Vivo, the premium global smartphone manufacturer, today announced its association with BCCI for title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In the coming two seasons (2016 and 2017), vivo and IPL will have extensive cooperation in terms of sports events, on-ground activations, media exposure and marketing campaigns. Cricket fans across India and around the world will enjoy IPL brought by BCCI and vivo.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Anurag Thakur, Honorary Secretary of BCCI, said, “We welcome vivo Mobile India on board to India’s most awaited event, the Indian Premier League. IPL is all about opportunities and exhibition of talent and with vivo coming in as the title sponsor it is yet another initiative to showcase a brand which is young, full of life and looking for a platform to showcase its talent. Just like the IPL, vivo in a very short span have created a niche and legacy in the smartphone market and I am sure this will be a long and enriching affiliation for both the stakeholders. ”
“I am excited that we got the title sponsorship of the tournament as vivo-IPL, thus cementing a two year partnership between two brands which enjoy an iconic status not only in India but globally.” Announcing this successful association, Alex Feng, CEO of vivo Mobile India said, “Vivo is the pioneer of Hi-Fi music smartphone, and we strive to create smartphones combined with artistic design and technological innovation. Vivo’s spirit is to pursue excellence and create surprises. IPL, as the world’s premium cricket event, is also creating the ultimate sports experience to the world. It is this shared commitment to excellence that brought IPL and vivo together.”
Since 2011, vivo has become a premium global smartphone brand. As of 2014, vivo is the 5th top smartphone brand in China, and 10th top smartphone brand globally. This association is one essential part of vivo’s global expansion and Indian localization strategy. It is the first, and so far the largest brand association vivo launched in India. As 2015 is vivo’s 20th anniversary, and the first anniversary in India, vivo-IPL will make the throttle of vivo’s development even stronger.
Alex further commented that, “Vivo is an emerging brand in India, dedicated to offering quality products and services to music lovers, sports enthusiasts and fashion pursuers. We always believe in supporting new talents and associated ourselves only with premium events globally. This investment reiterates how important Indian market is for us, and we are confident that vivo will get returns from our investment in IPL, and this association will further advance our Love India, Love vivo initiative.”
LIVE CRICKET, PLAY HI-FI From its birth in China, vivo embedded Hi-Fi & Smart into its brand and product genes. Hi-Fi doesn’t only mean high fidelity sound quality, but also vivo’s attention to details and commitment to making life better. Vivo created the world’s first Hi-Fi smartphone, established smartphone Hi-Fi standard and upgraded it to Hi-Fi 2.0. With extensive R&D, vivo put Hi-Fi chips into smartphones, so that vivo’s young consumers can enjoy Hi-Fi music experience in all vivo products. Moreover, vivo try to make human-device interaction smarter, with its various Smart features for more surprises and fun.
As a brand, vivo shows great interest in sports. In 2014, vivo sponsored NBA’s live broadcasting in China. Now this two-year IPL title sponsorship is another milestone for vivo, which will greatly enhance vivo’s brand awareness and reputation, get vivo closer to its fans and customers. Vivo is planning to launch 360 degree marketing campaigns such as athlete endorsement, TVC, venue advertisement, on-ground activation, digital/social media campaign, fan meeting, etc.
Starting from 2014, vivo initiated its global expansion including India. This top class brand association is a strong sign of vivo’s ambition of the long term development in India. Live cricket, Play Hi-Fi.
ABOUT VIVO Vivo is a Chinese multinational manufacturer of smartphones headquartered in Dongguan, China. As of 2014, vivo is the 5th top smartphone brand in China, and 10th top smartphone brand globally. In 2014, vivo sold 25 million units in mainland China, and is now among the top five most profitable smartphone brands in China.
Currently vivo has presence in India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Philippines. Vivo entered India in Dec., 2014. In a short time span vivo has established itself as a Hi-fi & Smart brand. Currently vivo is serving Indian customers with 8,000 employees and 10,000 retailers, in over 300 cities in 22 states, with a strong focus on Hi-Fi Music.
The “Make in India” initiative also resonates with vivo’s plan. Its assembly unit in Greater Noida is the first step toward this commitment. With Rs. 125 crore first-phase investment, this unit will be operational in November, 2015. Totally 2,200 Indian employees will join the factory, which will help its production capacity reach one million units/month and build a solid foundation for vivo’s sustainable development in India.