Chinese companies are capitalizing on the Paris Summer Olympics to enhance their brand visibility both domestically and internationally. Among the prominent names, dairy giant Mengniu has secured a long-term sponsorship deal with the Olympics, spanning from 2021 to 2032. Other major Chinese enterprises like Alibaba, Yili, and tech firms such as Anta, BYD, and Vivo have also partnered with the Games.
Market research by Daxue Consulting highlights that sports retailer Anta, electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, and tech company Vivo have garnered the most attention on Chinese social media regarding the Olympics. This increased visibility is crucial as Tencent Marketing Insight predicts that 62 percent of the global television audience will watch these Olympics, with a cumulative 2 billion people having watched the Games over the past two decades.
Smaller brands without large budgets have creatively generated buzz through pop-up events. Jiang Yaling, founder of research and strategy consultancy ApertureChina, noted that these brands use content created in Paris to showcase their international presence to domestic audiences. For instance, Heytea, known for its bubble tea, has projected its logo near iconic Parisian landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. The company, which expanded its international presence last year, also launched Olympic-themed packaging and set up a “tea room” for viewing the Games in Paris’s 11th arrondissement, a hub for young adults.
Similarly, Chagee, another Chinese tea brand, opened a tea bar in front of Paris’s Gare Saint-Lazare railway station, attracting nearly 2,000 visitors on its first day. The company plans to continue organizing activities to showcase Chinese culture, including traditional games like pitch-pot and cuju.
Beijing-based Luckin Coffee also embraced the Olympics spirit by launching special paper cup designs featuring Parisian landmarks. Cosmetics retailer Maogeping joined the marketing efforts as the official beauty partner for the Chinese national team, providing makeup kits for athletes.
Despite these efforts, Chinese brands still face challenges in competing with their global counterparts in terms of emotional value, as noted by Markus Rach, an associate professor of marketing at Shenzhen Technology University Business School. He pointed out that Western brands have a significant head-start and substantial spending power. However, he emphasized that sporting events provide opportunities for Chinese brands to establish themselves as viable alternatives and enhance their brand image both at home and abroad.
The economic slowdown in China and the overemphasis on athletes as spokespeople since late 2021 have somewhat dampened national pride, according to Jiang. Nonetheless, Rach believes that brand exposure at major events like the Olympics can create lasting connections with consumers.
Joyce Lin, a college student in Guangzhou, expressed excitement about seeing the beauty products and trainers used by Chinese athletes. She believes that the visibility of Chinese brands during the Olympics will increase their appeal among young domestic consumers and help them gain international recognition.
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