Navigating the Global Playing Field: Insights from Echo Li at the Greater Bay Area International Sports Business Summit
March 12th, 2024
The inaugural Greater Bay Area International Sports Business Summit recently took center stage in the vibrant city of Macau, drawing over 500 sports business elites from around the world. Against the backdrop of the glittering skyline, these industry leaders convened to discuss the development and transformative shifts shaping the world of sports in 2024.
The summit invited distinguished guests of the international sports and business universe to participate, including Alibaba Group Chairperson, Joe Tsai, Li-Ning brand group founder and chairperson, Li Ning, President of Chinese Basketball Association, Yao Ming, TV & Marketing Services Managing Director of IOC, Anne-Sophie Voumard, and basketball legend and Hall of Famer, Dwyane Wade.
Emily Tan, senior correspondent at CNBC, discussed with Tsai, who is also the owner of Brooklyn Nets on the dynamics of the NBA and China relationship. “We’re connecting the world through sports, because sport is the common language,” Tsai shared, “In a symbiotic relationship like this, there is no need to pit one against the other.”
Echo Li, the Chief Commercial Officer of Dentsu Sports International (DSI), was invited as a representative to participate in the forum discussion of "Sports Marketing 2024: Global Strategy, Chinese Tactics", moderated by Zhang Li (Head of Media Relations, FC Bayern Munich China), alongside representatives from Li-Ning, Caterpillar, and Asia Football Group, they discussed brand promotion, fan engagement and sponsorship dynamics.
Echo emphasized the necessity for sports marketing agencies to undergo significant transformations to provide value-added services to brands and sports rights holders. As more rights holders are talking directly with brands for cost-effective deals, Dentsu has taken a proactive “client-centric” approach. “We listen to the brands on their development phases, focus and pain points, and strive to provide turnkey solutions that suit their marketing needs instead of only selling exclusive sports assets as brokers.” Echo said, “Our turnkey solutions for brands and sports rights holders are proudly empowered by DSI’s network agencies MKTG on consulting and creative activation and Dentsu Sports Analytics on data and insights service.”
Echo described a window of opportunity for Asian brands to establish a global presence using sports as their winning strategy. For many Asian brands conducting business in their native countries, sports may be optional – a supplement to their main marketing strategy; but for those with global ambitions as challenger brands in their respective sectors, sports marketing could serve as the key to penetrate targeted markets and unlock growth potentials.
“In global markets, there’s a common saying that for every dollar spent on sports sponsorship, three should be allocated to creative activation.” Echo said. She noted the significant disparity in activation budget allocation among Asian brands new to sports marketing, resulting in unsatisfactory outcomes and short-term investment decision.
“A successful sports partnership should be highly aligned with a brand’s DNA and requires careful selection of assets and long-term commitment,” Echo stressed, “This long-term approach also applies to global sports rights holders who see Asia as their growth markets.” Echo pitched to the rights holders on continued efforts in fan experience and content creation to keep Asian consumers and brands closer to hearts, which will yield long-term returns.
About Dentsu Sports International:
Dentsu Sports International, Inc. (DSI) is a global sports network comprised of MKTG Sports + Entertainment, a global integrated sports and entertainment agency, Halo Sport, a full-service agency with a strong focus on rugby, and Dentsu Sports, a leading sports rights holder including federations, leagues, events, teams, and venues. Born out of Dentsu Group, one of the world’s largest and highly regarded marketing communications companies, DSI leverages deep insights and its networks of seasoned, highly experienced team members to establish powerful connections between sports properties and brands to deliver end-to-end solutions for its clients. DSI’s global business spans across 8 countries with offices in 17 different cities across the world. DSI’s core mission is to be the most innovative and collaborative sport business network in the world. DSI believes that sport has the power to impact human behavior and is committed to making lasting change and creating new value in the sports business.
Website：https://dentsusports.com/
Email: info.dsi@dentsu.com
LinkedIn：https://www.linkedin.com/company/dentsu-sports-international/
Contact:
Melody Li
Singapore
Carissa Wong
Singapore
