Philippe Le Floc'h (r) lauded Chinese companies for their new approaches to FIFA sponsorships.GETTY IMAGES
China’s profile "has hit unprecedented levels throughout the World Cup," according to Michael Church of the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. As the tournament edges toward its finale on Sunday, FIFA CCO Philippe Le Floc’h "confessed the involvement of the country’s corporate giants has caused a shake-up within the game’s governing body." Seven companies -- FIFA partner Wanda Group, World Cup sponsors Hisense, Mengniu and Vivo as well as regional backers Diking, Yaeda and Luci -- "have ensured the tournament has had a Chinese presence." Those brands' "high-profile showing and unique approach to business" have forced FIFA to "adapt its own practices to accommodate some of the nation’s biggest entities." Le Floc'h: "What is interesting with the Chinese companies -- because they are new into this world -- is they come with new ideas, which is interesting. They are fast-moving, they are challenging, they don’t take no for an answer. But it’s been a very good exchange. Some were a bit late on board but they’ve done an amazing job. So it’s good to have new approaches and a new way of thinking that can transpire into the other conversations that we have" (SCMP, 7/11).
