General Motors (GM) has big plans for cementing Chevrolet as a brand recognizable all over the world. To penetrate awareness in emerging markets, General Motors is going to sponsor Manchester United, which claims to be the most popular sports franchise in the world. The deal will last for five years, but no financial details have been released as of now.

We simply do not know at this point how much the deal will cost General Motors. With this deal though, Chevrolet will replace Audi as the club’s official car sponsor. Audi, too, has been attempting to court upper and middle class buyers in emerging markets like China. In my view, General Motors is taking the lead in establishing a real first-mover advantage by selling significant volume and now advertising directly to more emerging market consumers.

This particular move, likely one of several international advertising aims, seems to be a good strategy for General Motors to employ. Manchester United has about 659 million fans worldwide, and a substantial portion of those fans come from China. By getting a foot in the door now, a company with a good long-term strategy will most likely reap the benefits of this market in the not-so-distant future. As General Motors sponsors Manchester United, many consumers in China will have added exposure to the Chevrolet brand, which, while in the U.S. is well-known, in China it is a relatively new but “luxury” associated brand.To continue reading, click here.