David Beckham joins Alibaba as global brand ambassador for AliExpress
What's the story
Alibaba Group Holding's popular global shopping platform, AliExpress, has announced a one-year partnership with English football legend David Beckham.
As part of its strategy to strengthen its international business amidst rising competition from PDD Holdings's Temu, the Chinese e-commerce giant has tapped Beckham as its global brand ambassador.
The former footballer will be featured in a series of promotional campaigns across various media platforms including television, internet, and social media.
Campaign launch
Beckham's promotional campaign to kick off Euro 2024
Beckham's promotional campaign for AliExpress will commence with television commercials during the European Football Championship, Euro 2024, starting on June 14.
Notably, AliExpress is a sponsor of this year's event. The campaign will include a giveaway amounting to millions of euros worth of coupons and free tickets to matches.
This move comes in response to fierce rival Temu's advertising spree during the last two Super Bowl games, known for their high ad placement costs.
European focus
Beckham's role in AliExpress's European market strategy
Gary Topp, the European commercial director at AliExpress, stated that their partnership with Beckham "makes a lot of sense" as he "is a global sports and lifestyle icon" and "will help AliExpress users get closer to the action throughout the tournament."
Europe is a crucial target for Alibaba's e-commerce segment, which presently provides five-day online-shopping delivery in France, Germany, and Portugal, among others.
Moreover, the European Championship is one of the world's most viewed football tournaments after the World Cup.
Market expansion
AliExpress's growth and expansion in international markets
AliExpress has played a significant role in driving Alibaba's e-commerce business growth.
The platform's revenue surged by 45% in the March quarter to reach 27.4B yuan (US$3.81B), largely driven by its premium service Choice.
Combined orders on Alibaba's international marketplaces rose by 20% year on year in the same quarter.
In addition to Beckham, in April, AliExpress signed Chinese actor Tang Wei (Decision to Leave) as its regional brand endorser for South Korea's rapidly growing e-commerce market.