Made in China makes it to the World Cup! The Instrumentation Industry Shares in the Golden Opportunity (Brand Section)

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　　The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicks off tonight, and football fans around the world will once again indulge in this quadrennial celebration. As in previous years, the national football team failed to qualify for the World Cup finals once again; yet another \"Chinese team\" has quietly stepped onto the stage of the World Cup. From the World Cup mascots, the flags of the participating countries, and the fans’ uniforms, to the HVAC systems in the stadiums, the elevators in the arenas, and the crayfish from Hubei… this “Chinese team” seems to be involved in every aspect of this World Cup. http://www.jiweimeter.com/uploads/image/20180614/1528966617.jpg 　Regarding this, an article in the British Guardian states that fans who go to watch the World Cup this summer will be using Chinese televisions, Chinese smartphones, Chinese electric scooters, and consuming Chinese dairy products. Bai Yansong, a well-known host on CCTV, even joked that apart from the football team, China sent representatives to every other aspect of the World Cup in Russia. “The group of teams made in China that made it to the Russia World Cup ensured that Chinese elements were highly visible at the tournament. “\"Breaking out of Asia and going global\" – Chinese enterprises have already achieved this. So what does this World Cup gold rush mean for Chinese companies, and what opportunities can the instrumentation industry take advantage of? 　　“The battle for brands intensifies; Chinese sponsors make a strong presence felt. As the most highly watched sporting event in the world, the World Cup has always been a competitive target for companies around the globe. Before the competition even begins, the battle for brands is already raging around the world. Following the great success of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, more and more Chinese companies began to view participation in international competitions as an important way to expand their operations overseas, and the World Cup is naturally a prime opportunity not to be missed. 　　Undoubtedly, the most brand-influential entities at the World Cup are the sponsors. FIFA categorizes sponsors into three levels: Global Partners, World Cup Sponsors, and adjusted World Cup Regional Support Partners. Wanda Group is among the global partners, while Mengniu, vivo, and Hisense have become sponsors of the World Cup; Yadea Group and Dipai Group serve as regional support partners. Regardless of the level of sponsorship, companies can associate their products, services, and brands with the World Cup events, thereby gaining immeasurable economic benefits and brand advantages. 　　Brand marketing is essential; instrument and meter companies can act according to their capabilities. Whether it’s instrument and meter companies or businesses in other industries, everyone surely aspires to make a presence at such international events, and even to promote their products and brands under the title of \"World Cup sponsor\" after the events conclude. However, being a World Cup sponsor is not easy; substantial financial resources are the most basic requirement. It should be noted that global partnership sponsorship fees amount to at least 120 million dollars, World Cup sponsors have to spend 68 million dollars, while regional support partners require at least 21.25 million dollars. Such a large investment is undoubtedly an astronomical amount for the vast majority of instrument and meter manufacturers, yet there are still companies that rush to sponsor the World Cup even at the cost of incurring losses. 　　Today, many instrument and meter manufacturers are taking advantage of the momentum brought by “Made in China 2025” to venture into the global economy. A brand’s expansion overseas is often the first step for a company to enter the international market, and it is also one of the key factors determining whether it can capture markets in other countries. However, traditional businesses’ approach to operations rarely gives importance to brand building and promotion, considering marketing tactics such as corporate sponsorship and brand partnerships to be a waste of money, as they are not as effective as simply advertising the products. In fact, with changes in communication methods and the emergence of new media, there are various ways to conduct brand marketing, and sponsoring major events is one of them. 　　Although instrumentation companies generally do not have enough resources to secure sponsorship for international events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, they can certainly sponsor local regional competitions, exhibitions, academic conferences, and other similar events. For example, foreign companies such as Shimadzu, PerkinElmer, and Thermo Fisher often sponsor domestic exhibitions and competitions related to instruments and meters. When it comes to football, Shimadzu also has its own football team, which often organizes football matches within the industry. Since its establishment in 1991, this team has quietly become a cultural force, giving rise to Shimadzu Corporation’s unique football diplomacy. This inevitably brings to mind a major event in our country’s diplomatic history—the \"Ping-Pong Diplomacy\" of the 1970s. With the World Cup approaching, it’s interesting to wonder if any instrumentation companies will organize football matches during this time in order to take advantage of the World Cup’s popularity. 　　However, each instrumentation company is different, with varying levels of strength; therefore, when carrying out brand marketing, it is necessary to act according to one’s capabilities. Previously, one company continued to sponsor the World Cup despite incurring losses, only to experience a decline after a brief period of success. It is not impossible to turn things around by sponsoring the World Cup, but the pressure associated with such a high-stakes gamble is undoubtedly enormous; failing to do so would only make things worse. This is exactly what the next article will tell instrumentation companies: it’s not enough to make a strong presence at the World Cup; what truly counts as successful marketing is maintaining that presence. 　　From \"Made in China\" to \"Created in China\", an increasing number of Chinese brands are now synonymous with high quality. For the thousands of instrument manufacturers in this industry, focusing on innovation, paying attention to details to drive development, and building brand value are ongoing processes. By firmly upholding the concepts and beliefs of independent innovation, innovative differentiation, and sustained innovation, by overcoming difficulties and persevering over time, the path toward building a ** brand will surely become broader and broader.