Jeremy Lin for Volvo! Here come the sponsors!
Chinese-owned Swedish automaker, Volvo, is planning to sign a marketing agreement with the NBA’s new Asian-American superstar Jeremy Lin.
Details of the deal — which Volvo describes as a “dynamic marketing partnership” — will be announced later today, but a Volvo announcement describes the agreement as an opportunity to leverage “the Swedish carmaker’s sport heritage.”
The 23-year-old is the son of Taiwanese immigrants and is filling a spot left vacant by the retirement of mainland China’s Yao Ming, who starred with the Houston Rockets. But his appeal extends far beyond just the Asian community.
And that’s leading marketers to line up with lucrative endorsement deals, including not only Volvo but Nike, which brought out a new shoe honoring Lin just in time for the NBA all-star game.
Volvo has its own China connection, having been bought from Ford two years ago, by Chinese automotive upstart Geely.
Tying up with Lin could give Volvo a way to undercut Korean carmaker Kia. That maker having inked an extensive alliance with the NBA and young star Blake Griffin — who won the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Competition by putting the ball away while leaping over an Optima.
We told you targeting Asian Americans is good business!
By Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau
Mr. Lin is the only NBA star with a Harvard degree.
He is a smart player. You can tell he has analyzed every player in the game and knows each one’s strength and weakness.
Other companies also are moving quickly to tap Mr. Lin’s popularity in China. German sports-apparel company Adidas AG plans to roll out the Knicks star’s jersey across its network of 6,700 stores in China.
No wonder we’re getting tons of traffic in China.