The Rockets continue to make "considerable efforts to grow their relationship -- and the NBA's -- with China," according to Jonathan Feigen of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. The Rockets typically have "five or six major partnerships with companies based in China and several more multinational companies seeking to expand their brand in China." Several other companies, including China-based Peak and ZTE, became Rockets sponsors and "moved on to be major NBA sponsors." Rockets CEO Tad Brown said, "It's a significant component of our marketing mix, and it's an opportunity we've been able to develop over the years with a real strategic focus on building that end of our business." Feigen noted that is only possible because of the Rockets' "enduring popularity throughout China." This week's preseason trip to Shanghai and Beijing is "their fourth to greater China." The Rockets recently added Sunshine Rogers as Dir of Strategic Development/China to "concentrate entirely on marketing and business relationship in China, the only such position in the NBA." Brown: "It's part of our responsibility to what [Rockets Owner Leslie] Alexander set as a goal of ours, to be the most popular team in the world. ... It's also our responsibility to be a good partner in the NBA to grow the game." NBA China CEO David Shoemaker said, "The NBA is clearly the most popular sports league in China. There's no other one that's close. ... The NBA is completely dug in and embraced in China." Brown: "Every player in the NBA owes a debt of gratitude to Yao Ming. He's opened up incredible doors on the marketing front. He's opened up incredible opportunities for the league to continue to expand and grow" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/9).
