The Haaland effect
As football commanded global attention this summer, Midea had a valuable connection to one of the game’s most recognisable players.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has served as Midea’s global brand ambassador since 2023. The agreement extended a club partnership that began with Manchester City in 2020, giving the Chinese appliance maker a personality-led platform for campaigns, digital content and fan engagement.
Midea is not a FIFA World Cup sponsor, yet it still benefited from one of the tournament’s biggest sensations. Haaland’s performances for Norway and his unexpected popularity among Chinese fans—who affectionately nicknamed him “Ha Bao”—generated a wave of memes, videos and online discussion, amplifying the reach of Midea’s global ambassador during football’s biggest event.
Meanwhile, Midea is also a Global Supporter of the Asian Football Confederation’s club and national team competitions, including the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026. From the 2026–27 season, it is also a Main Partner and Official Home Appliances Partner of FC Barcelona under a five-season agreement, with its logo appearing on the club’s shirt sleeve.
Sport gives Midea visibility. Its international growth, however, is built on a broader mix of acquisitions, local product development and market-specific distribution.
Building global capability
Founded in Guangdong in 1968, Midea has grown into a global technology group with businesses spanning home appliances, building technologies, industrial systems, robotics, healthcare and logistics.
Acquisitions have played an important role in that expansion. Midea acquired control of German robotics company KUKA, purchased an 80.1 per cent stake in Toshiba’s home-appliance business and invested in Italian heating, ventilation and air-conditioning specialist Clivet.
These transactions added engineering expertise, recognised brands and established international operations. More recently, Midea completed its acquisition of Teka Group in 2025, gaining brands including Teka, Küppersbusch and Intra, together with an established presence across Europe, Asia and Latin America.
These deals gave Midea technology, established brands and operating networks in key overseas markets, helping it expand faster than exports alone could have achieved.
Designed for Europe
PortaSplit AC provides a clear example of how Midea applies that capability to a local consumer problem.
Installing conventional split-system air conditioning can be difficult in European rental apartments, heritage buildings and properties subject to planning or landlord restrictions. Portable units are easier to use, but they can be noisy and less efficient because the compressor remains indoors.
PortaSplit separates the indoor and outdoor components while avoiding permanent structural installation. It gives consumers many of the benefits of a fixed split system in homes where conventional air conditioning may be impractical.
Recognised as one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2025, PortaSplit gained fresh momentum this summer as Europe's heatwave pushed demand beyond supply. Reuters reported that the unit sold out through some retail channels, with second-hand prices exceeding the cost of new models in parts of Europe.
Australian Journey
Midea opened an Australia and New Zealand office in Melbourne in June 2024. Soon afterwards, it became the official whitegoods sponsor of the Perth International Football Cup, which featured Manchester City Women and other leading international clubs. Later that year, Midea joined the National Basketball League (NBL) as a partner and subsequently extended the relationship for the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 season.
Its AFC partnership created another local platform during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026. Midea worked with former Matildas goalkeeper Lydia Williams on an Australian campaign and supported the tournament through consumer promotions, hospitality and retail activity.
(image credit: Midea)
The campaign connected an international sponsorship with a familiar Australian sporting figure. It also coincided with Midea’s expanding retail availability, including through appliance retailer Bing Lee.
The company has also expanded beyond retail, opening its first Australian HVAC showroom in Melbourne in 2026 to deepen engagement with industry partners and showcase its commercial and residential climate solutions.
That combination matters. Sponsorship can introduce a brand, but consumers still need trusted retail channels, relevant products and reasons to consider it. Midea’s Australian activity links those elements: sport creates recognition, local campaigns build familiarity and retail partnerships provide a route to purchase.
The bigger lesson
Midea's global growth has been driven by more than manufacturing. Acquisitions expanded its capabilities, local innovation solved market-specific needs, and partnerships brought the brand closer to consumers.
Its experience suggests that going global is not about applying the same formula everywhere. The companies that succeed are those that adapt to local markets while building a consistent global brand.
(images credit: Midea official website)