October 2015, I joined Midea Group's HQ team as new Global Head of Brand Management & Communication.

Shortly after, when I presented the new Midea 'Global Brand Positioning' + announced Midea's first 'Global Brand Campaign' #ImHome, I have also already stated that I will work on the brand's 'Global Sponsoring Strategy'.

Because, what happens otherwise - and I have seen such 'bad practice' during the last decade everywhere around me -

• sport agencies + sport clubs + sport associations are 'bombarding' you with proposals...

• ...while your people (in HQ, region + country) become purely re-active, 'flirting' with every offer, loving to go to 'free' events...
  = before they send the respective proposal to you in HQ
  = making you spend time on it + making you to have to answer...
  = 99.9% to decline (after they made 'everyone' false hope!)

= but, let's be fair, there are of course also these sport's 'sales people' just doing their job
+ getting their bosses' shoulder clap for every 'lead'... 🫣

...or:

• your people (peers, stakeholders + especially bosses) being guided by 'personal preferences' (happens far too often!) and they e.g. want to sponsor the sport they like + watch or the club of their 'son' to be a 'great dad'...

 

1st PAUSE + GASP...

...all above is just how the industry works: if you have uninformed people on client side, who don't have any strategy or plan, of course, they might pick up random offers!

...furthermore, I always told my HQ, regional + local teams:
"These sales people are just doing their jobs! Everyone not contacting us, the world's largest home appliance company, should be fired!" 🤪

 

2nd PAUSE + GASP...

Plus, it is also a fact:
ANY brand awareness activity is better than nothing!

 

HOWEVER, to enable you work with a meaningful + impactful + cost efficient sponsorship, you are definitely better of building it on a 'Thorough Analysis'.

Therefore, any company or brand considering the use of Sponsorship(s), should not 'waste' it's limited time & resources on being re-active on either of above, but instead pro-actively invest in having a look into the 'Sponsorship Universe'...

• trust me, you are smart(er) + more professional + save time when having your 'Global Sponsoring Strategy' in place (which is then btw also the most time-efficient + very professional answer to all these above mentioned sales guys!)

 

Therefore, in summer 2017, I got it done for Midea, doing the 'whole shebang', from 'broad to narrow' which later became my internally famous 'Ice Cream' deck:

...wanna learn more?

• explore how I selected Manchester City  and/or
• Erling Haaland and/or
• New York City FC and/or
• Mumbai City FC and/or
• AFF Suzuki Cup
• + the different award-winning Activations or

• contact me

 

• 2016-2018 - FINA

...I 'inherited' this sponsorship asset, initially focussed on Midea's 'Chinese Business', to be maximized during the remaining contract for the Midea's growing 'Global Business'.

 

Me, myself & I, having been a pro-swimmer, enjoyed working with FINA + activating the IP as much as possible with award-winning campaigns... However, every two years two weeks Swimming WorldCup is not what Midea Global Business needed to improve our main objective: 'Improve Brand Awareness'

 

The Business' + Brand's main objective has been the guiding 'North Star' while working on the 'Global Strategy' and let to #Midea brand to the below journey:

• 2017 - working on 'Global Sponsoring Strategy 2018-2020' + proposing:

• 2018 - World Cup Russia with David Beckham + Manchester United (got all declined by stakeholders*)

• 2019 - revisiting 'Global Sponsoring Strategy 2018-2020' (on request of stakeholders, that we should have done 'something')
  = updating it to 'Global Sponsoring Strategy 2020-2023'

• 2019 - Manchester City + AFF Suzuki Cup + Corinthians Deals negotiated + signed

• 2020 - Manchester City + AFF Suzuki Cup + Corinthians Launches

• 2021 - Manchester City + added City Football Group's local clubs: New York City + Mumbai City

• 2022 - Erling Haaland joins Manchester City = Midea immediately seals an exclusive deal:

• 2023 - Erling Haaland Launch as 'Global Brand Ambassador'

• tbc

 

 

 

* luckily!
= because I always believe(d) in #EverythingHappensForAReason
= never get frustrated but rather #StayHungry

= rethink + be consistent + improve/adjust/adopt + fight!