Fast serve

Editor's note: The Shanghai Masters Cup, one important series tournaments for the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), was held during November 9-16. Premium auto brand Mercedes-Benz is the principal sponsor for the tennis event. During the tournament, Klaus Maier, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz China, shared views with China Business Weekly reporter Liu Jie on how and why the automaker sponsors it in China and what support it provides for the country's professional tennis development.

Q: Mercedes-Benz sponsors Shanghai Master Cup this year, what are your expectations for this event? And how do you expect the event can benefit Mercedes-Benz in China?

A: We are proud to play a major role at the Shanghai Masters Cup. Being a big tennis fan, I look forward to see thrilling and exciting tennis action from this year's top eight singles players as well as the eight world's best doubles teams. And I am sure that the support and enthusiasm of the fans and spectators in China will bring out the best in all participants of this year's Tennis Masters Cup.

Sponsoring top-class sports events has been one of Mercedes-Benz's finest traditions, and it also shows the brands stylish appeal and extraordinary passion. Clearly Mercedes-Benz has come to play an indispensable role on the tennis court. The passion and love for auto sports have set the sports tradition of Mercedes-Benz brand as well as given the diversified product image of sporty and stylish.

We had seen the big potential in the country and wanted more Chinese people know more about tennis, so we introduced it to China.

During these years, we were happy to see the amazing development and popularity that tennis has been continuously receiving in China. The Chinese tennis scene is now surrounded by excitement, enthusiasm and interest. Due to the long-term consideration, we are willing to make more efforts on the development of tennis movement in China, especially the junior tennis players training. These junior players are the future of China's tennis sport.

Q: How long has Mercedes-Benz been sponsoring ATP events and what is its role?

A: Since the debut of the Shanghai Masters Cup in 2002, Mercedes-Benz has been a strong supporter, enabling numerous Chinese spectators to appreciate the year-end final event of the ATP.

As the principal sponsor of this year's Master Cup, Mercedes-Benz presented the Organizing Committee with 30 S-Class flagship vehicles and 30 R-Class Grand Sports Tourers as the official cars for players and VIPs from different countries.

To award players for the excellent competitive display of the sport, Mercedes-Benz will also award the champion of the tournament with a brand new R500.

The Shanghai Masters Cup is an annual event for ATP and an important part of a series of ATP tournaments globally.

Q: Mercedes-Benz has been sponsoring many world top-level sports events, while, in China, besides the Shanghai Master Cup. Do you have some other sports sponsorship projects here or some related plans? And what is Mercedes-Benz China's strategy and standards for sponsorship?

A: As a corporate citizenship, Mercedes-Benz is unceasingly developing commonweal activities as well as promoting classic sport games in China, like the Mercedes Trophy (golf) and F1 sponsorships.

Mercedes-Benz is committing itself to support many sports events in order to cement the connection between the brand's young and dynamic equity and the sporty charm demonstrated by the sports.

For the strategy and standards for our sponsorship in China, we have the same sponsorship standards all over the world, including China of course. We are making the sponsorships to present Mercedes-Benz brand value - leading, authentic and elegant.

We've a very clear policy of sponsorship. We sponsor entities or events that are leading, top-notch and unique.

Q: You have been supporting China's tennis development with a program Mercedes-Benz Swing for the Stars Junior Development Program. Would you please give us a brief introduction of the program?

A: Working in cooperation with China Tennis Association (CTA) and every provincial tennis association in China, Mercedes-Benz Swing for the Stars Junior Development Program offers a progressive junior tennis education road map through three stages (local, national, international) for 11-12 year old boys and girls as well as male and female junior coaches.

Through the Mercedes-Benz Swing for the Stars Junior Development Program expectations are high that the CTA is now firmly positioned to continue to develop top-quality international tennis players for the China National Tennis Team and expand the current explosion of participation and interest in tennis in China at the grass-root level.

Appreciating the efforts Mercedes-Benz China has made to promote the development of junior-level tennis in China, Roger Federer decided to join the program as a coach so as to make his contribution to China's tennis movement. This is also one of his efforts to promote sports to young people.

The cooperation with Mercedes-Benz China is the first and only local contract Federer has ever signed with a world famous brand.

Q: What have you achieved so far for the program?

A: This year, Mercedes-Benz extended its support to Chinese tennis by joining hands with the CTA. Swing for the Stars, a junior tennis development program, best validates the company's efforts in developing talents to improve the standing of the sport in China. Through a series of training sessions, the program successfully prepared numerous professional junior players that will be the backbone of Chinese tennis and future stars in worldwide tennis courts.

In addition to training young players, Mercedes-Benz recently collaborated with CTA to launch the Swing for the Stars Beijing campus tennis development program, which provides a three-month pilot training for thousands of students in 20 primary and middle schools of Beijing. With a professional teaching manual for teenagers, the program offers tennis classes each week to help students develop a vested interest in tennis as well as to encourage an active and healthy lifestyle. As an extension of Swing for the Stars, the promotion of tennis awareness to primary and middle school students is a true demonstration of Mercedes-Benz's long-term commitment to develop tennis in China.

(China Daily 11/17/2008 page8)