The German Bundesliga football season kicked off this weekend, and this season sees a number of China’s leading solar energy companies using the Bundesliga to take their brands to the lucrative European market.
The German market for solar panels represents a big prize for many of China’s burgeoning solar companies. German homeowners spent about US$6.7 billion on solar panels in 2010 according to recent reports, so it’s no surprise that the battle is intensifying. Interestingly, the marketing platform that has been chosen to play out this fight for market share in the lucrative German market is the Bundesliga football league. Major solar companies are queuing up to endorse German football teams, where could be better to win the hearts of German football fans, and more importantly homeowners?
Solar technology presents a great new opportunity for Chinese companies on two levels. Firstly in terms of moving up the value chain to prove themselves as leaders in the field of green technology, and secondly, to overcome the traditional weakness of poor branding and marketing of their products when ‘going out’ into overseas markets, in this case Germany. Competing with established local German companies such as Q-Cells and Solarworld AG will at last present the Chinese as brand owners, rather than just manufacturers. This tells us that these large Chinese solar companies are learning the branding game, and the move to endorse German football, is taking the battle right into German households.
This is not a case of just one Chinese solar brand choosing the Bundesliga to reach the German market, but of many solar companies piling into the Bundesliga to get their brands known. No less than seven global companies have chosen to align themselves with different Bundesliga teams, in a copycat marketing push that will make Germany the centre of the European solar energy battle.
Suntech Power Holdings Co., based in Wuxi has recently signed a three year sponsorship deal with 1899 Hoffenheim, the team that won promotion to the to the Bundesliga last season. Suntech already exports about a fourth of its products to Europe, with Germany being the leading market.
Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. from Baoding will back Bayern Munich this season. Some football fans with recall Yingli from their bold stadium banner advertising at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Jinko Solar Holding Co. from Shangrao will place banner ads at the stadium of Bayern Leverkusen over the next three years.
Shanghai Chaori Solar Energy Science & Technology Co. has signed an agreement with FC Schalke to advertise at games and have players endorse their products.
Meanwhile, Q-Cells, the biggest German solar cell maker, sponsor the reigning champions Borussia Dortmund, whilst Bonn-based Solarworld AG backs Cologne.
The battle lines have been drawn in this unprecedented race to win share of the German solar energy market. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top in the Bundesliga the season, both off the pitch as well as on it.