AFCB link up with M88 and seek an Asian connection

I was lucky enough to be given the full press release by M88 direct to my email box for the new AFCB club kit, so I just in case you didn't get the full impact of what the new kit is going to be like, here is a quick summary and a few of my thoughts on the marketing deal.

AFCB's new look home kit with M88 logo on display - font and centre!

M88 has announced a two-year partnership as the official shirt sponsor of AFC Bournemouth. The Asian market has become the Premier League’s highest spending region in terms of media rights, with 63 per cent of the Asian population following the Premier League. M88’s partnership with AFC Bournemouth allows the brand to bring football fans and customers in Asia closer to the club, with the creation of exclusive content and access.

Cherries boss Eddie Howe said: “It is probably one of the biggest changes at the club in recent seasons, and the amount of international exposure that AFC Bournemouth is getting is integral for the growth of the club. 

My thoughts, well the aim in certainly two-fold in that by having a sponsor that can give the best value to the club and a sponsor that will improve the Asian supporter side of the club. This second factor is the big one to grow the club in another market where it feels there is more capacity to grow the AFCB brand. Which parts of Asia will be targeted has not been made clear but there is growing football fans of the Premier League in India, China, Japan and many Southeast Asian countries.

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In the last few years we have seen the club build contacts in North America, but this is clearly now the time when the club wants to not just appeal to English speaking fans in the USA, but is seeking wider appeal. You can expect that a tour to an Asian country may be something we see in the future.

My interest though will be to see if the club also looks to find players from Asia when it does look into these markets further. I am sure the club will also be keeping its eye on developments in Europe, North America and Africa, but by selecting Asia as a market it has to appeal to now it is plumping for probably the biggest market that is not fully tapped and perhaps AFCB can make ground on some of the bigger Premier League clubs by making connections in this region before maybe looking more closely at Africa where football is of course already massively followed.

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