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Bundesliga side Bayern Munich is continuing its int'l push with the opening of its second overseas office in Shanghai this fall. The German club formally announced the creation of a Chinese office on Tuesday. It also appointed Rouven Kasper as its local managing director in China. He will be in charge of an initial six-man staff when the office opens its doors on Sept. 1. Kasper currently works as a senior director at Lagardère Sports Germany, where he heads the marketing unit in charge of league rival Hamburg SV. Bayern Munich's move into China comes two years after it opened its first int'l office in N.Y. Looking to increase its int'l brand awareness and fan base, Bayern identified the U.S. and China as the target markets for its global strategy. Together with its official logistics partner DHL, Bayern Munich last year launched an official online store on Chinese retail website Tmall, which is operated by Alibaba Group.
The club has also signed numerous media partnerships since '14 that focus primarily on the U.S. and Chinese markets, including with Perform Group's Goal.com. Bayern Munich will tour the U.S. this summer as part of the Int'l Champions Cup after traveling to China last year. The team has not yet announced whether it will head back to Asia in '17.
