Lexar × Argentina National Football Team Sports Marketing Strategy Analysis: Brand Globalization and Performance Growth

Based on the collected information, I will systematically analyze the impact of Lexar’s sports marketing strategy (under Longsys) on brand globalization expansion and performance growth.

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At the start of 2026 (on the eve of the CES International Consumer Electronics Show), Lexar officially announced its status as the

[1]. As a world-class football IP, the Argentina National Football Team boasts top stars such as Messi and has approximately 200 million fans worldwide. Its spiritual totem of “passion, resilience, championship” highly aligns with Lexar’s high-end, professional brand positioning.

Lexar launched a series of innovative marketing initiatives based on this partnership:

• Co-branded Product Development
  : Launch core products such as the Lexar Air in more collectible forms to the market
• Emotional Value Conversion
  : Transform memory cards from “cold chips” into “tokens that record glorious moments”, endowing products with emotional attributes
• Cross-circle Strategy
  : Narrow the distance with mass consumers through co-branded products, breaking the aloof label of “professional accessories” [1]

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The underlying logic behind Lexar’s choice of the Argentina National Football Team is to find a

[1]. Previously, most Chinese brands’ overseas expansion stayed at the “product going global” stage, relying on high cost-performance and efficient channel distribution to occupy the market. Through its partnership with the Argentina team, Lexar has achieved the following:

Strategic Dimension	Traditional Model	Sports Marketing Model
Brand Building	Channel-driven	Mindshare-driven
User Perception	Function-oriented	Emotional identification
Market Positioning	Price competition	Value competition
Globalization Path	Physical coverage	Psychological penetration

Lexar has three solid foundations to become an official partner of the Argentina team [1]:

• Regional Foundation
  : Its business footprint has deeply covered six continents and over 70 countries and regions, with leading market shares in memory cards and solid-state drives in multiple regions
• Channel Foundation
  : Penetrated into core global high-end channels such as Costco, B&H, Apple Authorized Stores, and DJI Stores
• Partner Foundation
  : Listed in the AVL qualified supplier lists of camera manufacturers such as Nikon, Canon, and Fujifilm, and received official recommendations from action camera manufacturers such as DJI, Insta360, and GoPro

Lexar adheres to the business philosophy that “true globalization is not just selling products, but rooting itself in local markets” [1]. Through its partnership with the Argentina team, the brand has further strengthened its localized strategy of “being a friend to local users”:

• In markets such as Europe, North America, South America, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa, it insists on using local languages, local teams, and integrating into local cultures
• It is no longer an outsider, but a trustworthy “old friend” to users around the world

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According to Longsys’ 2024 performance data, Lexar has shown strong growth momentum [2][3]:

Indicator	2019	2024	Growth Multiple
Global Revenue	RMB 864 million	RMB 3.525 billion	4.08x
Compound Annual Growth Rate	-	-	Approx. 32%

Throughout 2024, Lexar’s global sales revenue continued the growth momentum of 2022-2023 and hit a new high, reaching

[2].

The rapid growth of Lexar is an important part of Longsys’ overall performance [2][3]:

Financial Indicator	2023	2024	Year-on-Year Change
Operating Revenue	Approximately RMB 10 billion	RMB 16.5-18 billion	+62.96%~77.78%
Net Profit	RMB 828 million loss	RMB 438-500 million	Turned profitable
Enterprise-level Storage	Approximately RMB 120 million	RMB 922 million	+666.30%
Brazil Zilia	Approximately RMB 1 billion	RMB 2.312 billion	+120.15%

Sports marketing has had a significant positive impact on Lexar’s brand value:

• Increased Brand Awareness
  : Through traffic conversion from the Argentina team’s 200 million global fans, marketing exposure is transformed into market penetration
• Enhanced Pricing Power
  : The high-end brand image has led to an increase in price indices in key markets such as North America and Europe
• Improved User Stickiness
  : Emotional value resonance has enhanced consumers’ brand recognition and loyalty

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From international experience, sports marketing has a significant effect on brand globalization [4][5]:

: Starting from the 1988 Seoul Winter Olympics, Samsung Electronics launched a global brand asset management program, investing USD 2 billion annually (approximately 20% allocated to sports marketing). Its brand value grew from USD 5.223 billion in 2000 to in 2023, achieving a leap from a low-end brand to the world’s 5th most valuable brand.

