FINDING a “welcoming home” here in the Philippines, the National Basketball Association (NBA) said it is high on its presence in the country and reaffirmed its commitment to continuing its business here.
Meeting members of local media for a roundtable discussion at the NBA Philippines office in Bonifacio Global City on Monday, May 7, NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum shared that they were very appreciative of the kind of reception the NBA has been getting from the Filipinos and that they hope to continue building on it moving forward and providing worthwhile fan engagements and activations in return.
“There is really no place like the Philippines when it comes to basketball. It is our highest affinity market in the world. Ninety-nine percent of Filipinos know who the NBA is and many follow the NBA,” said Mr. Tatum, who met the media along with NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson and other local NBA officials.
“I know three-quarters of all TV households this year tuned in to an NBA game. On social media, in terms of Facebook it’s the number one region that participates in our Facebook global page. As far the local Facebook page, it is the biggest regional Facebook page that we have. Love for the NBA and basketball here is second to none,” added the NBA official as he shared some of the dimensions that the Philippine market brings to the NBA as an organization.
Mr. Tatum went on to say that the Philippines being a ‘basketball country” makes it enjoyable to build their presence here but at the same time keep them on their toes as they have standards to be met considering how passionate Filipino fans are about the NBA.
“I think it’s fun doing our initiatives here because we know the fans have an appreciation of what we do. So as we set out to do our initiatives here we really think of what kind of partnerships and activities we should create,” he said.
Adding, “In the Philippines, the fans here are so knowledgeable so it requires a deeper engagement than in any country in this part of the world.”
PARTNERSHIPS
Much like how they do business in other places, Mr. Tatum highlighted that key in their Philippine presence has been the partnerships they have forged with various groups and corporations along the way, allowing them to take the NBA brand to more people. “It’s critically important to have partners. In everywhere we do business obviously we cannot do it alone. In the Philippines, we have over 30 marketing and merchandising partners that really help us get the word out about the NBA and they allow us do various programs and run NBA-themed advertisements,” Mr. Tatum said.
One such partner is Alaska Milk, which together with the NBA has been the motor that keeps the league’s global youth program, Jr. NBA, going for more than a decade now in the Philippines.
“We like partnering with companies which are committed to working to promote the NBA and what it stands for. We are high on our grassroots development program, specifically our Jr. NBA programs. And our partner here Alaska Milk has enabled us to grow it,” Mr. Tatum said.
MORE CAN BE DONE
But while the NBA has been experiencing success doing business in the country, Mr. Tatum said they believe it can still be taken further which is why they are continuing to look for ways to have fans and partners in the Philippines stay engaged.
“I’d say we always look for ways like how we can make our products accessible to the fans not only just merchandise but even our games. How we can make it seamless like on your mobile devices. We want to make sure that fans here have full access to the season, the games and highlights. It is something we are focusing on and we feel we can do more on,” the NBA deputy said.
“With the popularity of NBA here we are also looking at brand extensions. Like in China, we have what we called Playzones where kids can spend the day and birthday parties there. There are NBA fitness centers in other parts of the world, maybe we can consider it here. In Orlando, we are opening an NBA Experience in Disney World which is going to be an immersive experience for fans. Things like these maybe can consider here in Philippines as well,” Mr. Tatum added.
Looking ahead, Mr. Tatum said they are bullish of the Philippine market and continuing their business in the country.
“We are very optimistic about us continuing our business here and prospects of expanding our presence. Number one reason is the passionate fan base so the NBA has to be here. And the future of basketball here is fantastic with the 3×3 World Cup next month and the World Cup in 2023 playing in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines where our players would participate in,” Mr. Tatum said. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
