If Wimbledon has an irreplaceable foundation of traditional tennis culture, the French Open has a unique romantic clay court, and the US Open has a unique modern urban trend, then the unique characteristics of the Australian Open are the bright sunshine and relaxed atmosphere of the southern hemisphere. atmosphere, and a sports carnival born of tennis. This also makes the Australian Open, which will celebrate its 120th anniversary next year, even more dynamic.
As one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis and the only Grand Slam tournament in the Asia-Pacific region, the Australian Open’s global influence is self-evident. On November 25, Haier and the Australian Open held a signing ceremony at Melbourne Park, officially becoming the official partner of the Australian Open from 2025 to 2027.
As a highly global brand, Haier will bring the most cutting-edge smart home innovations to the scene, allowing tennis fans around the world to enjoy the dual impact of sports competition and smart technology. This also means that the breadth and depth of Chinese companies’ cooperation with the world’s top sports events are expanding.
220 million bonus, it is inevitable for Chinese companies to attack the Australian Open
The four major tennis tournaments with huge commercial value have always been strategic highlands for foreign brands. Objectively speaking, this is closely related to geography, tennis audience base and brand strength. However, just as tennis has moved from the back garden of the palace to the professional court, and from a purely aristocratic sport to the public eye, the progress and development of the times will eventually defeat pride and prejudice.
Behind the breakthrough of Chinese companies is the rise of the Chinese market. For the Australian Open, which is based in the Asia-Pacific region, it is naturally particularly keen. Since 2012, the Australian Open has held Asia-Pacific Wild Card Tournaments, most of which have been held in China, which has greatly enhanced the Australian Open’s popularity and influence in the Asia-Pacific region. According to statistics from Tennis Australia, two-thirds of the 330 million tennis fans in China are supporters of the Australian Open. In 2024, the Chinese TV audience of the Australian Open will double year-on-year.
It is undisputed that the Australian Open is also an excellent world-class platform. During the 14-day Australian Open schedule every year, audiences from nearly 150 countries and regions around the world come to watch the game, and nearly 200 media broadcast it around the world. In 2024, the number of admissions to the Australian Open reached another record high of 1.1 million, and it was mentioned 651,000 times by global media.
It can be said that it is a natural progression for Chinese enterprises to join hands with the Australian Open. The Chinese companies’ attack on the Australian Open is no longer a unilateral move, but a matter of synchronicity. For example, Baisuishan, which has been the official drinking water brand of the Australian Open for five consecutive years, and Luzhou Laojiao, which sponsored the Australian Open as a “quasi-partner” and named the “1573 Stadium”, will become the official partner of the Australian Open in the next three years. The first home appliance brand Haier, etc.
Innovation and excellence, the first brand and top events win-win
The 2025 Australian Open marks the historic 120th anniversary, which also makes the official selection of partners quite picky. Roddy Campbell, Director of Partners and International Business of Tennis Australia, has previously stated that he expects to establish partnerships with five Chinese brands, and “we value their localization and enhancing the brand’s influence in the region more than capital investment. the role it plays”.
Why Haier? On the one hand, its entrepreneurial spirit of pursuing innovation and excellence is highly consistent with the spirit of tennis; on the other hand, as a Fortune 500 company and the world’s No. 1 home appliance brand, Haier’s brand influence is unparalleled. Because of this, the two parties joining hands are not only a strong commercial cooperation, but also a “two-way achievement” of world-class brands and world-class events.
As the Australian Open official stated, we look forward to Haier, which is known for its high quality and forward-looking technology, to bring fans a richer viewing experience and inject new vitality into the event. In this regard, Haier is also “precious and precious”. In the previous two consecutive years of cooperation with the French Open, Haier set up a brand display area on site to allow users to have an in-depth understanding and experience of Haier’s smart life solutions. This year, Haier, as the exclusive home appliance partner of China Open, established the “Haier” brand interactive area, which also attracted fans’ praise for its novelty.
It is reported that Haier, which is joining hands with the Australian Open this time and is celebrating its 40th anniversary, will deeply integrate advanced technology and sports passion through online and offline activities to bring a refreshing viewing experience and smart life surprises to tennis fans around the world. In addition, Haier’s international high-end image and global brand channel can further help the event expand its popularity.
It is foreseeable that this cooperation will not only help the dual brands of Haier and Fisher & Paykel to further consolidate their leading positions in the Australian and New Zealand markets, but also comprehensively enhance the influence of the Australian Open in the Chinese market.
Accelerate globalization and consolidate global market leadership based on users
When it comes to event cooperation, many brands focus on “sports marketing.” In fact, only established brands need to engage in sports marketing. As a global brand that has “go out, go in, and go up”, Haier aims to accelerate the globalization process through the influence of top events.
Since Haier became the official partner of the French Open and ATP in 2023, its overall brand awareness in Europe has been greatly improved, and sales in many European countries have also achieved growth against the trend. This year, Haier has successively cooperated in depth with world-class events such as the French Open and China Open. Last week, Haier also appeared as an official partner of the 2024 Davis Cup Tennis Championships. In 2025, in addition to the Australian Open, Haier will also join hands with a series of top events such as the Madrid Open, Rolex Masters and Nitto ATP Finals. Close cooperation with world-class tennis events is the “key” for Haier to deeply expand its globalization.
