When it comes to China's sports brands, who is the first thing that comes to mind? Li Ning, Anta, or 361 degrees? In fact, our domestic sports brands have developed impressively in recent years!
In particular, ANTA not only holds the top position in China, but also ranks among the top three in the world. What do they rely on to gain a foothold in the global market, and how do they break the decades-long dominance of brands such as Nike?
The road to counterattack by local brands
In the past, when it came to sports brands, the first thing that came to people's minds was international brands such as Nike and Adidas. With advanced design concepts, sophisticated manufacturing processes and strong marketing capabilities, they were once invincible in the global market. In front of them, local Chinese brands are like a small thing.
But in recent years, local Chinese brands are rapidly emerging into the market share of international brands.
For ANTA, a home-grown Chinese brand, it is from a little-known small shoe factory to the peak step by step. The story of Ding Shizhong's father and son working side by side is a realistic version of Chinese partners.
When Ding Shizhong was 17 years old, he told his father that I would stop going to school and would go to Beijing. Although Lao Ding felt sorry for his son, he still didn't say a word, took out 10,000 yuan and 600 pairs of shoes, stuffed them into his son's hands, and instructed: "Son, be careful on the road!" Ding Shizhong responded with a smile, turned around and stepped on the train to Beijing.
Ding Shizhong, who first arrived in Beijing, was so poor that he lived in a simple hotel and ate at roadside stalls, but in order to survive the shoe factory, he gritted his teeth and insisted on negotiating with shopping malls door to door.
finally persuaded a shopping mall to let him set up a stall, and Ding Shizhong was extremely excited. From then on, he was like a clockwork spinning top, getting up before dawn to get busy, tidying up the stalls, greeting customers, and being busy until the middle of the night before closing his eyes. In this way, with good quality and low price, it gradually left a good impression in the hearts of customers.
But Ding Shizhong didn't want to stop there, he knew the importance of building his own brand at that time. As a result, in 1991, the ANTA brand came into being.
In the face of the aggressiveness of international brands, Ding Shizhong did not hit hard, but aimed at the second- and third-tier cities that they ignored. Like a snowball, Anta grew bigger and bigger in these markets, with stores springing up like mushrooms, and the number soon surpassed 2,000.
When the Asian financial crisis broke out in 1997, many enterprises were crushed, but Anta relied on solid basic skills to tide over the difficulties. What is even more admirable is that Ding Shizhong did not forget to strengthen the brand in the face of adversity.
Two years later, he made up his mind to sign Olympic champion Kong Linghui as his spokesperson. As soon as the news came out, there was an uproar in the industry, saying that he was gambling.
But Ding Shizhong knows that he believes in the appeal of sports stars. Sure enough, after Kong Linghui won the championship at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, Anta's popularity soared, and its turnover soared from 20 million to 300 million that year.
In 2022, Anta's revenue reached 62.3 billion yuan, surpassing Adidas and ranking second in the world. Li Ning's performance was also outstanding, with a market value of more than HK$40 billion. These two dark horses are not only killing in the domestic market, but also beginning to emerge in the international market.
Like Anta, it can have today, which is the result of starting from the sinking of the channel and building the country step by step.
Although the consumption power of these markets is not as good as that of first- and second-tier cities, they are superior in that they have a huge base and are an uncultivated land. Anta took the lead in the layout and quickly expanded its scale through small profits and quick turnover, laying a leading edge.
Unlike ANTA, which focuses on "rural areas surrounding cities", Li Ning has launched products with Chinese style to meet the psychological needs of young consumers to express their individuality and pursue domestic products. For a time, China's Li Ning swept the north and south of the country and became synonymous with national fashion.
Marketing is just a stepping stone to open the market, and if you want to win the hearts of consumers, you have to rely on excellent product strength. Chinese brands have made great efforts in this regard.
They continue to innovate in product design, supply chain management, etc., greatly improve the cost performance, and win the favor of consumers with "ruthless work".
China's local brands have grown from scratch and from weak to strong, relying on the innovative spirit of daring to think and fight and the pragmatic style of down-to-earth.
In the context of the difficulty of clever women to cook without rice, they adopted a differentiated strategy according to local conditions, avoided the edge of international brands, and achieved corner overtaking by means of surrounding cities from the countryside and razing them.
Internationalization strategy
Sports marketing is not a simple matter of throwing money around, but a knowledgeable business. While gaining a firm foothold in China's domestic market, Chinese sports brands such as Anta and Li Ning are also accelerating their internationalization, and sponsoring sports events and star athletes is undoubtedly a key move for them to go global.
ANTA's relationship with sporting events can be traced back to its sponsorship of the World Weightlifting Championships in 1995. Since then, ANTA has been aiming at the broad road of sports marketing, building its unique advantages in event sponsorship and celebrity endorsement step by step.
Today, ANTA is a frequent participant in international competitions. It has not only served as a partner of the Chinese Olympic Committee for many years, but also became the official sportswear supplier of the IOC in 2019.
