Dutch dairy giant FrieslandCampina announced yesterday that through a multi-year marketing partnership it has become the ‘Official Milk Partner’ of the NBA in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.
Using this platform, the company plans to introduce its Drink.Move.BeStrong campaign, and will serve as a ‘Presenting Partner’ of Jr NBA, the association’s international youth development program, in the countries.
Speaking with DairyReporter.com, FrieslandCampina spokesperson, Jan-Willem ter Avest said that through its collaboration with the NBA it hopes to “promote the power of nutrition and sport” in the region.
“We want to promote an active and healthy lifestyle," said ter Avest.
"It is one of our CSR goals to reach millions of children a year with effective information on healthy nutrition. That is why we participate in programs like this.”
"Logical next step"
FrieslandCampina has inherited its partnership with the NBA from its Filipino subsidiary Alaska Milk Corporation.
“There was already a partnership in the Philippines through Alaska Milk Corporation that was acquired by FrieslandCampina in 2012,” said ter Avest.
The Jr NBA program has been staged in the Philippines in partnership with Alaska Milk Corporation for seven consecutive years. During that time, more than 80,000 students, parents and educators have participated in events.
Now, in collaboration with FrieslandCampina, Jr NBA will be launched for the first time in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam later this year.
“It is a logical next step to extend the program to other Asian countries," said ter Avest.
Brand leverage
Alongside Jr NBA, FrieslandCampina will introduce its Drink.Move.BeStrong campaign, which was developed to “promote the power of nutrition and sport to enable children across the region to adopt an active, healthy, and nutritious lifestyle.”
The program's inception was inspired by the Southeast Asian Nutrition Survey (SEANUTS), which highlighted the “rising prevalence of overweight and obesity, as well as the persistence of under-nutrition” in the region.
“Dairy can make a positive and important contribution to the challenge to overcome under nourishment and overweight and to lead a healthy and active life, because it contains a relatively high number of essential nutrients per calorie, such as vitamins, minerals and proteins," said ter Avest.
Through the campaign, which will incorporate grassroots events, television and digital activity, and localized content, FrieslandCampina also hopes to reach out to the NBA’s significant Asian fan base.
It also plans to leverage the popularity of its established Dutch Lady (Malaysia, Vietnam), Frisian Flag (Indonesia), Foremost (Thailand), and Alaska (Philippines) brands to further the campaign.
Commenting, Francesco Suarez, vice president of global marketing partnerships, NBA Asia, branded FrieslandCampina "an ideal partner to help improve the health of children across Southeast Asia."
“Basketball has a significant participation base in Asia, the game is easy to learn, and is a great way to teach boys and girls the importance of exercise and healthy lifestyle. Thanks to the support of FrieslandCampina, we are bringing Jr NBA to four new countries where, together we can speak directly to kids, parents, and educators in Asia about health and fitness.”