Arsenal hits the pitch with brands in Asia

For Arsenal FC, with more Facebook fans in Indonesia than any other country including the UK, Asia is a critical market. It's why the club has invested in a sales office in Singapore and a content hub in Shanghai. 

It's also why its managing director Vinai Venkatesham was recently in Singapore speaking about the importance of key Asian markets, technology and the women's game to football's future. 

"An area that we're continually investing in, in the club, is how we're continuing to grow our digital profile internationally," Venkatesham told Campaign Asia from their Singapore office. 

"When we're talking to commercial partners, of course we can talk about the big numbers of fans and social followers, but we can also evidence that we really understand these fans, so we can put the right offers and promotions in front of the right types of fans that are likely to be attracted to those offers." 

Venkatesham cites a big investment in their CRM capabilities and segmenting their customer base as advantages for existing sponsors in local markets and in attracting new ones like Ganzberg beer in Cambodia last month (photo below).  But he also claims that the Arsenal's heritage, fan base and the strength of its women's team are what sets it apart from other clubs. 

Watch the full interview above.