From the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to the Tokyo Olympics, and then to the Beijing Winter Olympics at our doorstep, ANTA's presence is everywhere, and the athletes and teams it sponsors have gained a lot, winning a total of 37 golds, 26 silvers and 20 bronzes.
In addition to the Olympic Games, ANTA has also made frequent moves in basketball, football and other sports. It has become an official partner of the NBA, and its sneakers are favored by superstars such as Curry and Thompson.
It has sponsored European football giants such as Borussia Dortmund and Southampton, and has emerged in the five major leagues. With the help of sports marketing, ANTA is setting off a Chinese trend in the global market at an increasingly fast pace, allowing Made in China to take advantage of foreign men.
As another leader in local brands, Li Ning has also spared no effort in sports sponsorship. It is a long-term partner of many dream teams such as the Chinese gymnastics team, diving team, and table tennis team, and has successively signed contracts with popular players such as Chen Long and Shi Yuqi.
The blessing of these top IPs not only enhances the brand image of Li Ning, but also gives wings to its internationalization strategy.
In recent years, Li Ning has further extended its tentacles to e-sports events. It has entered into a strategic partnership with the League of Legends Pro League as the official sports category partner, targeting this booming market segment. The cross-border integration of sports + trend is a powerful tool for the rejuvenation of the Li Ning brand.
Of course, sports marketing isn't as simple as spending money. Knowledgeable sponsors know that in order to play this business, they must grasp the characteristics and laws of sports events.
For example, it is necessary to choose an event that is in line with the brand tone, conduct a detailed evaluation of the sponsorship, formulate a thorough activity plan, and pay attention to the warm-up before the event and the continuation after the competition...... Every detail should not be overlooked, and only by grasping these essentials can we be invincible in the complex and ever-changing sports marketing.
The magic weapon of differentiated competition
In the wrestling field of global sports brands, Chinese brands are coming from behind. In the face of competition from giants such as Nike and Adidas, they did not follow the trend and follow the crowd, but found another way and embarked on a differentiated development path. Among them, the best are none other than Li Ning and Anta.
In recent years, Li Ning has played with flowers and made great efforts in product design. The most eye-catching thing is the national tide series it launched.
Li Ning's China Li Ning collection cleverly combines Chinese elements with trendy fashion, and has launched a series of highly recognizable items. For example, the T-shirt printed with the four big characters of China's Li Ning, simple but not simple, retro and fashionable, caused a sensation as soon as it was launched.
There is also a pair of sneakers that incorporate Tai Chi elements, black and white, yin and yang, both the connotation of oriental philosophy, and the appearance of avant-garde design, which can be called a model of national tide.
Li Ning plays the national tide, but it is not a dragonfly and a shallow taste. It is also deeply involved in the construction and dissemination of Guochao culture. In 2018, Li Ning shined at Paris Fashion Week, with the theme of China's Li Ning, integrating Chinese elements such as gymnastics and diving into fashion design, allowing the world to see the charm of the national trend.
Since then, Li Ning has established an independent design brand, Li Ning Design, which combines national innovation elements with top design to further expand the imagination space of the national trend.
Unlike Li Ning's cultural fan, Anta has made frequent moves in technological innovation. It has set up a huge R&D team, invested a lot of money in black technology every year, and developed a series of hard-core products.
For example, a new material called A-FLASHFOAM is said to make running shoes lighter and more elastic; There is also the A-GILLY outsole technology, which is claimed to improve the durability and grip of the sole. These technologies that sound like a book from heaven are actually Anta's ruthless moves in product performance.
Of course, Anta has not fallen behind in terms of exterior design. It invited internationally renowned designers to work on it and launched a lot of high-value popular sneakers. Just like those Thompson's signature shoes, the upper is made of woven material, which is light and breathable; The sole is made of Continental rubber, which is wear-resistant and non-slip. With the blessing of top-level performance and trendy appearance, it is no wonder that it became an Internet celebrity as soon as it was listed.
Li Ning and Anta have the same goal, and they are all making a fuss about product strength and winning with differentiated competition. This trick seems simple, but it is very effective.
You know, for consumers, the product is always the foundation of the brand. No matter how good the marketing is, if the product is not up to standard, it will be empty after all.
The key reason why Li Ning and Anta have been able to fight their way out of the market is that they have not simply imitated foreign brands, but have done their homework on products based on their own characteristics.
Differentiated competition is by no means achieved overnight, and it requires enterprises to have the determination to sharpen a sword for ten years and the courage to sail against the current. Li Ning and Anta have been able to get to where they are today, relying on this ruthlessness.
This kind of courage to be the first in the world, and the tenacity of insisting that Qingshan will not relax, is worth learning from every enterprise.
epilogue
From obscurity to household name, from foundry to the world's top three, ANTA relies on the enterprise spirit of dedication, tenacity and continuous innovation. The success of domestic brands such as Anta and Li Ning is by no means unique.
The transformation and upgrading of China's manufacturing industry is the general trend of today, and China's intelligent manufacturing is going to the world. In the process, local companies continue to gain innovation vitality, expand market acumen and global vision.
In the future, it is believed that more Chinese brands will rise and bring more high-quality products and services to global consumers.