In case you missed it, what with the market starting to move about a bit again this week, Standard Chartered announced on Monday that it had decided to sponsor Liverpool Football Club – the largest commercial deal in the club’s history no less.
I got straight on to the bank to ask why. “I read about this with amusement. It's been speculated on in the press for a week. It seems a strange move and hasn't boosted your brand – yet. The Times described Standard Chartered as an insurance group. I can only assume that there's a Liverpool fan on the board – I can’t imagine the deal attracting the HNW sector – more a bunch of thieving scallies. Still, you never know,” I wrote.
However, I’m often told that I need to look at things less parochially and to seek ‘the view from the helicopter.’ With that in mind, I can now appreciate that the move by the UK-listed Asian bank to sponsor a US-owned English football team, which apparently has a huge fan base in Asia, Africa and the Middle East – probably because Liverpool’s fans don’t get to go to those places and wreck them too often – is a further example of globalization.
A bank spokesman responded to my initial scepticism. “I hear you loud and clear. The bank is extremely confident that the branding impact will be felt when the new season kicks off and Liverpool does have a huge presence in our key markets...I’ll make sure to send you tickets if I get them,” he replied.
“Ha – watch out those scallies will only nick 'em, hey, hey, we woz only having a larf...........la,” was my cynical reply.