Sport Marketing In China, From Sport Promotion To Brand Association

This paper aims to provide a complete analysis of the factors behind the tremendous success of western team sports all over China and subsequently to examine the current trends and the future developments.The starting point will be the study of the Chinese relationship with sports from the origins to the current attitude. A relationship presenting several peculiarities that distinguish it from the western traditional sport culture, and that defines the main consumer target that Western sport entities are now trying to reach.This research will then present the most successful case of a Western sport league penetrating the Chinese market:the case of the American National Basketball Association (NBA). The analysis will apply several relevant marketing concepts and models in order to define the reasons that led to the role played by the NBA in China today:a "marketing machine", an extraordinary platform for International and Chinese brands to enhance their awareness and reputation in China and worldwide.