Based on its long-term global independent brand exploration and global market leadership, Haier can create a high-quality and beautiful life for global users. Today, Haier has entered more than 200 countries and regions in the world and has achieved leadership in many countries and regions. In Australia and New Zealand, the dual brands of Haier and Fisher & Paykel rank first in market share; in the United States, GE Appliances has become the leading local home appliance company; in Europe, Haier has led the market growth for eight consecutive years; in Japan, the dual brands of Haier and AQUA are cold and comprehensive. Ranking first in terms of market share; in Pakistan, Haier has ranked first in the industry in terms of market share for 11 consecutive years. In addition to leading the global region, Haier is also the world’s number one brand in the large home appliance industry, winning the title for 15 consecutive years.
From being a refrigerator factory, to being the first Chinese home appliance company to go global and creating a brand, to achieving global market leadership, Haier relies on localized innovation that is always based on user needs.
Take the Australian market as an example. As the Australian government announces the implementation of a low-carbon environmental protection strategy in 2023, “energy-saving” home appliances have become an urgent need. Haier’s 8-star energy-efficient high-end BM refrigerator, which is the most energy-efficient in the industry listed in Australia, not only meets users’ daily cold and fresh needs, but is also 59.9% less energy efficient than ordinary refrigerators in the local market, allowing users to save about 100 Australian dollars in electricity bills every year. This also allowed the refrigerator to quickly seize the C position in the channel after it was launched. In July, it boosted the annual cumulative market share of Haier brand BM to 18%, an increase of 5 points.
In the European market, affected by the energy crisis, the need for energy conservation is equally urgent. Haier Langjing X11 series washing machines are 60% more energy-saving than the European Class A energy efficiency standards, making them the world’s most energy-saving washing machines certified by Germany’s VDE. This series of products has achieved instant sales in Poland, France and other places. The price index of washing machines is as high as 275, and the price index of all-in-one washing and drying machines is as high as 325, becoming a hot product in the high-end market. In Southeast Asia, which is hot and humid and rainy, air conditioners are used very frequently, and regular cleaning of air conditioners is expensive. For this purpose, Haier has launched an air conditioner that can “take a shower”, which can complete self-cleaning of the air conditioner with one click, which not only ensures health but also saves money for local families. This has also enabled Haier air conditioners to rank first in market share in Thailand for four consecutive years.
When the world’s top brands collide with the world’s top events, there will be an amplification effect of “1+1>2”. For a brand, what is important is not just temporary glory, but also serving the lives of users around the world. From the French Open, China Open to the Australian Open, what Haier pursues is to have global users deeply understand and recognize this brand, and also to allow global users to enjoy a higher-end smart and beautiful life through Haier.
We should be proud that a company with such a pattern comes from China.
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How does Haier’s sponsorship of the Australian Open contribute to its overall brand strategy and differentiation in the competitive global appliance market?
Here are some open-ended questions that encourage discussion and diverse viewpoints, divided into thematic sections based on the article about Haier and the Australian Open:
**Section 1: The Rising Influence of the Australian Open in Asia**
* The article highlights the Australian Open’s growing popularity in China. What factors do you think are driving this surge in interest?
* Beyond brand sponsorships like Haier’s, what other strategies could the Australian Open use to further strengthen its presence in Asia?
* Considering the cultural differences between Australia and Asia, what are some of the unique challenges and opportunities the Australian Open faces when expanding its reach in the region?
**Section 2: The Strategic Alignment of Haier and the Australian Open**
* Why do you think Haier chose to partner with the Australian Open? What are the specific benefits Haier hopes to gain from this partnership?
* Haier is described as pursuing “innovation and excellence.” How does this align with the values of the Australian Open, and how might this partnership demonstrate those values?
* How might Haier leverage this partnership to differentiate itself from its competitors who might also be targeting the same consumer base?
**Section 3: The Globalization of Chinese Brands**
* The article mentions Haier’s global expansion strategy and its focus on user needs. How has Haier adapted its products and marketing strategies to different cultural contexts?
* Do you think Chinese brands are facing unique challenges or opportunities in their quest for global recognition?
* What are some of the success factors behind Haier’s rise to become the world’s number one brand in the home appliance industry?
* Can the success of Haier serve as a model for other Chinese companies seeking to expand globally?
**Section 4: Sports Marketing and Brand Building**
* How effective do you think sports marketing is in building brand awareness and consumer loyalty? What are its advantages and disadvantages compared to other marketing approaches?
* What are some examples of other successful partnerships between brands and major sporting events? What lessons can be learned from these partnerships?
* Can you think of any potential risks or drawbacks associated with aligning a brand with a specific sporting event or organization?
**Section 5: The Future of Haier and the Australian Open**
* What are your predictions for the future of the relationship between Haier and the Australian Open?
* How can this partnership evolve to create mutually beneficial outcomes for both parties?
* What impact do you think this partnership will have on the overall growth and development of the tennis industry?
I hope these questions spark engaging and insightful conversations about the multifaceted relationship between Haier, the Australian Open, and the broader context of globalization and brand building.
