# Branding

Winning at All Costs: Alipay Rebrands After a Linguistic Own-Goal in China's Grassroots Football

Alipay was forced to rapidly rebrand its local football sponsorship mascot in Nanjing after fans mocked the original name as a homophone for zero following a shutout loss. The incident highlights the linguistic complexities of Chinese branding and the growing significance of grassroots sports leagues in corporate marketing strategies.