April 4 – Manchester United fans in China will be able to apply for a club branded credit card as part of a new sponsorship agreement with Chinese banking group, PingAn Bank.
The multi-year partnership will offer Chinese fans of the club a range of Manchester United-branded financial services products. The club says it has 100 million-plus Chinese followers.
Brand marketing in China will be focussed on events and appearances from Manchester United legends and former players in cities across China; Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. The club pre-season toured in China in 2016 but in 2017 was in the US pre-season and will return there again this summer.
While not having access to the first team, Chinese fans will have access to unique club rewards, benefits and experiences – communicated through the club’s website and social media channels.
Manchester United’s Group Managing Director, Richard Arnold said: “With more Manchester United followers in China than anywhere else in the world, it is really important for us to be able to engage and communicate with our loyal Chinese fans, in what is a significant region for the club.”
PingAn emphasised that this was the start of the partnership and that immersion with the Man Utd brand would be the key to its success.
PingAn Executive Vice-President of PingAn Bank Credit Card Centre, Yu Ruzhong, said: “Manchester United have a large number of fans in China, being one of the top football clubs worldwide. Contributing to the bond between the club and fans, PingAn Bank will continue diverse services and explore cross-over collaboration with Manchester United to create a unique experience for the fans. The Manchester United credit card launch will be the very first step of our partnership and we will offer more products and engagement experience to fans in China in the future.”
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