[Singapore = E-Daily Reporter Kim Jeong-yu] "For retailers to implement effective sponsorship marketing strategies, they must build relationships not just in stores or through advertisements, but on the 'ground' where young customers' passion converges."

Kim Sang-hyun, former Vice Chairman of Lotte Shopping (currently an advisor), made these remarks on the 3rd (local time) at the “NRF (National Retail Federation) Retail’s Big Show APAC 2026” conference held at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. “In the past, when retailers considered sponsorships, they simply looked at where the brand logo would be placed, but recently, that perspective has changed,” he said.

The NRF Retail’s Big Show is a global retail industry event focused on the APAC region. Former Vice Chairman Kim also attended last year’s event, where he delivered a lecture on the expanding use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the retail industry. While he participated as a speaker last year when he was still with Lotte Group, this year he served as the moderator of a panel discussion. After stepping down from his position as vice chairman late last year, he currently serves as an advisor to Lotte Shopping.

At the conference, former Vice Chairman Kim held a discussion on “sponsorship marketing” with Adrian Stiti, President of APAC at CAA, a global entertainment and sports agency. CAA is an agency representing globally influential celebrities such as Shohei Ohtani, Lady Gaga, and Faker.

President Stite explained, “The benefits brands can achieve through marketing that leverages entertainment, sports, and cultural assets include: △ increased brand awareness, △ brand repositioning, △ influencing purchase intent, △ social media reach, △ securing cultural relevance, and △ enhanced credibility,” adding, “It is important to consider how to utilize culture effectively.”

The president of Starity cited the global luxury brand "Gucci" as an example. Gucci has recently been attempting to break away from the traditional marketing methods of global luxury brands.

He emphasized, “Gucci, which has seen a decline in its market presence and consumer interest compared to the past, decided to become the title sponsor of a Formula 1 (F1) team to fundamentally reposition the brand, and signed a massive contract to actually change the team’s name to ‘Gucci Racing.’ Gucci attempted to make the brand appear ‘cooler’ by leveraging F1, the world’s hottest sport.”

Former Vice Chairman Kim also emphasized that the approach to sponsorship marketing is rapidly changing from the past. This means that the industry is moving away from the old practice of “simply paying a celebrity and attaching a brand logo.”

He noted, “While retailers used to view sponsorship simplistically, there is now a shift in perspective: instead of waiting for consumers in stores or through ads, companies must meet them at the actual venues where they are passionate and build relationships there.” He added, “This perspective will become even more important now that social media is growing rapidly and the way fans and brands connect has changed.”

The distinctive marketing strategies of Asian companies also came up for discussion. President Staiti cited CJ Group’s “Bibigo” as a prime example. “In Asia, there’s a clear tendency to tell stories through local stars, but CJ’s Bibigo is an exception,” he said. “Bibigo placed its logo on the uniforms of the LA Lakers, an NBA team in the U.S.”

President Stiti explained, “I would have expected Bibigo to collaborate first with K-pop stars or Korean athletes like Son Heung-min or Faker, but they chose the LA Lakers.” He continued, “This was not merely a contract to sell frozen dumplings; it was a major strategic move to enter the Southern California market in a meaningful way, and looking back five years later, it appears to have yielded quite good results.”

In response, former Vice Chairman Kim remarked, “Asia is such a diverse market that the demographic structures, cultures, and consumer characteristics of each country are all different, but recently, this trend (in terms of marketing) seems to apply directly to distributors as well.” He added, “Since distributors are also branding themselves these days, we are in a situation where we must compete based on ‘brand story and identity.’”