Kobe Bryant has made a push to be big in China over the past decade, realizing the huge marketing potential there, in tandem with Nike. He’s expanding his brand in social media and his own design there, and this weekend he made his annual trip there. Turns out he’s still, yup, a God there.
@IamJoeSports
Kobe has decided to use his status in the country to his advantage, inking a deal to turn himself into a bigger icon than he already is.
Under the agreement, Alibaba Group will release the L.A. Lakers shooting guard’s documentary, “Kobe Bryant’s Muse,” on Saturday, Aug. 8, exclusively through its Tmall Magic Box Internet set-top box (priced at 8 yuan, or about $1.30). The film, an account of Bryant’s life on and off the court, aired in the U.S. on Showtime earlier this year.
In addition, Alibaba Pictures will work with Bryant’s Kobe Inc. to create a series of Kobe-branded products. Those will be sold via Alibaba’s retail platforms, including Taobao Marketplace and Tmall.com, which are accessed by over 350 million active buyers across China.
Finally, the pact calls for Alibaba and Sina to collaborate with Kobe Inc. to create a new social-media platform aimed at “connecting China’s young people directly to Kobe and his philosophies.” The two Chinese companies said the project with Bryant will be a model for other “Star, Media, Platform” properties they plan to launch together.
“I believe there is power in understanding the journey of others to help create your own,” Bryant said in a statement. “This narrative is an intimate look at who I am as a person, not what I am. My dream is that others are inspired by my personal story and create epic life stories of their own.”
