Because of the daily social pursuits of the United States as a whole, it’s all too easy to forget why the Internet was dubbed the World Wide Web. Twitter has become a routine to most of us, keeping our fingers and phones on standby, ready to socially shout at a moment’s notice.
In fact, the US represents 24.3 percent of Twitter’s monthly active users, with Japan coming in second at just 9.3 percent. As for China, they don’t even break the top 10 because they have their own reigning social sites.
China’s biggest microblog platform is Sina Weibo. So for a sports team (or any company for that matter) looking to expand globally, it makes sense to utilize a locally popular social site.
Accordingly, the Denver Nuggets have opened a Sina Weibo account. And for a company (the NBA) looking to grow as a global entity, this makes perfect sense.
Sina What?
Sina Weibo. Actually, the company has decided to drop the “Sina” leaving just “Weibo”, which literally means “Microblog”.
But putting it in terms we can all understand, Weibo is just like Twitter. Users can simply log on and post pictures, links, and the latest blurbs about their lunches, or whatever else may be important to them. For instance, the Nuggets are planning to post game information, behind the scenes photos, and other team related information to the social platform.
Other users can then choose to “forward,” “collect,” and “comment” on their chosen…err…Weibs?
The importance here is to understand that major brands (like the Nuggets) are not going to properly reach China as a target market by using Twitter. And while government censorship may be cutting down on Weibo’s number of users, there is still a hefty market size of 280.8 million users and 100 million messages posted daily.
From a marketing standpoint, this is a great way for a team like the Nuggets to introduce themselves to potential fans in China.
NBA Will Take Its Success Abroad
It’s been happening for a while now: the gradual expansion of a successful NBA league. Through games abroad and programs like NBA Cares and Basketball Without Borders, the NBA has started to tap potential markets outside of the United States.
One of the major factors in this expansion was Yao Ming acting almost as a spokesperson between basketball and China. Of course, David Stern played a major role in European expansion as well.
Expanding abroad has become less a question of if and more a question of when. Even a league as successful as the NBA doesn’t have the ability to place a few new teams in China like pop-up shops.
This is where the Denver Nuggets come in. By creating a Weibo account, it allows the team to slowly introduce itself to China – a basketball-hungry country. It allows fans abroad to learn about what an NBA team has to offer though social experiences.
It’s especially crucial for the Nuggets and other relatively small market teams to introduce themselves. Star power has been important in the introduction of the NBA as a whole. Once again, we can look at Yao Ming as a prime example.
The Chinese seem to be hungry for stars like Kobe Bryant too, even when he’s hurt. So going back to smaller market teams like Denver, the Nuggets are going to need all the help they can get to make themselves popular overseas.
Social media accounts are a proper first step for the NBA expansion process, as long as other teams follow suit (which they should). Look at it this way: by opening Weibo accounts first, the Nuggets are shaking hands (or bowing) in regards to the Chinese.
Essentially, Weibo will help NBA teams to build rapport in China.
The Future Looks Bright
In all actuality, China is the NBA’s second largest market. Expansion in this area makes sense because like the NBA, China seems to be fashion conscious. So not only do the Chinese enjoy the sport, they enjoy NBA related products as well – shoes, jerseys, and other fashionable items that the NBA is known for providing.
It’s not just about the fashion, however. The game of basketball is genuinely enjoyed in China. By targeting the youth in China, the NBA is able to build a love for the game – even the league itself. And of course, Weibo is helping to reach that young market.
A lot of the NBA China movement is about the league getting their cards in order. A move abroad means that TV rights, merchandise, and sponsorships must be discussed and aligned. After all, the league is highly marketable.
Weibo has the ability to open doors for NBA teams like the Nuggets. It makes them available to the public while thousands of complicated details are discussed.
An important question to ask is this: Why wait? The future for the NBA in China looks promising. The Nuggets are essentially looking forward and being proactive. There is no reason to wait until T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted to introduce a team abroad.
Even as we speak, Chinese fans are a potential market for the Nuggets themselves, especially when considering NBA League Pass and its availability in China. What’s more, Aaron Brooks and Wilson Chandler – two current Nuggets players – played professionally in China during 2011-2012.
Weibo is a channel for fans to further explore the careers of those two players. It’s almost as if Brooks and Chandler are helping to introduce fans to the Nuggets.
While there may not be a Chinese NBA “home team”, other portions of the brand are thriving abroad. Weibo and NBA League Pass are giving China a taste of what is possible, even more so now that the Nuggets have a Weibo account.
David Shoemaker, current head of NBA China, explained this digital push into the country:
“Then you turn to the digital business, where the NBA is routinely breaking records with two portals, Sina.com and QQ.com. It makes a lot of money. Very valuable business. It has potential to make many multiples more. Our partner on League Pass is the Shanghai Media Group. It’s only a couple of years old. But it’s something we believe has an extraordinarily bright future, given the projections of the Chinese middle class and disposable income tied to the popularity of NBA basketball in China. We’ve got a merchandise business, where NBA merchandise is available at over 25,000 points of sale. Our on-court apparel is in over 2,200 adidas stores in China. We also have our own NBAstore.com here in China. We believe that’s an integral part of our strategy here in China.”
In the short term, the Nuggets will continue “Weiboing”, making themselves publicly available in China, and helping the NBA to capitalize on revenue streams. Because of Weibo, the NBA hype in China will continue to build while business intricacies are worked out.
But the idea here is that the Nuggets are a forward-thinking bunch that other teams should take notes from. When it comes to NBA business, it’s not so much about the now but rather about the future.
And because of their investment in the future, the Nuggets will be known the next time they step on a court in China. Fans will be wearing their jerseys and chanting their names; the business gears will turn. It’s only a matter of time…