Why women's sports ranks high in Haier India’s marketing plan
The Drum speaks with Satish NS, president, Haier Appliances to know more about the company’s recently announced sports association and how does it fit into Haier’s overall brand strategy in India
Haier India’s big plans for women sports
The leading home appliance player Haier, continuing its association with women's sports in India, recently announced its partnership with the Bengaluru-based Kickstart FC’s Women’s Team. The brand association with the team is for two years - 2022 and 2023.
The team had participated in the recently concluded 2021–22 Indian Women's League season, which was the fifth season of the championship that has got known as the top division of women’s professional football club competition in India.
About the recent association, Satish says, “the dedication and grit exhibited by Kickstart FC’s team players shone bright and compelled us to partner with the club.” Most of the players in the team hail from humble backgrounds, with many being from underprivileged sections, which sometimes becomes a deterrent to them from following their passion for football, he adds.
The partnership with the Kickstart FC team is an extension of our commitment to the philosophy of ‘silent performers’, he says.
As a part of the association, Haier will be providing the necessary equipment and resources required for improving their training process to further hone their skills and enhance their overall performance on the field.
Haier as a company has been known to support and provide a better platform to women in sports and the current association, thus, sits well in the brand playbook with Haier's philosophy of ‘inspired living’.
Adds Satish, “Over the years, Haier has been strengthening its brand messaging around ‘silent performers’, where it has lauded women achievers and sportswomen who have made the nation proud with their accomplishments and yet, have remained away from the media spotlight.”
In its pursuit of giving centre stage to women achievers and athletes to highlight how they have pushed boundaries to bring pride to India, Haier associated with India's ace sportswomen in 2019 - Dipa Karmakar, Hima Das, and Simranjit Kaur. This was followed by the 2021 campaign ‘perform big, silently’ that featured an Indian mountain climber and sportswoman who is an amputee - Dr. Arunima Sinha, India’s first woman commando trainer – Dr. Seema Rao; female chess grandmaster - Harika Dronavalli and female mountain biker - Anissa Lamare.
The current partnership also denotes the company’s focus on supporting women in sports and being an ally in their journey to realize their dreams, says Satish.