Haier Smart Home might well be the world’s number one appliance brand by market share, but you wouldn’t know it by name recognition alone.
That’s exactly why the Chinese company is back at Roland-Garros for the third straight year (following up on an Australian Open sponsorship, as well) using the prestige and primetime reach of the iconic French tennis tournament to push its premium image to a wider, lifestyle-focused crowd.
The brand is once again serving as an Official Partner of the Grand Slam event, leaning heavily into the overlap between its design-focused appliances and the elegance of the sport.
In and around the courts, Haier is putting everything from dishwashers to its new TVs on display, and former world No. 1 Ana Ivanović returns as brand ambassador to lend some added star power.
But this year, Haier’s pushing further off-court too, launching a web series that documents the struggles of six tennis stars – including Ivanović – of trying to achieve and maintain that No.1 status… which obviously aligns with what the brand is trying to do.
It’s all part of a broader strategy to earn the brand clout Haier’s global market share already implies.
I’ve had a sneak peak at the series and it blends sleek product shots with lifestyle storytelling, in an attempt to shift the brand’s perception from “Chinese appliance giant” to something more design-forward and emotionally resonant.
Haier Smart Home is a huge conglomerate that also includes more mainstream brands like Hoover in the UK and GE-Appliances Stateside, and the web series – along with the premium sports partnerships – are aimed at making Haier the premium brand of the group.
The likes of the Haier X Series 11 (an Ambient highly-recommend product) proves the brand has the hardware to back up its lofty ambitions.
Alongside its Australian Open and Roland-Garros play, the company has also staked sponsorship claims at the Hamburg Open, Madrid Open, and Nitto ATP Finals.
The real goal here isn’t just product placement, it’s cultural placement. While LG and Samsung are already synonymous with premium tech across categories, Haier is still working to build that kind of global brand awareness outside of China.
But, like its Korean rivals, Haier Smart Home wants to be more than just an appliance brand. Over in Paris I got eyes on the new Haier M80 series Mini-LED TV, that the brand worked in partnership with super high-end audio expert KEF on.
The plan is to launch TVs into test markets with a wider launch down the line and, given what I saw, it’s looking like clever play, especially as brands like Hisense and TCL have seen huge expansions in TV sales outside of China, following high-profile sports partnerships.
