For ambitious Asian brands, going global without sport is like trying to win a match without turning up on the pitch. It sounds dramatic, but in today’s climate, it’s not far off.
Growth at home is slowing. Competition is fierce and expanding into new markets isn’t a ‘nice to have’ but a survival. Yet too many brands still treat international marketing as a brand parade. Glossy. Expensive. Lacking actual impact.
The truth is: going global means thinking local. Take Aiper as an example. When Aiper entered Australia, global sponsorship staples like the Australian Open or F1 were strong considerations. But our data told us otherwise and cricket and the Sydney Sixers offered deeper cultural resonance as a summer sport. It wasn't the obvious choice but the right one for the brand. Cricket resonated more deeply, tied into summer rituals, and made Aiper feel like part of the culture and not just a new name on the shelf. Today, they’re the number one pool cleaner in the market.
Going global isn’t about turning up louder but showing you belong.
While everyone's "into" gaming, few know what to do with it
Everyone claims to “get” gaming. Most don’t know how to use it. Esports is a core part of the core media ecosystem.
According to the our 2025 Gaming Trends Report, gamers are more welcoming of brand integrations than traditional media audiences. And the average gamer is not a 17-year-old teenager but a 37-year-old. These consumers aren’t hiding in basements but culturally fluent, brand-aware, and increasingly influential. They’re also open to branded content and yet less than 5% of global ad spend is going into gaming.
Yet, most brand activations in esports still default to logo placement or generic highlight reels. This is lazy marketing and a missed opportunity to build real affinity through relevance. After all, 84% of gamers and 68% of the general population feel more positively about brands that expand into gaming, and yet less than 5% of global ad spend taps into it.
Speak the fans’ language, play by their rules and your brand becomes part of the game.
Global rights won’t get you local love, only a local hero will
To win hearts, you need faces – local ones. Western brands often enter Asia by leveraging global sports partnerships secured by HQ. That’s a start – but it’s not enough. In markets like Japan and China, national pride runs deep.
When Shohei Ohtani joined the LA Dodgers, a wave of Japanese brands followed. They didn’t just ride the wave but cemented their presence on a global stage through a local hero. Today, half of his 20 sponsors are Japanese.
More recently, when China’s 20-year-old Yang Hansen was drafted into the NBA by Portland, he became a breakout media story overnight, triggering interest from many brands. It isn’t just a sports story; we’re witnessing a cultural moment. If you want emotional relevance, invest in the athletes that fans care about. Brands that back their heroes win trust, affinity and long-term resonance.
For Western brands entering Asia, the smartest route is often through hometown pride.
Sponsorship isn’t art for art’s sake. It has to sell.
Let’s be honest: many agencies treat sports marketing like a vanity project—big logos and cool edits with no product clarity. In a tightening economy, where every dollar needs accountability, this is no longer acceptable.
Sponsorship must elevate the brand and drive commercial outcomes.
When we supported OPPO’s UEFA Champions League campaign, we didn’t just film something beautiful. We developed a narrative centred on OPPO’s AI camera technology. We didn’t just show fans what the product could do; we told it through the eyes of a young fan chasing rising star Lamine Yamal. The story celebrated fandom and stardom, but the product was the hero.
A beautiful story that doesn’t convert is just a waste of budget. Tell a tale that fans can relate to, paired with a product they'll remember.
If your sponsorship strategy still ignores new sports, you’re already behind.
Padel, pickleball, CrossFit, Hyrox (a new endurance fitness race format) – call them niche if you want, but these “emerging” sports are building massive fan economies. Pickleball alone has generated 1.9 billion exposures across Asia, with triple-digit growth in India and China. Padel is now played by more than 25 million globally.
These aren’t fads. They’re cultural movements. Brands that only focus on legacy sports will miss the next generation of fans.
We’ve seen forward-thinking brands jump in early. Jenius Bank used Pickleball to connect with young and passionate audiences, proving that boutique sports can be a powerful launchpad for Asian brands.
Emerging sports offer more than novelty – they offer community, authenticity and cut-through. Get in early, show up authentically, and your brand becomes a genuine part of the culture.
Echo Li is the global chief commercial officer at Dentsu Sports International.
