Paris Saint-Germain have already lost very big this summer. On June 3, the departure of Lionel Messi, at the end of his contract, had a considerable impact on the social networks of the capital club. Indeed, the Ile-de-France residents went from 69.9 million subscribers on Instagram, before the announcement of his departure, to 69.4 million a few hours later. And this drop in subscribers has continued since PSG now has 66.9 million followers on the famous social network, a drop of 3 million euros in less than two months.
Social media aside, the Argentine’s loss was bad news from a marketing perspective. Indeed, Messi has helped attract a dozen new sponsors to Paris. In addition to the Pulga, the Kylian Mbappé case has also had a negative effect on the club’s image, which QSI holds so dear. The public war between the French star and the PSG does not help the Parisians. Especially since many fans did not appreciate that he was not on the trip to Asia. This was also not good news for the brands associated with PSG, which counted on the presence of the Frenchman to participate in various operations.
An expected player in Asia
The champions of France therefore rely on Neymar, a real star in Asia, to satisfy the supporters as well as the sponsors. But he is not the only one. Indeed, PSG has a new goose with golden eggs with its rookie Kang-In Lee. The South Korean arrived on July 8 from Mallorca. Desired by Diego Simeone at Atlético de Madrid, he finally signed in Paris until 2028. Nasser Al-Khelaïfi’s club paid 22 million euros to secure the services of a promising element.
A footballer who also allows them to develop the PSG brand a little more in Asia. Like Neymar, he is one of the most anticipated players in Japan, where Paris started their summer tour. It is even more so at home in South Korea where Luis Enrique’s men will then take up residence for the first time. It is there that he should also find his teammates to face Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, he who joined the infirmary after the first match against HAC in Poissy. A boon for PSG, which is counting on him on the football pitch as well as in the field of marketing.
The jerseys flocked to his name are torn off
And we can say that it is already an excellent investment at this level. brand explains 70% of the jerseys sold in the new PSG store opened in Seoul last week are flocked in the name of Kang-In Lee. The queues were endless. The Iberian media adds that the South Korean tunics are also going like hot cakes in the shop located on the Champs-Elysées. brand explains that many Asian customers, especially South Koreans, take advantage of their holidays in Paris to buy his jersey or T-shirts bearing his name.
A nice surprise for the French team which did not expect such enthusiasm. He is one of the team’s biggest shirt sellers this season. Which is good news since Paris lost Messi, who was the one who sold the most tunics, and that Mbappé, whose jersey is torn off just like Ney’s, could leave. Well established in Asia, where it is one of the market leaders in terms of football clubs, PSG should further increase its income in this part of the globe. In any case, this is what was explained to RMC Sports Sébastien Wasels, general manager of PSG Asia-Pacific.
PSG is already rubbing its hands
“We opened our office in Asia-Pacific in 2018, shortly after the arrival of Kylian Mbappé and Neymar. We felt it was the right time to open it. All the other major European clubs already had an established office there, whether in Singapore or Hong Kong. Now was the time to do it. We opened a branch in Shanghai and Tokyo. It was decisive in the strategy of the club and the development of the brand in this key territory (…) They are very fond of big stars. We also had Messi last year.
Then he added: “but there is also Verratti, Donnarumma, Hakimi. We are lucky to have many stars at PSG, our Asian fans really like it. The arrival of Kang-In Lee will also allow us to develop in South Korea and everywhere in Asia. He is the first major Asian player to play for PSG. It will obviously help us on the territory. For the moment, we can say that things are off to a good start since Kang-In Lee has made it possible to attract new customers. Enough to give a smile to Paris, which wants more than ever to conquer the Asian market.
