How Western Brands Can Break into ASEAN Markets Through Sports Partnerships
With ASEAN’s emergence as a dominant force on the global stage, the region is a major focus for Western brands targeting further growth. In ASEAN, which comprises over 660 million consumers across 10 nations, sports partnerships have emerged as a powerful tool for market entry and brand building. Southeast Asia’s incredible passion for sports, and in particular football, offers a strong connection to the hearts and minds of the region’s consumers.
David Rothenhaeuser
Published on November 4th, 2024
In this Insight:
For brands seeking a foothold in Southeast Asia, ASEAN football sponsorships create an immediate bond with local audiences, offering strong brand visibility and highly personal emotional connections. ASEAN United FC – an integrated marketing platform of the region’s four leading tournaments - the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024, ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™, ASEAN Women’s Championship™ and ASEAN U-23 Championship™ represents a unique partnership opportunity. For Western companies looking to establish a presence in ASEAN, leveraging partnerships with properties like ASEAN United FC can fast-track brand awareness and growth, and foster long-term brand loyalty.
Why Western Brands Should Leverage Sports Partnerships in ASEAN
1. Harnessing the Power of ASEAN Football
Football is by far the most popular sport in ASEAN. The region’s four largest markets - Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam boast huge football fanbases. In addition, there are more than 300 million active digital media users throughout Southeast Asia, creating an enormous audience for brand exposure. Western brands including adidas have long recognized this and partnered with major sports events and football clubs to drive brand awareness and loyalty. By aligning with premium sports properties like ASEAN United FC, Western brands can tap directly into this large, highly engaged audience.
2. Accelerating Brand Recognition and Trust
Breaking into ASEAN markets can be a challenge for Western brands unfamiliar to local customs and the behavior and preferences of consumers. Sports partnerships, however, offer an immediate entry point to the vast ASEAN population, allowing brands to associate with well-loved sports teams, events, and athletes. This creates a level of trust and authenticity, positioning the brand as part of the local culture.
3. Localized Storytelling with a Regional Impact
One of the key advantages of sports sponsorships in ASEAN is the ability to tailor messaging to individual markets while maintaining a cohesive regional strategy. ASEAN United FC is a unique regional football platform that allows brands to reach multiple countries through a single partnership. Western brands can build localized campaigns for each ASEAN nation, creating culturally relevant stories that resonate with consumers while still driving broader regional consistency.
4. Driving Consumer Loyalty Through Passion Points
Sports inspire deep emotional connections with fans, making them one of the most effective platforms for brand loyalty. Western brands can leverage this passion by embedding themselves in the sports ecosystem. The excitement and energy of a football match offers numerous touchpoints for brand engagement - whether through live stadium experiences, activation programmes or digital campaigns featuring exclusive fan content. Western brands can benefit from sustained exposure, fostering brand affinity and loyalty among ASEAN consumers.
Success Stories: Western Brands Winning with ASEAN Sports Partnerships
ASEAN United FC: A Platform for Western Brands to Engage
ASEAN United FC, an integrated football marketing platform created and managed by SPORTFIVE, features the region’s leading four events. This unique platform unites the ten ASEAN nations through football and offers brands focused geographic access and reach for Western brands targeting growth in Southeast Asia. By sponsoring ASEAN United FC, Western companies can activate campaigns across multiple countries simultaneously, while benefiting from each team’s appeal in local markets and a central professionally managed brand. From digital content to in-stadium experiences, partnering with ASEAN United FC offers brands a multi-faceted approach to brand building and customer engagement in one of the world’s fastest growing consumer markets.
Western brands aiming to expand into ASEAN should look no further than partnerships with ASEAN football as part of their marketing strategies for market entry. By aligning with beloved sports teams, tournaments, and athletes, brands can build trust, drive awareness, and foster deep connections with local consumers. Sports sponsorships provide a fast track to capturing the hearts of ASEAN audiences. Partnering with innovative properties like ASEAN United FC gives brands a unique, powerful platform to establish themselves as key players in Southeast Asia's ever-growing markets.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Everything you need to know.
Sponsorship is the financial support for a sporting event, organisation or athlete by an outside body, for the mutual benefit of both parties. At the professional level this tends to be by companies, to raise the profile of their brand by associating it with the athlete.
The company aims to generate brand awareness and customer recognition, whilst the event, organisation or athlete receives a boost in funding.
A popular example is a brand logo printed on a team shirt. Visibility is guaranteed, even more so in the modern world with social media and online highlights.
In the land of media and marketing rights today, there is no cookie-cut solution for brands, and a simple logo placement will not provide the sufficient return on investment (ROI) for sponsorship, nor does it give their target audience the “why?” - the reason to spend their money and engage with the product.
Companies investing in sports sponsorship need to look at the bigger picture to engage with fans and not rely on just one piece of inventory.
Sports partnerships can be defined as a new level of sports sponsorships: they represent a tighter-fitted collaboration between sports and businesses or brands.
Partnerships are less based on standard marketing benefits and more tailor-made on the company’s specific needs, and several company levels are involved in the sports project: from marketing to Research & Development, from production to management.
Partnerships tend to be focused on the improvement and development of specific products or services, and are usually long-term. They can be very effective on the customers and clients, who witness a true affinity with some of the world’s most winning properties. Partnerships are often multidimensional and multi-layered, with the development of new tech, as well as new products and the marketing that comes with them.
