As China Inc. "goes global," buying up the likes of Italian tire company Pirelli, its execs are looking for "more subtle ways of introducing their businesses to the rest of the world," according to Tom Mitchell of the FINANCIAL TIMES. In their search for new marketing techniques, some Chinese execs have "discovered what for them is an unusual tool" -- int'l sponsorships of popular sporting events. The famous Volvo Ocean Race, for example, "might one day become the Geely-Dongfeng Ocean Race." The Volvo Ocean Race is "arguably already a Chinese-sponsored event in all but name." Its eponymous owner-sponsors are Swedish truck and heavy-equipment maker Volvo Group and its former sister unit, Volvo Cars. Volvo Cars is now a division of Chinese carmaker Geely. One of the "more unpredictable outcomes" of Volvo Group's partnership with Dongfeng was a decision by the latter's commercial truck unit to "sponsor one of the six boats in this year's iteration of the sailing competition." Former Whitbread competitor Mark Turner said, "It's a voyage of discovery for them because Dongfeng have never been involved in sport and they've never done any marketing or real communication outside of China." Dongfeng's decision to sponsor the boat has paid "unexpected dividends." Before veering off into the Southern Ocean, this year's Volvo Ocean Race "traced the route of the fabled maritime Silk Road, which the Chinese government is hoping to bring back to life" with a $250B-and-growing "infrastructure investment drive" (FT, 4/21).
