Leeds United's trip to the United States this summer was not successful.
At least, it was far from Leeds United's original expectations, and Fernando Lucas was quite disappointed.
When he was in the United States, Gao Shen told him that this was a long-term task and could not be accomplished overnight.
Professional competition is very realistic, and the strong prevail.
So, like this year when Leeds United went to the United States, they were more of a sparring partner for top teams, just looking to become familiar to them.
But whether it was Gao Shen, Su Qing, or Lucas, they all felt they should continue to persevere.
The North American market is a juicy prize. It is not easy to take a bite, but if you can really take one, it will be a crucial step for Leeds United in opening the global market.
"After returning from the United States, we have been in contact with potential partners there, and I have been urging the people in the U.S. office to keep following up and pushing cooperation projects."
Gao Shen nodded. "This is one of the most important core projects for our Leeds United commercial development in the next few years. We must not slack off."
Leeds United has signed a three-year contract with the International Champions Cup, and will be in North America for the next three years. Their goal is to develop the North American market.
The club also set up an office in the United States and formulated a three-year development plan, which is a long-term strategy.
There has also been some progress in commercial development in several other areas, but it has not been particularly smooth.
The current economy is in recession and many companies are having a hard time.
But the Chinese market is an exception.
Thanks to advanced operations, Leeds United's commercial development in China and Asia has progressed smoothly. In addition, the team has established an Asia office in China, which has helped Leeds United's commercial plan in China and Asia advance well.
It is true that when the west is dark, the east is bright.
In fact, there are indeed many Chinese companies that have an urgent need to promote their brands overseas. Leeds United provides a very good platform, especially since the team has also entered the Europa League this season.
The Premier League has developed very strongly in recent years, and overseas broadcast rights have caught up with domestic rights. It shows the Premier League has done an excellent job in globalization. Sponsoring a Premier League team like Leeds United is equivalent to giving Chinese brands the wings of globalization.
Not only in China, but also in Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and other regions, many brands are interested in Leeds United.
What is more, Leeds United has a huge influence in Asia.
According to previous media statistics, Leeds United may not have as many fans in China as the top teams, but in terms of Weibo followers and heated online discussions, it is definitely among the best.
At present, European giants are the main force in developing the Chinese market, but they generally adopt two methods. One is to entrust an agency with full authority, and the other is outsourcing.
But that is not Leeds United's approach.
Leeds United's office in China has a total of 15 full-time employees, responsible for media, e-commerce, sponsorship, and other areas.
The general manager is the former marketing director of a world-leading sports marketing and entertainment group, and the deputy general manager worked for more than ten years at the sports channel of a major domestic TV station. The two have joined forces to help Leeds United explore the Chinese and Asian markets.
In addition, they have cooperated with a well-known multinational digital media marketing and consulting company, which has provided a 10-person team dedicated to Leeds United's social media services. They work within Leeds United to ensure efficient communication and execution.
Leeds United UK has also fully authorized Leeds United China, allowing them to go all out. For example, designing jerseys and souvenirs for fans in China and Asia, organizing fan events, and more.
Among these, the fan events have been the most eye-catching, including inviting Chinese fans to watch Leeds United matches.
Now, Leeds United's flagship store has officially entered the e-commerce market, and the club is also in talks with China's largest retail leader to introduce the team's merchandise into shopping malls across the country.
All of this has led to the rapid development of Leeds United's business in China and Asia.
This is also because Gao Shen knows better than anyone that in the next few years, the Chinese and Asian markets will usher in rapid growth, and Leeds United must seize this opportunity.
What is more, this is his base camp.
…
A club's income comes from three main sources, match days, broadcasting fees, and commercial income.
At present, Leeds United's match-day income is very fixed, and it is basically difficult to see any significant improvement. However, there have been some changes in broadcasting fees. Because the team performed well last season, Premier League broadcasters will increase the number of Leeds United broadcasts this season.
In other words, Leeds United's broadcasting revenue will also increase.
In terms of commercial revenue, thanks to AXA Insurance's sponsorship and the cooperation being negotiated in China and Asia, Fernando Lucas is very confident that commercial revenue will grow significantly.
However, due to the lack of progress in North America, it may be difficult to reduce the proportion of broadcasting income.
After all, the newly signed Premier League broadcasting contract this season has led to a surge in income for every Premier League team.
"It is okay, take your time. I believe that as long as we keep accumulating strength, there will be no problem," Gao Shen encouraged.
