As official sponsor of UEFA EURO 2020, Hisense records 116% growth in 1H 2021 YoY

As the first major tournament after the pandemic, the UEFA EURO 2020 has attracted great excitement globally. Official sponsor of UEFA EURO 2020, Hisense, a multinational consumer electronic and white goods manufacturer, confirmed that the company, in the first half of 2021, recorded remarkable revenue growth of 116% over H1 2020 in the Middle East region, despite the unforeseen challenges caused by the pandemic.

The sales growth of H1 2021 was witnessed across all major categories like TV that grew by 94%, Home Appliances (HA) segment recorded a significant growth of 134% and Air-conditioning (AC) category grew by 120% considerably.

Hisense has always been a major player in global sports sponsorship and is quickly rising as a leading brand in the consumer electronic segment, thanks to partnerships with leading platforms such as the UEFA Euro 2016, the Australian Open, NASCAR Xfinity Series, Red Bull Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Germany’s FC Schalke 04. In 2017, Hisense announced its status as an official sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, becoming the first-ever Chinese consumer electronics brand to sponsor the tournament. Continuing its sports momentum, the brand recently announced its partnership with the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

“Sports marketing activities like the UEFA Euro 2020 has been the key driver for this growth, improving top-tier product recognition like Laser TV, ULED TVs, Refrigerators, Washing Machines as well as adding to the elevation of brand equity,” said Mr Jason Ou, Managing Director of Hisense Middle East and North Africa.

Jason Ou, further added, “Partnering with world’s prime tournaments most certainly boosted our growth not just internationally but also in the Middle East region. This incredible growth stands as proof of the unbelievable opportunities derived through these key sports associations.”

A significant advantage of a sports partnership is the vast amount of brand visibility through various online and offline associations. According to UEFA’s released figures, the tournament was watched by 1.8-2 billion people through 137 broadcasters in 229 countries and regions, with 760,000 live viewers and 420,000 fans participating in the host cities’ fan squares.

Due to travel restrictions, there was an increase in the number of spectators that demanded the convenience of game viewing from the comforts of their home. Hisense ensured that it delivered the stadium-like comforts at home with its TVs and Home Appliances by providing immersive sports viewing through ULED TV or extra-large 100-inch Laser TV supporting comprehensive picture and sound enhancement system, refrigerators with enough storage space and washing machines with enhanced technology providing a seamless experience.

Tapping into the excitement fans have for the game across the globe as well as in the Middle East region, Hisense localized its Global Euro concept ‘Your Home Your Stadium’ to ‘it’s possible’ that underlines the fact that the consumers can truly enjoy a football match even at home with the same enthusiasm and ambience just like the stadium.

To support the football brand activations and to engage fans, the brand involved ‘Harley’ the official brand mascot into its retail activations across the UAE stores.

Having a formidable integrated market competence and a highly recognized market reputation are crucial requirements to become a top sponsor. Hisense’s sponsorship revealed brand capacity and the excellent reputation gained by sports marketing. Hisense has built 16 R&D centres and 17 production bases, established 54 companies and offices worldwide, keep expanding global sales and industrial layout since the initial phase of globalization strategy. Furthermore, sports marketing drives visibility for Hisense and achieves universal trust and esteem globally.

Continuous dedication in sports marketing successfully boosts enterprise presence but also leads to better sales. These sports marketing affiliations have been crucial in supporting the increase of brand equity which has grown over 80%, in the last three years, as per the research conducted by IPSOS, a global leader in market research.

With an aggressive market penetration strategy, state-of-the-art product line-up and backed by strong global and regional marketing initiatives, Hisense is poised to occupy a strong leadership position within the consumer electronics industry.