If you’ve watched any of Euro 2024, it will have been impossible to miss the presence of BYD. The Chinese manufacturer has taken a prominent sponsorship of this major football tournament, its adverts and branding covering the 10 stadiums being used in Germany.
The cumulative audience of the Euros is in excess of five billion, according to tournament organiser UEFA, and BYD’s branding is given billing alongside the likes of Adidas and Coca-Cola and fellow Chinese companies Alipay and Hisense.
“They focus on future international expansion, using their foundation and capital strengths in China to boost overseas market presence and revenues, particularly in Europe,” Howard Yu, professor at the International Institute for Management Development, told the South China Morning Post about the surge of interest and investment from China in the Euros.
“What’s new and interesting here is that Chinese companies for the first time will need to engage the Western market and learn to localise, [changing] their image from being Chinese companies with an international presence to becoming companies that consumers will associate with strong local relevance.