ASEAN United FC is a newly launched official digital platform created by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) in partnership with SPORTFIVE. This platform centers around the AFF’s four major national team and club events: the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024™, the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™, the ASEAN Women’s Championship™, and the ASEAN U-23 Championship™. ASEAN United FC aims to unite and engage fans across Southeast Asia through these key tournaments, celebrating the region’s passion and talent in football.
A brand partnership is a mutually beneficial agreement between two or more businesses. All parties agree to help one another by promoting and sponsoring each other or creating content together.
Brand partnerships aim to increase brand recognition and ultimately boost sales and customer loyalty.
In sports, co-branding exists, where two or more companies jointly promote their brands, services, and products through cross-marketing efforts.
This can include anything from social media posts, advertisements, and commercials to events and appearances by high-profile athletes and celebrities.
ASEAN United FC represents all ten member countries of ASEAN: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. This cross-national collaboration showcases the collective spirit and diversity of Southeast Asia within the world of football. More information on the ASEAN United FC can be found here.
ASEAN United FC offers a range of sponsorship and partnership opportunities for brands looking to connect with passionate football fans across the ASEAN region. For detailed information on partnership opportunities and ways for brands to get involved, please visit this page, which outlines the diverse ways brands can support and engage with ASEAN United FC.
Marketing is crucial in sports for several reasons. Firstly, it enhances the visibility and popularity of sports teams, athletes, and events, attracting a broader audience and increasing fan engagement. Effective marketing strategies help create a strong brand image, fostering a connection between fans and their favourite teams or athletes. This emotional connection often leads to increased fan loyalty and support, translating into higher ticket sales, merchandise purchases, and overall revenue for sports organisations.
Moreover, marketing in sports plays a pivotal role in securing sponsorships and partnerships. Brands are drawn to sports entities with a significant and engaged fan base, offering lucrative opportunities for sponsorship deals. These partnerships not only provide financial support but also contribute to the overall prestige and marketability of the sports brand.
In the contemporary landscape, digital marketing and social media have become integral components of sports marketing, allowing for real-time interaction with fans, personalised content delivery, and global reach. Social media platforms serve as powerful tools to amplify the sports narrative and engage with fans on a more intimate level.
Ultimately, successful sports marketing goes beyond promoting matches and events; it cultivates a culture, builds communities, and transforms sports into a compelling and marketable entertainment product, driving the industry's growth and sustainability.
SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that operates in the sports and entertainment industry. The agency specialises in various aspects of sports marketing, including the sale of sports media rights, sponsorship and partnership management, and the creation of marketing strategies for sports organisations, teams, and events. They work with a wide range of clients, including sports leagues, clubs, and brands, helping them maximise their commercial potential in the sports market.
SPORTFIVE is known for its expertise in negotiating and managing broadcasting rights, which involves securing deals for the distribution of sports content through various media channels. Additionally, they are involved in the management of sponsorship agreements, helping sports entities form partnerships with brands for mutual benefit.
SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that specialises in various aspects of the sports and entertainment industry. The agency works with sports organisations, teams, and brands to optimise commercial opportunities.
One of SPORTFIVE's key areas of focus is the sale and management of sports media rights, including broadcasting and digital distribution deals. They negotiate and facilitate partnerships, sponsorships, and naming rights for sports entities, helping them enhance their brand value and revenue streams.
Additionally, SPORTFIVE provides expertise in marketing strategies, assisting clients in building strong connections with their target audiences. Their comprehensive approach spans across the sports business landscape, from media rights to sponsorship management, contributing to the overall growth and success of their clients in the dynamic world of sports marketing.
Sponsorship activation refers to the strategic efforts and initiatives undertaken by a sponsor to maximise the impact of their sponsorship investment. It involves bringing the sponsorship to life through various marketing and promotional activities to achieve specific business objectives.
Activation goes beyond placing a logo; it aims to engage the target audience, enhance brand visibility, and create a meaningful connection.
Activation strategies may include experiential marketing events, social media campaigns, contests, exclusive content, and collaborations with the sponsored entity. The goal is to leverage the association with the sponsored property in a way that resonates with the audience, builds brand loyalty, and delivers a positive and memorable brand experience.
Effective sponsorship activation enhances the overall value of the sponsorship, creating a win-win scenario for both the sponsor and the sponsored entity.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, the specific contact person or department will depend on the entity or property you want to sponsor.
Sports Marketing Agencies: Agencies like SPORTFIVE specialise in connecting sponsors with sports opportunities. Contact their business development or sponsorship departments.
Sports Teams or Clubs: Contact the sponsorship or partnership department within the sports team or club.Look for information on the team's official website regarding sponsorship opportunities and contact details.
Sports Events or Leagues: Reach out to the event organiser's sponsorship or partnership department. Event websites often have dedicated sections providing information for potential sponsors.
Athletes: Contact the athlete's management or agent, who typically handles sponsorship inquiries. Some athletes manage their sponsorships independently, and contact information may be available on their official website or social media.
Sports Federations: Reach out to the sponsorship or business development department of the relevant sports federation. Check the official website of the federation for sponsorship guidelines and contact information.
For specific details, visit the official website of the entity you are interested in sponsoring or directly inquire through the provided contact information. If the information is not readily available, consider reaching out to the general contact line or email provided on their official platforms, and they can direct you to the appropriate department.