: Starting from sponsoring the Australian Open in 2008, Hisense’s sports marketing has lasted for 16 years. Its overseas brand awareness increased from 37% in 2016 to in 2023, and its overseas revenue grew from USD 3.5 billion to over USD 12 billion [4].

Dimension	Analysis
Traffic Value	The Argentina team has 200 million global fans, and can achieve billions of exposures during tournaments
Emotional Connection	As a “borderless language”, sports can break through political, cultural, and language barriers
Scenario Fit	Scenarios such as sports photography and event data capture highly match the functions of storage products
Long-termism	Establish long-term partnerships with top IPs to build sustained brand pull

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Lexar’s partnership with the Argentina team is not only a brand marketing layout, but also a strategic positioning for the future “AI + Sports” scenario [1]:

• Grasping Technological Trends
  : With the popularization of technologies such as tactical simulation and motion analysis, real-time capture and processing of massive event data have become a rigid demand
• Product Value Upgrade
  : Lexar has evolved from “storing data” to “understanding data” through high-performance storage, providing underlying computing support for sports technology
• Scenario Innovation
  : In-depth integration of storage products with sports scenarios endows products with richer application value and emotional connotation

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Lexar’s sports marketing strategy with the Argentina National Football Team has had

on brand globalization expansion and performance growth:

1. Brand Upgrade
   : From “product going global” to “globalization of consumer minds”, establishing a high-end, professional brand image
2. Market Penetration
   : Leveraging the global influence of the Argentina team to accelerate in-depth penetration in over 70 countries and regions across six continents
3. Emotional Resonance
   : Through emotional binding with top sports IP, achieving a leap of brand value from the functional level to the emotional level

1. Revenue Growth
   : Lexar’s brand revenue grew from RMB 864 million in 2019 to RMB 3.525 billion in 2024, an increase of over 4 times
2. Profit Contribution
   : Improved brand premium capability drives gross margin improvement, providing support for Longsys’ overall profitability
3. Synergistic Effect
   : The enhancement of brand influence and channel expansion form a positive cycle, promoting synergistic growth of businesses such as enterprise-level storage and embedded storage

Lexar’s sports marketing practice provides a

, proving that “Made in China” can become a high-end choice that carries humanistic memories and emotions. With Longsys’ strategic move to issue H-shares and apply for listing on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Lexar is expected to rely on more abundant capital support to continuously deepen its global sports marketing strategy and further enhance its competitiveness and brand influence in the global storage market.

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[1] 36Kr - The “Champion” Path of Consumer Storage: Lexar Redefines the High-End Protracted War in 30 Years (https://www.36kr.com/p/3627681849033737)

[2] CFM Flash Market - Longsys Performance Forecast: 2024 Net Profit of RMB 438 Million (https://www.chinaflashmarket.com/Producer/longsys/News/182698)

[3] National Business Daily - Longsys Expects 2024 Operating Revenue of RMB 16.5-18 Billion (https://www.nbd.com.cn/articles/2025-01-24/3736653.html)

[4] OneSight - The Common Denominator of 1.8 Billion People: Insights into Global Sports Marketing Trends (https://www.onesight.com/academy/detail/?id=1380039)

[5] CITIC Construction Investment Securities - Hisense Visual Deep Report: How Sports Marketing Supports Long-Term Development of Overseas Markets (https://pdf.dfcfw.com/pdf/H3_AP202406141636230105_1.pdf)