The gist of it: while the US government is trying to “derisk” supply chains, Chinese brands like Hisense and TCL CSOT have been building their profile in the US market through partnerships with the NBA and NFL, respectively. It’s worth keeping an eye on the progression of the campaigns. Winning over US consumers is not for the feint of heart or thinness of wallet.
HiSense’s House of Bang 4K ULED TV Campaign
Hisense recently started on a three-year partnership with the NBA as its Official TV and Home Appliance Partner to gain traction in North America and capture the attention of Gen Z and millennial demographics. A new “Less Talk. More Bang” campaign has been launched which features ESPN commentator Mike Breen, Celtics player Jayson Tatum, and Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce. This includes a mockumentary-style series called “House of Bang”, distributed across digital channels including NBA’s own platforms, Hulu, Bleacher Report, and YouTube. The campaign will also extend to retail activations and point-of-sale promotions with the NBA. A promotional sweepstakes offering a trip to the NBA Finals is also a part of the campaign, and Hisense will also serve as the exclusive partner of the NBA’s weekly content series “X-Factor Moments”.
In talking with Sports Business Journal, Hisense vice president of brand, David VanderWaal, shared that the main goal of this marketing push is to increase brand awareness, considering that appliances are generally a long-term investment for consumers. This extensive NBA partnership aims to put Hisense on the consideration list of potential buyers looking for appliances or televisions. VanderWaal believes that increasing brand recognition is critical and once customers become familiar with Hisense, the quality and value of their products will speak for themselves. As an early measure of success, he anticipates a potential increase in sales as a direct result of this sponsorship.
