Beginning to build his own empire in New York, Jeremy Lin ’10 is looking to expand his worldwide rise to fame by extending his talents to the marketing industry through his recent agreement with Volvo.
This isn’t the first time that Lin’s name has been used for marketing purposes and it certainly won’t be the last (Nike has plans of introducing a Lin-themed shoe in the future), but it certainly bodes well for the Harvard alum.
The invitations to a press conference from one of Volvo’s US factories state that it is for the purpose of announcing “a dynamic marketing partnership with Jeremy Lin, the popular New York Knicks point guard” to push the “the Swedish car maker’s sports heritage,” and “help establish the brand with younger and performance-minded customers.”
Though you may not be able to find the link between a burgeoning Taiwanese-American NBA star and an originally Swedish car company, the business is now owned and operated by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. and is looking to build upon Lin’s recent and potential NBA success.
"You may not immediately see the connection between me and Volvo. But both of us are striving to be better and smarter at what we do, and to do it our own way," said Lin in a prepared press release.
The values that Lin emanates and the values that Volvo prides itself upon (quality, design, environment and safety) make this a match made in heaven.
The Chinese company is looking to have Lin help with its upcoming international investments due to his unwavering popularity in China and growing popularity around the world.
The terms of the agreement between Lin and the company have yet to be disclosed, but the $11 billion that Volvo expects to invest in its Chinese factories is an illustration of how serious the company is about doubling its global sales.
As one of the few athletes with a car endorsement, Lin will be competing with Blake Griffin and Kia for center stage in the industry.
Though Griffin may have him beat in vertical and number of highlight-reel dunks, Lin’s strong international support may give him the upper-hand marketability wise.
Who knows, as a Taiwanese-American who is marketable around the world, the potential for future endorsements after this venture could be endless.
Lin’s commitment to excellence, performance, endurance and innovation on the court could speak volumes for companies that are in both China and America like Duracell batteries, Sony and Apple. After all, Yao Ming already illustrated the potential that an NBA star could have on international markets with enterprises like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola.
This recent connection between Volvo and Lin provides for a variety of potential slogans. From the simple “Looking good in the lane,” to the more complex “Quicker than you actually give us credit for,” the possibilities could be endless.
Commercials can also get creative. A potential advertisement could have Lin driving off into the distance with the license plate “ByeHaters” since, as a result of Linsanity, he’s left all the people that have doubted him from Palo Alto to Golden State in the dust.
But with all these ideas, we must remember that Lin remains positive throughout his career. The burgeoning star is already illustrating his gratitude over the Twitter airwaves for his new business partners: “Thank you Volvo for allowing me to be part of your family!! Praise God for this opportunity!”
The future is bright for Jeremy Lin with his All-Star lineup teammates and the upcoming financial gains on and off the court. But rapper Mike Jones said it best when he said, “ain’t nothing changed but [his] change, [he’s] going to stay the same.“
