of posting a long-form post on Weibo with an unlimited word count and full formatting options.
Baidu
Baidu is Chinas answer to Google, it is by far the most popular search engine in the country. In 2015, it held 79.81% of Chinas search market. Any club looking to build digital visibility with Chinese fans needs to tailor its Chinese marketing efforts to fit in with Baidus
output, framework, and algorithms.
Like Google, Baidu has a number of spin off products in addition to their search features,
including everything from Baidu Cloud (digital storage) to Baidu Wallet (online payment processing) There are also popular online communities such as Baidu Space (social network)
and Baidu Tieba (web forums) These communities are significant in Chinas digital world
and brands that successfully build a strong presence within these communities will reap the
benefits in the form of a burgeoning fanbase.
Brands also need to conduct thorough Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in order to
achieve a good level of visibility on Baidu. Baidus search algorithms are complicated, constantly evolving, and catered to Chinese users. It is not enough for brands to simply translate their English language websites into Chinese and expect it rise to the top of Baidus
search results. It is recommended that brands invest in a tailor made Chinese web-page,
using design and content aimed at appealing to the mind-set of Chinese football fans.
There is the option to invest in Baidus Paid Search feature, which allows anyone with a
website to pay a fee and swiftly move to the top of any searches using certain key words.
This is a big advantage in terms of building up a web-pages visibility.
WeChat
WeChat started out as a communication application in a similar vain to Whatsapp. However, it has grown from a simple communication application to a multi-platform service.
Over 650 million daily users4 control various facets of their lives through the application.
It is a one-stop mobile shop, on which users can do everything from book airplane tickets to
pay their utilities bill. In 2015, WeChat reported that it had been a direct driver in bringing in
$1.76 billion in entertainment and lifestyle spending over the course of the year.
Brands can have their own official accounts on WeChat and it is common for brands to
launch mobile marketing campaigns through the application. Through WeChat, football
brands have the opportunity to market everything from merchandise up to travel, tickets,
and hospitality for a match.
Although no football brand has opened up a WeChat store as of yet, there are excellent opportunities to commercialize brand presence on the application. In the future, we may well
see a framework in which Baidu is where fans will search for information on a brand, Weibo
is where they connect with other fans, and WeChat is where they spend money on brand
products.
Source: http://www.mailmangroup.com/red-card-2016/
Germanys Bayern Munich top the list. Looking at why Bayerns engagement with Chinese
fans is better than other clubs provides brands with a framework for successfully building
equity through Chinas digital environment.
The answer seems to be that Bayern are more simply more thorough in their efforts than
anybody else. The club developed a high quality Chinese language website and an official
video account on Youku, Chinas answer to Youtube. Their accounts on Weibo and WeChat
featured consistent, quality updates tailored specifically to their Chinese fan-base.
All their major stars have their own official accounts as well. Playing on the observation outlined in the Red Card that Chinese fans are often more attracted to star players than the
team they represent. (Mailman Group, 2015) Bayerns club accounts and their players accounts make sure to share content between each other, allowing fans to engage with both.
It is interesting to note that some star players do not have official accounts at all, even if
their clubs do have one. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Luis Suarez are still
without official Weibo accounts at the time of writing. Offline, Bayern have dedicated themselves to facilitating growth by touring China in the summer of 2015 and by signing a liverights deal with Chinas biggest broadcaster, CCTV.
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Content Design
I will now outline a few key theories regarding content design for football brands looking
to engage with the Chinese market. These theories are based upon my personal experience and observations.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23364230
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http://www.havas-se.com/uploads/news/89def337a92eff46662cebf72df9483e9f8b29e1.pdf
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Keep it light
China sits at a delicate point in its history in which government reforms and their subsequent effects on Chinas economic and cultural performance have changed both the way
other nations look at China and the way China looks at itself. As such, the current political
and social situation in China is quite sensitive. It is advised that western brands hoping to
enter the Chinese market be careful when releasing any content based on social issues
and to stay away from politics altogether.
A good example of social content that might not work or at the very least needs to be carefully tailored to the Chinese audience is anything to do with charity. As well as tackling social issues, charitable enterprises by football brands have helped to engage with fans and
build equity. Brands gain the respect, admiration, and trust of fans through being seen to
help people. For example, the work done by Everton F.Cs Everton in the Community has
won plaudits from the British government and across the world, as well as a host of awards.
Any efforts from football brands centered on charitable activities in China may not receive
the same adulation. This is not because Chinese people are uncharitable, far from it, but
because they dont want to be seen as needing help and dont want the less prosperous
aspects of their society to be advertised. As we previously mentioned, it is a sensitive time
and China wants to be seen to be doing well.
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Summary
To summarise the key points:
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Contact Information
Patrick Crowe
5 Druids Cross Road
Liverpool
England
L183EA
Email: patrick1crowe@gmail.com
Tel: 07512071348
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-crowe-965571b3
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