In yet another move to build a global brand and increase brand awareness in China, Siemens Information and Communication Mobile (Siemens mobile) has today announced a multi-year association with the Chinese national football team, ‘Team China’.

Siemens mobile will be the main official sponsor of seven teams under the Team China umbrella, including both the Men’s and Women’s Chinese National Teams. The contract will grant Siemens extensive branding rights in the stadium, on all official garments and during TV broadcasting.

The contract was signed by Peter Borger, President of Siemens Shanghai Mobile Communications Ltd., Wen Zhong Shao, General Manager of the China Football Industry Development Corp. (CFIDC) and Yan Shiduo, Vice President of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) at the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou.

Adding to its extensive support of international football, Siemens mobile is partnering with Team China, which includes seven football teams: the Men’s Chinese National Team, first-time qualifiers at the FIFA World Cup 2002, the Women’s Chinese National Team, hosts and leading contenders for the Women’s World Cup in 2003, the Men’s Olympic, National Youth and U17 Team, the Chinese Women’s Junior National Team, and the Chinese Women’s Reserve National Team.

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) and Siemens mobile will present a joint logo, to be placed on all official publications, studio backdrops and on the Internet. Siemens mobile will have extensive branding rights on all official garments such as warming up and training kits and on billboards around the football facilities. Siemens mobile will introduce the first camera carpets (3D CAM carpets) in China and will show a giant mid-circle carpet before the matches and at halftime.

The contract also includes extensive TV rights: live coverage of ten Team China matches on China Central TV Station (CCTV) and local TV networks, and twelve matches with delayed broadcast. Siemens mobile will show commercials and inserts on the TV stations, and in addition will advertise the new partnership in major Chinese newspapers, sports magazines and on the Web. Siemens mobile will offer smartphone applications such as information and news, entertainment, communication and commerce.

The partnership will be on display for the first time on February 12, the day after the signing ceremony, when the Men’s Chinese National Team play a friendly match in Guangzhou (China) against the current Football World Champion, the National Team of Brazil. CCTV and 17 local cable network TV channels will cover the match live. During the World Cup 2002 a maximum viewing public of approx. 780 million people in China followed the match China vs. Brazil on TV.

Rudi Lamprecht, member of the managing board of Siemens AG, commented: ‘With China’s brisk mobile subscriber growth rate and the number of mobile users exceeding fixed-line subscribers, this market is key to our worldwide mobile communication business. Brand image and brand awareness are crucial to that success. Linking our brand with the highly reputed Team China and reaching millions of viewers with every match we will substantially increase brand awareness. Already today we are one of China’s top mobile networks’ and mobile phones’ suppliers. The new partnership will help us to grow even further.’

‘Siemens mobile is delighted to be sponsoring the world’s favorite game in the world’s most populous nation. We hope the association can promote Chinese soccer to a new level and support the growing number of promising Chinese soccer players, both men and women,’ added Peter Borger, President of Siemens Shanghai Mobile Communications Ltd. ‘Siemens mobile has 17 sites in China with more than 3,000 employees and therefore enjoys a greater presence in China than any other European telecom company. This partnership matches perfectly.’

Yan Shiduo, Vice President of CFA, welcomed the new sponsors, ‘On behalf of the Chinese Football Association and the millions of Chinese soccer fans around the world, I am delighted to welcome Siemens mobile as our main sponsor. We are particularly happy to have a sponsor with experience and enthusiasm in promoting soccer around the world and we look forward to working closely together in the future to further improve our standing in the international soccer world.’

Siemens mobile’s support for Team China is in line with its strategy of focusing on sports with an international appeal. As partner of Formula One and soccer, Siemens mobile supports the world’s most popular sporting events. Siemens mobile sponsors major European soccer clubs in Germany, England, Italy, France, Greece, Spain and Denmark and is technology partner to the West McLaren Mercedes Team in Formula One.

For further information please contact:

Siemens AG
Information and Communication Mobile
Christina Dinne
T: +49-89 636-53018
F: +49-89 636-53484
E: christina.dinne@siemens.com