Partner Content: Alibaba's CMO on partnerships, World Cup and Olympics sponsorships

Alibaba has had global reach for quite some time now, but its recent sponsorships of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and the 2018 FIFA World Cup have rocketed the company to the upper echelons of brand visibility. With a 12 year partnership in the books, there’s no telling what developments we’ll see over the years between the International Olympic Committee and the tech giant. When it comes to the World Cup (and its availability on Chinese video platform Youku), Tung admits “it’s really growing a lot of viewership in China, it’s a huge opportunity for us to engage more viewers through sports-related content”.

Alibaba’s strong presence at Cannes speaks volumes about their urge to expand beyond the borders of China, bringing their experience and know-how to a global audience. From day one, the brand’s goal has been to develop a full-scale marketing ecosystem, and now, with the integration of big data, a sizeable AI lab and research institute, cloud tech, and a blanket commerce infrastructure, that aim is coming to fruition. 

New retail is also on the docket, with Alibaba recently opening Hema smart retail stores, drastically shifting brick-and-mortar shops towards more digital, consumer-focused spaces. More broad-spanning plans are in the pipeline, “In two to three years time, retail in China is going to be the coolest in the world."

Tung outrightly tags Alibaba as a “lighthouse brand with purpose” that's “designed for the world and the future”. Check out the video above to hear his thoughts in full.