Li Ning is both a chaser and a chaser. International markets and high-end market, the face of Adidas, it can only look up. Local brands , it is the boss, but behind ANTA, 361 and other hot pursuit. This clip in the high-end market between the "sandwich" situation, Li Ning feel uncomfortable. Its countermeasures, one is to go up and walk away - the establishment of a global shoe design center in Portland, the United States , the second is the brand differentiation, no longer grab the basketball and Nike, and Adidas grab the football.
Although there is still a month to officially appear on the shelves, Li Ning to NBA star Barran Davis new design boots have been in the "I mad for shoes", "Tiger NBA", "Li Ning interactive" shoes fans Forum became Small focus, there are sought after doubt, the highest concentration of doubt is: "This is Li Ning?"
They also widened their eyes on dealers who came to Li Ning's fourth-quarter orders in July. Li Ning, general manager of shoe products division Li Jiaming slightly exaggerated to describe, "from a dozen twenty meters away from the shoe wall at a distance, immediately saw a dozen different models, unlike Li Ning." These distribution Li Jia-ming, who are clutching the business, ask foreign designers please do?
Please be abroad, but still Li Ning. In January 2008, Li Ning went to Nike's birthplace and headquarters. The United States established the first Global Design Center (GIC) for Chinese sports brands in Portland, USA, where the shoe fans and distributors were suppressed It is from this shoe.
In the past 20 months, some 20 designers and engineers serving international brands completed a design quarter project in a small barbecue on the second floor terrace in Portland - Baron Davis and Isinbayeva's equipment, the core technology "bow" of the new model, there are a number of new models, waiting for the fourth quarter of this year's market test.
Li Ning why?
"Domestic sports brands are watching Li Ning." A footwear boss in Guangdong told Southern Weekend reporter, "Li Ning is the first domestic sports brand, but also the most caught in the high-end and low-end brand. Li Ning encountered today Problems, the way we go, tomorrow we can not avoid it. "
Chinese sports brands are now at a crucial juncture: the Olympic Games have brought unprecedented high growth, but after what? Design is the key driving force for sports brands, can no longer rely on low-cost, but when do, how to do? Chinese brand can not do? How to become an international brand? These are the problems they think about every day.
Li Ning has taken the first to embark on this juncture. In the Chinese market, its market share gap with the second Adidas has shrunk from 3% to 2.6%. Some products integrating elements have begun to gain recognition from the international design community. In early 2008, the Board of Directors approved Li Ning's new five-year strategy. At the beginning of 2009, Zhang Zhi-yong formally told staff that the goal for the next five years is to make Li Ning one of the most respected brands in China and stick to the top three in China's industry , Most importantly, Li Ning brand will be repositioned.
Obviously, the global design center GIC is Lining's five-year strategic plan that has not yet been clearly disclosed to the public. The first one is to be tested by the market. Li Ning's ambition is obviously not limited to "inserting the red flag into Nike's backyard."
Time lapse iron man Li Ning's secret weapon
Li Ning company how much emphasis on this global design center, with a Li Ning staff private jokes more easily understood. "If our domestic design department is Tuba Road, they are the Snow Leopard Commando in Portland."
In the organizational structure, GIC is directly under the CEO, the previous design department is only one of the regular department; the amount of investment is 7-8 US dollars; and Zhang Zhiyong spent seven or eight months to pick the person in charge Li Jiaming, at the same time was appointed general manager of the shoes product division positions, control Li Ning shoes all the issues. To this end, Li Jiaming MSN signature file has become a "jet lag" because it takes two weeks in the United States, three weeks in China, frequent flights.
The background of Li Jiaming is also quite meaningful. The 15-year-old Shanghai native to the United States worked long hours in both the United States and China, proficient in Chinese and Western cultures and working methods. The resumes are all international consultancy firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and Accenture Business strategy consulting positions.
Even in the details of what kind of insurance is available to US workers, CEO Zhang Zhiyong, a financial-based founder, did not follow the principle of cost-driven but instead achieved a local average bias.
All of these make the outside world think that Li Ning wants to enter the European and American markets, and the GIC is only a bridgehead. However, Zhang Zhiyong said in an interview that the timetable was not set. "From an international perspective, the first is the internationalization of capabilities, and then the internationalization of business, and the GIC is now ready for internationalization."
"And internationalization is definitely not urgent." Zhang Zhiyong, a graduate of Peking University's Guanghua EMBA, often reads various management cases. In several cases of Chinese enterprises going abroad, he saw the deadly consequences of inadequate preparation. Therefore, at present, Localization in Southeast Asia market.
Make great efforts to do GIC, not only for internationalization, but also because Zhang Zhiyong know that we must change. "I had the idea of ​​going to the United States as a design center in the last five-year strategy, except that the financial resources were not supported at the time." Now I have to do it because Zhang has judged that the driving force behind the economic growth of China's sporting goods has grown from "Pathway is King" has become "pathways and innovation in parallel." For sports brands, especially shoes, innovations must go to the forefront of the world.
Portland is clearly the most suitable, here is one of the two major US shoe centers, gathered Nike, Columbia and other international sports brand headquarters, where Li Ning can recruit world-class designers, R & D engineers, but also at any time Cooperate with various agencies in the industry chain. In the team designing shoes for "Pole Empress" Isinbayeva, Mark Thompson, an engineer who specializes in biomechanical shoe improvement, has worked in this area for 20 years; he also recruited Calgary University professor of pole vault, the results of Eva shoes to achieve a lot of innovation - the traditional hard end lengthened, and increased the hind briskness.
The role of GIC is even reflected in unexpected places. Nike has always been the industry's most recognized materials, in fact, their material suppliers are China, but all belong to the export system, but the material can not be supplied to domestic brands, GIC can break through this restriction.
