Last year, ZTE started something new on the marketing side of things. ZTE was looking for a way to increase visibility of their brand among Americans. And thus, they became the official sponsor of three NBA teams. The New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and the 2015 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. After a successful 2014-15 NBA season as sponsors of those three teams, ZTE is adding two more. With the 2015-16 NBA season set to kick off tonight. ZTE is now sponsors of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls. Adding onto the successful partnerships in New York, Houston and the Bay Area.
“The partnership between the Chicago Bulls and ZTE marks another significant step in the team’s international business growth. ZTE is a leader in the smartphone industry and it is exciting to welcome a new partner in that category,” said Michael Reinsdorf, Chicago Bulls president and COO. “We look forward to working with ZTE to engage our fans and support meaningful community events and initiatives.”
Cleveland and Chicago actually get their season’s started tonight against each other in Chicago. As one of three games on opening night. ZTE will have a very big presence in both Chicago and Cleveland with the community. The company will be supporting local community events in Chicago, like the Chicago Bulls’ Pacific Garden Mission Thanksgiving Dinner, as well as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Season of Giving. As well as other events throughout the two cities in the season. For ZTE, this is a great partnership because it gets their logos into both Quicken Loans Arena and the United Center. So fans will see ZTE front-and-center when attending games in either Cleveland or Chicago. ZTE will also hold signings with players on both teams, in addition to the three teams they already sponsor, throughout the season.
Currently, ZTE is the second largest smartphone maker of no-contract smartphones in the US. And they are looking to become number one. With the recent rebrand to the AXON line of smartphones, and this presence in the NBA and at NBA games, it should definitely help them reach that goal.