Fifa Partner Wanda Group will focus its 2019 Women’s World Cup activation campaign on its domestic market, according to Hengming Yang, chief executive of Wanda Sports Group.
Speaking from the launch of the Wanda campaign in Beijing yesterday, Yang told SportBusiness Sponsorship that the brand will take a similar approach to its Russia 2018 World Cup campaign.
“The appeal of a top-tier partnership with Fifa was getting access to the full portfolio of Fifa’s events – men’s, women’s, youth etc. – which supports our overarching commitment to developing the game of football in China,” said Yang.
“The strong focus of our campaign in France will continue to be China.”
Wanda’s approach this summer will focus on the flag-bearer programme which will see Wanda take 156 children from China and 156 from France to the tournament for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“They will be selected by focusing on grassroots football clubs and academies in China and France, which aligns with our overall goal of inspiring the next generation of footballers and fans,“ said Wang.
The involvement of the Chinese national team at the tournament, he added, gives Wanda an added incentive to support the tournament.
From a business return perspective, Yang said the key focus will continue to be on the growth of the Wanda brand as “a positive contributor to football and further cementing the Wanda Sports Group as a leading company in the world of sports.”
As well as the flag-bearer programme, Wanda will deliver immersive experiences for fans at the tournament using VR technology to showcase Wanda’s role in football around the world.