Football has climbed its way up to second place in China’s favourite sports. With over 300 million Chinese football fans and counting, China has become a hot market for international club managers.
This episode is not just about Football and Sports Marketing in China but also has a special focus on Chinese fans: how to resonate with them, entertain and, ultimately, win their respect.
Host Arnold Ma chats to Tom Nixon, Qumin’s Co-Founder and Client Services Director, who originally learnt Chinese to become a football coach in China, and New Business Executive Sean Ekon, a registered football agent for the FA.
Tune in for:
01:36 When football was still new in China
05:00 Tom’s China story and why he didn’t end up opening a Chinese takeaway
08:50 Sean’s China story
11:15 The development of fan culture in China and why ‘translating’ no longer equates to ‘localising’
15:10 The fine line between being respectful and offensive
16:35 Chinese fans’ lack of patience
18:02 Gaining reach, resonance and reaction from Chinese fans
20:14 How to avoid being orientalist by tapping into everyday culture
25:27 Sponsorships or programmatic advertising? – Short- vs long term strategies
28:20 Why great creative work requires good clients – Watford FC’s brief for Qumin
29:20 Fake engagement in China’s football industry and the West’s transition from metrics to meaningful connections
30:40 The best platforms to generate real engagement and commercial return: WeChat vs Douyin (TikTok)
34:00 Qumin’s Manchester United campaign (culture, social CRM, gaming, and Manga)
41:03 Understanding people and cultures – the only way to stand out as a Western brand in China
42:33 Why the target audience for football clubs is the same as for any other industry
44:10 ‘Playing it safe’ in China vs wacky cross-industry collaborations
45:10 Street culture in China and its knock-on effect for the popularity of sports
46:22 The difference between football and fashion influencers
47:00 Building a football brand and creating true brand ambassadors to secure sponsorship deals and merchandising
50:40 The French federation’s terrible Mid-Autumn Festival greeting
52:00 Why football entertainment is understood differently in China
If you like this episode, follow us/subscribe for more. You can also watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2eOUEM4jUVg
Feel free to contact us on China.WTF@qumin.co.uk with comments, thoughts and suggestions.