#8 Football and Sports Marketing in China

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.