What Leeds United is doing now is basically laying the foundation and building from within.
Of course, we must also see that after Leeds United expanded its operations, the resulting costs also brought pressure.
For example, the China office. Outsourcing and part-time work cost money, and the salaries of full-time employees also cost a lot.
These are all costs.
Not to mention that Leeds United is also a large operation in the UK, and employee salary costs are really high.
"Now I really understand why the managers of top football teams are so anxious and try every possible means to cut some departments. For example, Barcelona cut the methodology department, and AC Milan even cut the Milan Lab," Lucas said with a wry smile.
The reason is simple, money.
What fans talk about so much, from the perspective of club operators, are all costs and money.
Fortunately, Leeds United has done a good job controlling player salaries, so the overall pressure is not particularly great.
But this goes back to Gao Shen.
If it were not for Gao Shen discovering so many young talents for Leeds United, how could the team dare to sell players so aggressively?
If players are not sold, salaries cannot be controlled.
Everyone wants to have both results and wage control, but when you can only choose one, everyone will choose results.
Of course, the premise is that wages are not too high.
But the wage-to-turnover ratio of many Premier League teams has reached 70 percent or 80 percent, which is almost out of control.
"This is only temporary. As long as we gradually open things up, everything we invest now will bring us valuable returns in the future," Gao Shen said confidently.
He has always believed that in the business world, those who crave quick success do not last long.
Quick profits are temporary. The key is to build a solid foundation.
He firmly believes that as long as Leeds United perseveres, and as long as the two major markets of North America and Asia can be developed, Leeds United's business will surely see rapid growth. This will be a pair of strong wings for Leeds United to achieve globalization and become a top club.
…
After Gao Shen took a short rest, Norman Foster came over with his team.
The new training base has been under construction for three months and is progressing smoothly. The ability of the infrastructure experts is obvious to all.
Not only Leeds United, but Norman Foster's team is also very satisfied with the progress.
For the same amount of work, a construction giant would take three months, while a British company would take at least four or five months.
This is not about so-called overtime or harsh treatment of workers, but rather the rich experience and control in the infrastructure field, as well as the response measures when encountering emergencies.
Judging from the current progress, the construction period will be brought forward rather than delayed.
Since the client came in person, Norman Foster gave Gao Shen a warm welcome. He also brought his plans for Leeds United's new stadium and the surrounding land, but they were basically only hand-drawn sketches.
According to Norman Foster's idea, he wanted to continue the design concept of the Leeds United training base and create an open urban forest environment.
The entire project has two important buildings. One is on the west side of the plot, which is the current parking lot. A new football stadium will be built there, accommodating at least 60,000 people and expected to be more than 40 meters high.
The eastern part of the site, which is now Elland Road Stadium and the Leeds United Museum, will be used to attract investment, ideally bringing in a large shopping mall like the Trafford Centre.
The two buildings will share the same dome, but the dome and the buildings will be separated, forming a semi-open stadium and shopping space.
A canyon hall has been created between the two buildings and in the surrounding area. Through stepped landscape design, it is connected to the ground green space. A two-story commercial pedestrian street is embedded within, blending with the surrounding greenery, allowing public green space and commercial space to complement each other and create a green public realm.
If Leeds United's training base blurred the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, then this time it completely blurs the boundaries between inside and outside, high and low, integrating the entire project into one.
A sinuous, swooping dome envelops the building. The stadium bowl, canyon hall, and shopping center areas will all be covered with a single layer of ETFE membrane, similar to the material used on the exterior of the Water Cube in China, but thinner.
It not only reduces heat from the sun, but also allows natural light to enter the stadium, canyon hall, and shopping mall unimpeded, which can maximize the sunlight required by the pitch and make the indoor and outdoor areas bright and transparent.
In addition to the ETFE membrane, other areas of the dome are made of anodized aluminum panels, which can emit a variety of different colors of light through controlled lighting.
To put it simply, it is similar to the lighting principle of the membrane at the Allianz Arena.
In addition, Norman Foster also strives for perfection in the stadium's interior spaces, from the comfort of the seats to the inclination of the stands, putting in great effort to give fans the best viewing experience.
At the same time, more luxury boxes and commercial spaces should be designed for Leeds United.
But Gao Shen still made more requests.
For example, he wanted a large double-sided LED display with 360-degree coverage.
This is a must-have for his dream stadium.
(To be continued.)