"The Swatch Group has so many world-level brands under its umbrella. They researched you, but they couldn’t figure out how to collaborate with you. There was no dedicated person for them to contact."
Wang Shuo fell into deep thought.
Currently, he only had four comrcial endorsents: Adidas, Coca-Cola, KFC, and Porsche.
These four comrcial endorsents brought him 4.5 million euros in inco annually.
Is that a lot?
It’s really not a small amount.
It was even comparable to many big-na players.
That was why Wang Shuo had never realized there was a problem.
But now that Shen Qinghe had brought it up, it finally dawned on him.
These four sponsors all had one thing in common.
They had all approached him on their own initiative.
He also recalled what Thomas Essien had ntioned before: many brands and companies from back ho had tried to contact him by going through Gao Huairen.
Connecting these thoughts, Wang Shuo had to admit that when it ca to his comrcial strategy, he was working with a complete blank slate.
At this thought, he imdiately turned to look at Shen Qinghe.
It wasn’t just because she was a student at the London School of Economics and Political Science. More importantly, Wang Shuo had always felt that Shen Qinghe was incredibly competent.
He especially rembered how she had effortlessly organized trips for so many Chinese fans to watch gas in Europe, all without a single hitch.
That was no easy feat.
"So, break it down for ," Wang Shuo said with a smile.
Shen Qinghe had clearly been waiting for him to ask. Composed, she smiled and said, "If I were you, I’d get a new agent!"
"Get a new agent?"
"That’s right. It’s obvious that Thomas Essien can help you with football-related matters, but his help is limited. At most, he handles logistics. When it cos to business and resources, he can’t offer you much more at all."
"Did you know? Your current business model is extrely outdated. It’s like the European clubs from a decade ago, just sitting at ho and waiting for companies to co knocking."
"But that approach doesn’t work anymore. Now, you have to be proactive and go out there."
Wang Shuo thought of sothing.
Bayern had set up offices in New York and Asia, reportedly to further develop their overseas resources and channels.
This was exactly what Shen Qinghe ant by ’being proactive and going out there.’
"The European football scene is an industry. And in any industry, there’s a division of labor. For anyone within that system, the most important thing is to find their precise role."
"Once you’ve found your role, the right resources will naturally start flowing your way."
This line of reasoning was not hard to understand.
Wang Shuo’s mind went to the roles on a football pitch.
Sven Bender was a midfield defender, a protector for the back line.
Shahin was the one who controlled the team’s tempo, responsible for distributing the ball, organizing plays, and dictating the pace.
The reason Foyelner’s performance as the number 10 wasn’t ideal ultimately ca down to his role.
His individual skill wasn’t quite up to par, which forced him to work much harder on defense.
But as a result, the number 10 spot, which is supposed to be an offensive role, was twisted into a defensive one by his play.
Shen Qinghe was right. Finding your role was the key to establishing yourself.
"I discussed this with my upperclassman at the Swatch Group. What they find most interesting about you is the Chinese market you represent. It’s a massive market coveted by countless corporations."
"Many European brands, and even global brands, want to enter that market. An endorsent deal is like a foot in the door, helping them break into the Chinese market all at once."
"By the sa token, more and more Chinese brands want to expand beyond China and go global. They also need soone with influence in the global market to be their public face."
Wang Shuo understood what Shen Qinghe was saying.
’My greatest comrcial value is to play that exact role.’
’To help global brands enter China, and to help Chinese brands go global.’
’I could even do a better job than Giant Yao and Flying Liu.’
’Because football is the most influential sport in the world!’
’As long as I keep playing, I can spread my influence to every corner of the Earth.’
More importantly, sports represent a positive, uplifting, and relentlessly self-improving image.
What better choice was there than Wang Shuo?
"She told that after their marketing departnt ran an evaluation, they concluded that your comrcial value is severely underestimated."
"Take your KFC contract, for example. You signed for one million euros, which is about the sa as what ssi and the others get, right?"
Wang Shuo nodded.
He had a rough idea about that.
"But have you ever considered this? When companies decide on sponsorships, they aren’t just looking at your performance in the European football scene, or even on the world stage. If that were the case, how would you explain why Beckham’s comrcial value is still so high?"
Wang Shuo fell silent.
Even now, so many years after Beckham left the major European leagues, he remained one of the world’s most comrcially valuable superstars, still tied to nurous brand deals.
"Have you noticed? Kaka signed with Armani, and Ronaldo and ssi have also signed with so luxury brands. But have you seen top-tier luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermès, or Rolex sign football stars? It’s rare."
Wang Shuo did not answer.
He didn’t know much about the fashion industry.
"Because they don’t need to. They’re already top-tier themselves. They never go looking for ambassadors; it’s the ambassadors who are fighting to represent them. Whoever lands a deal with one of those brands sees their own market value skyrocket."
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