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Alibaba's Global Arm Appoints David Beckham as International E-commerce Brand Ambassador.
David Beckham is named the international brand ambassador for Alibaba's global arm, AliExpress. AliExpress has joined other Chinese corporations in sponsoring the UEFA European Soccer Championship. AliExpress intends to invest millions of euros in discounts and promotions throughout the games.
The news was made on Monday, and it represents AliExpress' greatest global brand ambassador engagement to date.
This collaboration comes at a time when Chinese rivals like PDD Holdings and Shein are aggressively extending their global footprint. PDD Holdings even ran ads during the Super Bowl to gain momentum with US clients. AliExpress hopes to keep ahead of the competition by leveraging Beckham's star power.
While the actual amount Beckham will be paid for his role as global brand ambassador has yet to be released, AliExpress has joined numerous Chinese corporations in sponsoring the UEFA European football championship, which begins in mid-June. AliExpress intends to spend millions of euros on discounts, offers, and participation during the games. They will also give app users the opportunity to win tickets to the matches.
Beckham's company, DRJB Holdings, generated a revenue of £72.6 million ($92.5 million) in 2022. Meanwhile, Alibaba's international e-commerce division, which includes AliExpress, is branded as Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group.
In the first three months of 2024, the foreign unit's revenues increased by 45% year on year to 27.45 billion yuan ($3.79 billion). In comparison, income from China-focused Taobao and Tmall Group increased by only 4% over the same period, totaling 93.22 billion yuan.
However, the international business segment reported higher losses of 4.1 billion yuan, compared to 2.2 billion yuan the prior year. This might be linked to the company's strong investments in emerging markets, particularly the Middle East.
AliExpress has been actively growing its presence in many nations. In 2022, they invested almost $7 million in South Korea to recruit local consumers with competitive product prices. They also appointed actor Don Lee as their first brand ambassador in South Korea.
Alibaba-affiliate Chinese sponsors of the UEFA Euro 2024 include Alipay, electric car firm BYD, home appliance brand Hisense, and smartphone business Vivo. Hisense became the first Chinese sponsor of the European Championship in 2016, and three other Chinese companies have since followed suit.
David Beckham becomes the international brand ambassador for Alibaba's global arm, AliExpress.
AliExpress joins other Chinese companies in sponsoring the UEFA European soccer championship.
AliExpress plans to invest millions of Euros in discounts and promotions during the games.
Source: CNBC