of the shirt is important for awareness,
and actually being able to use the club
as a brand ambassador brings so many
benefits. For us, working with the
Phoenix ticked a lot of boxes.”
The other big opportunity for Huawei
has been the creation of a business
network. “It’s still in its early days,”
Andrew notes, “but we see it as a
critical way forward for both the club
and ourselves as an enterprise business.
It’s really about bringing other
companies that are related to the club
together in a social environment. We’ve
got that common interest which is the
universal language of football and we
are looking to build this network of
businesses that are involved or
interested in that. It’s about opening
doors and connecting people up. There
are a lot of big New Zealand companies
involved with the Phoenix and it was
sort of a lightbulb moment when we
decided that, as well as watching
football, we should be doing business
together. That’s a big part of where
we’re taking the journey now.”Furthermore, the Capital Cup has
presented a chance for Huawei to
showcase the global possibilities that
can come out of a relationship with
China, not only in sport but also in
business, government, tourism,
education and the arts. “China is flying
forward in terms of development, and
being able to connect with that by
opening up the doors between New
Zealand and China, is extremely
valuable,” Andrew says. “It puts us right
in the middle of the relationship.”Singapore Airlines also has ties with the
Phoenix. Earlier this year a marketing
collaboration was formed to help raise
the airline’s profile in the region and to
coincide with a new flight path between
Singapore and Wellington via Canberra,
which connected all three cities for the
first time. Simon Turcotte, General
Manager for Singapore Airlines in NewZealand, says that since starting
services to the country forty years ago,
the company has been committed to
investing and engaging with the local
community. “The Phoenix has strong
community links, an incredibly loyal fan
base, and it is well known and loved by
a wide cross section of Wellington-ians
and Kiwis, nationally. The club’s
connection to Australia via the
A-League also resonates with us.“Professional sports teams understand
the value of marketing collaborations
and they’re set up to deliver value for
partners. Fans come from all walks of
life, connected by a shared passion for
the game and the team. Teams travel to
play and fans travel to support them,
which makes collaborations a natural
fit for businesses in the travel industry,
as well as for global companies.”Events such as the Capital Cup are
clearly proving that partnerships
between countries and businesses, and
using sport as the middle ground, can
create ample opportunities. After the
success of the inaugural game in Beijing
on 27 July, the benefits look set to
continue with confirmation that the
Capital Cup will return next year, to be
hosted by Wellington on 14 February.EVENT“Football is a game that is developing in China as well as in New
Zealand. It’s an easy way to build a relationship that’s not overly
influenced by size or numbers. It’s sort of like a mutually-agreeable
place, the football field.”- Rob Morrison, Chairman, Wellington Phoenix
Zhang Jiandong (left) and Celia Wade-Brown kick the ball to signal the start of the inaugural Capital Cup. Celia Wade-Brown meets some young football fans.Fast fact
While in Beijing, the
Wellington Phoenix did
more than just play football.
They ran coaching clinics,
did school visits, and took
in some of the cultural
aspects of China’s
capital city.