Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce behemoth, is stepping up its efforts to increase its international reach by naming English football player David Beckham as the global brand ambassador for its shopping platform, AliExpress.
David Beckham, AliExpress Global Brand Ambassador
Commercials featuring Beckham will air during the 2024 European Football Championship (Euro 2024), which begins on June 14. The campaigns will span television, the internet, social media, and traditional media as part of a year-long partnership announced on Monday, May 27.
According to Gary Topp, AliExpress's European commercial director, the company's association with Beckham is a clear strategic move since the sports and lifestyle star is well-known worldwide and will bring AliExpress consumers closer to the action during the tournament.
AliExpress sponsors the Euro 2024 tournament. South China Morning Post reports that the promotion will include free match tickets and voucher giveaways valued at millions of euros.
After the World Cup, the European Championship's four-year cycle is the most watched football competition. Reportedly, 5.2 billion worldwide views were gathered throughout live matches of Euro 2020.
AliExpress Facing Competition From Temu
AliExpress has greatly impacted Alibaba's e-commerce business. Based on the most recent financial statement, the site's premium service Choice was the main driver of a 45% spike in revenue to 27.4 billion yuan (US$3.81 billion) in the March quarter. The research revealed a 20% increase in quarterly orders on Alibaba's overseas marketplaces.
Temu, a company that belongs to PDD Holdings, is increasing its competition with AliExpress.
Last year, Temu entered the European market, introducing a diverse range of affordable merchandise to countries such as France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Europe is also one of Alibaba's key e-commerce target markets. Aside from the United States, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia, the firm now provides five-day online shopping delivery in Germany, France, and Portugal using Alibaba's smart logistics network, Cainiao.
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