Is this Li Ning?
Interestingly, these cool American designer creations themselves still give consumers the illusion. Shoes fans read the pictures of the upcoming Baron Davis boots, convinced that this is to meet European and American consumer tastes, to fight the European and American markets. "Use color, down logo is Nike's design elements, the end is Adi commonly used, is sold to foreigners." Someone in the forum so analysis. Coincidentally, the designer of Baron Davis boots Eric Miler is indeed a senior designer Nike and Converse.
"This series of shoes is still sold to Chinese consumers." Tian Peng, senior product manager of the Baron Davis project from Beijing to Portland, told reporters. Barang regatta but only worn on the field, the color is dazzling, there are a few fans with the experience of the stars growing up, more models are for the average consumer, for different people.
The question is, where is Li Ning? In recent two years, Li Ning's local designers have several products such as "Banpo", "Flying A" won the International Design Award, there is a "Yu Shuai" series has achieved great commercial success.
Obviously, Li Ning is currently the most prominent brand superiority over competitors is: on behalf of the Oriental element. Li Ning's fans, "Lemon" are worried that the United States will join the removal of designer Li Ning just formed, fairly decent design, directly into the Nike or Adidas cottage version.
Li Jiaming very frankly, he knows the seriousness of the problem, as the current GIC biggest challenge - the United States combined with advanced design concepts of Chinese culture, into the brand spirit of Li Ning go. "Difficult not to make ten good shoes, but the ten into a thousand, and has its own unique brand of design language, so that other people can not see the logo can know that this is Li Ning. Is a real international brand. "
In order to solve this big problem, Li Jia-ming is trying, is in a two cultural context designer team rotation and integration office. At present, 48 domestic footwear designers have been divided into four batches of Portland, each quarter to stay a quarter; next year, the turn came to China in batches of designers to China, the first to go is basketball shoes design team.
Li Jiaming very confident to fight this challenge, because he believes that the success of the shoe brand lies in sports science and culture and two levels. "In terms of sports technology and design concepts, we have found an advanced learning channel. Culturally, Chinese culture is rapidly growing internationally. A Chinese brand has unique advantages and is easy to form a design element for both China and the rest of the world." "
CEO Zhang Zhiyong also told reporters a solution. Eight months ago, Li Ning headquarters design department made two designer handbook, including what the connotation of the brand Li Ning, what elements should be used to transform the design elements, color, type, what should not be used and so on. To know that Li Ning designer eight months ago is no specification to follow.
However, for any one brand internationalization are bound to come across the big problem of integration, if only these are obviously not enough. Southern Weekend reporter's trip to Portland, security change in San Francisco, security staff saw the reporter's Li Ning shoes, exclaimed "I love your shoes", but then asked "Is it Nike ?." This is a limited edition of the "May Fourth Movement" commemorative design by a domestic designer that will still cause misconceptions in the United States.
In this regard, Zhang Zhiyong sold off, he said similar brand consistency issues, the third quarter of next year there will be a result presented. just now? This is still a trade secret.
Let Li Ning's face better recognition
Before the first results of the GIC market, Li Ning, another strategic move to see is the product line reconstruction.
July of this year, Li Ning bought 165 million yuan with China Badminton Equipment Market ranked second in the "Kason," began to concentrate on doing badminton market, even in South East Asia are newly opened shop to play badminton, no longer and Nike rob Basketball, and Adidas grab the football.
"This is to achieve brand differentiation, badminton is Li Ning's most advantageous and unique brand of assets, but also in China and Southeast Asia have a profit-making market." Zhang Zhiyong introduced Road.
Zhang put the badminton strategy appeal In order to achieve "brand differentiation", the GIC appeals for the realization of "brand consistency", which is the two important parts of Li Ning brand remodeling. "What are brand reshaping? Who are the target consumers, how the brand DNA is expressed, how the product line is assembled, the new image of the retail store, and the communications and marketing, etc."
So far, what is still not clear but what matters for brand reshaping is brand clarity - who is the target consumer? This involves Li Ning is doing high-end or in the low-end, for the first-tier cities or second and third line, after selling 90 or 90.
On consumer issues, Li Ning has the biggest advantage - when asked consumers, if there is a sports brand in China can become an international brand, you most want and who is the most likely, then the answer is basically Li Ning. This is the result of multiple surveys, but also our most direct feelings.
However, consumer issues are also the biggest pressure Li Ning is facing - in front of Nike and Adidas firmly dominated by large and first-tier cities, followed by the ANTA, 361, Xtep and so on in second and third tier cities and rapid growth; and they are even more influential young Consumers, by contrast, Li Ning loyal consumers have been over thirty years.
After the five-year strategy was finalized, in early 2008, Li Ning introduced Ziba to conduct a comprehensive consumer orientation. The company, once rated by BusinessWeek as one of the nation's top three design houses, has provided graphic design and consumer research services to many multinational corporations. "To be frank, there is no such thing as a market niche before working with Ziba.How do not know how to do qualitative research, do not know how to translate research results into products, such as how to translate 'passion' into color, line And now I know this is a tool. "Zhang Zhiyong has also invited a lot of consulting and investigation before the company, but most of Roland Berger is such a management consulting company, which is the first time to enable a biased design company.
According to reports, Ziba will bring more clearly and obviously change next year. Currently, Zhang Zhiyong response to consumer positioning is "the highest loyalty is over the age of 30, the worst is under 18 years of age; hope to affect more in the future 80."
Li Ning in the younger efforts have been clues. This year it first cooperated with the trendy pioneer magazine "0086", and then in April it held a very "tide" event called "FunRun Super Evening" in Beijing. In 2000, it attracted more than 2,000 "night owls."
It is foreseeable that in the coming year, Li Ning at the crossroads will present a clearer face to the market.
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