Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy Industry (Group) Co Ltd (Mengniu),
China's leading dairy producer, moved closer to overseas expansion
yesterday, when it announced a promotional partnership with the
National Basketball Association (NBA).
Financial figures were not disclosed, but executives from
Mengniu emphasized that domestic operations would continue to be
the company's primary focus.
Under the partnership, Mengniu will have the opportunity to
promote itself on the NBA's Chinese website and NBA programs
broadcast over China's 51 TV channels. It can also sponsor sports
and entertainment events offered by NBA China, including this
year's NBA Jam Vam.
"The partnership will accelerate Mengniu's internationalization
process," said Bai Ying, Mengniu's vice-president and general
manager of the Normal Temperature Liquid Milk Department.
"This is only a start, and we will maximize the partnership,
developing all-round cooperation beyond China," added Bai, who
refused to elaborate, but noted "actions speak louder than
words".
Partnership talks started about three years ago, Bai said,
culminating with Mengniu becoming the first Chinese food and
beverage brand to team up with the NBA. The popular world sport
brand, which landed in China in 1987, has 19 partnerships of this
kind here.
"NBA stands for positive values that Mengniu shares, like
health," said Mark Fischer, managing director of NBA Properties Inc
Beijing Representative Office. "We are both dedicated to improving
the lives of people, especially younger people."
"I believe it will be a big help to Mengniu to build up its
brand, and eventually business, in other parts of the world, the
same as that with Haier and Lenovo."
NBA partnered with the two major Chinese brands last year, and
insiders said the move would assist their overseas promotion.
"The potential of the partnerships is the same," Fischer
agreed.
Although its dairy products have been on sale abroad since 1999,
Mengniu did not focus on foreign markets until two years ago with a
series of deals signed with overseas partners.
Last December, Mengniu joined with France's Danone, taking a 51
percent share in their joint venture.
Mengniu signed a three-year contract on January 12 with Malaysia
Seagull Group, which will act as Mengniu's sole agent in Malaysia,
where Mengniu hopes to gain a 10 percent market share.
The overseas moves come as the firm holds the top position in
the domestic market. Since 2003, Mengniu has topped China's milk
market for three consecutive years, and its ice-cream market in
2005; it has also been the best seller in the yogurt sector for the
past 15 months.
East and Southeast Asia are Mengniu's target markets, said Bai,
although it has entered the United States and Canada as well.
Although Mengniu is the largest of its kind in exports, "the
overseas market is still a smaller part, only contributing 10
percent to sales - the domestic market will be the biggest thanks
to China's large population," Bai said.
(China Daily January 23, 2007)