Singapore: Asia-Pacific Breweries signs 3-year deal with football giant Barcelona

Asia-Pacific Breweries (APB) has taken yet another step to boost the global profile of its flagship Tiger Beer, the brewer released July 11.

It has signed a three-year Southeast Asian marketing partnership with the Spanish football giant Barcelona.

APB launched a makeover for Tiger Beer last year in a move to create a stronger universal appeal.

This latest tie-up will allow the company to create advertising and promotional campaigns that links Tiger with the Spanish football giant.

Tiger already has a partnership with the English Premier League club Arsenal.

"Ultimately we aim to be the number one beer brand associated with sports in Asia. Our partnership with FC Barcelona is in tandem with this objective as we continue to bring to Asia more football excitement when the new season starts," said Les Buckley, group commercial director of Asia Pacific Breweries Limited.

Barca - the reigning Champions League and LaLiga title holders - are no strangers to Asian football fans.

Their sterling performance on the football field in the past three years was partly due to an overhaul of the club's management.

Now the club wants to translate its footballing high to its business model.

"What we have been doing is also changing the business side of the club to allow us to grow and go even further. If a few years ago we had $120 million revenues, the budget for revenues we have for this year is $280 million, so we have more than doubled in two and half years," said Javier Munoa, international business director of FC Barcelona.

Barca has also turned its books around and the club is now making profits of $20 million euros per year.

Globalisation would be the next phase of growth and Barcelona sees this region as one of the key strategic markets to expand into.

The deal would include Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Loas, Cambodia and Malaysia.

For fans, the deal promises a host of goodies and once in a lifetime experiences like tickets and paid trips to matches at Nou Camp stadium, and "meet-the-players" sessions.

It also means more trips to Asia by the team, more merchandising outlets, websites, a magazine and special TV programmes.

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