Xiang Marketing Tests Nike, AOKANG Responds Quickly.

18 noon, Liu Xiang accidentally withdrew from the competition.

In the afternoon, Nike issued an official statement: "Liu Xiang is China's most outstanding track and field athlete.

Since winning the gold medal and breaking the world record in 2004 Athens Olympic Games, he has been and will continue to bring passion to supporters in China and around the world.

Nike is proud to work closely with Liu Xiang.

At this point, we understand his feelings and expect him to recover from injury.

On the morning of 19, newspapers such as "Sports Weekly" and other newspapers published the new Nike version of Liu Xiang's withdrawal from the competition. The slogan was "love games, love all the dignity".

Even if it hurts your heart ".

Helpless Liu Xiangxie

"At the request of Liu Xiang, in order to protect his right foot more, Nike added the thickness of the foam cotton in the heel position of the right shoe upper to better lock the ankle."

A week before Liu Xiang's appearance in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Nike told reporters that the hurdle spiked shoes specially designed and developed for Liu Xiang, the thickness of shoe upper is less than 2 microns, is supported by fine fibers. This is the lightest and strongest sports shoes Nike has ever had.

But with the return of Liu Xiang in August 18th, Nike's effort to design and develop running shoes and sportswear has largely lost its place.

Experts say that Nike has put the heaviest chip on Liu Xiang, which is obvious. But Nike has been insisting on the strategy of "multi star and multi project" during the Olympic Games, leaving much room for itself.

Reporters noted that before August 18th, although Nike Liu Xiang version of the advertisement occupied the prime time of the CCTV live broadcast, many versions of the Yi Jianlian version were commercials at the same time.

Moreover, Nike has sponsored the Olympic equipment of the 22 Chinese sports teams in the Beijing Olympic Games (a total of 28 items in the summer Olympic Games). Weightlifting, basketball, tennis, fencing, archery and other projects have performed well, and have made a lot of popularity for Nike in advance.

Wang Xinye, a well-known marketing expert, thinks that no matter how Liu Xiang behaved 4 years ago, Nike can make an issue in the sense of "breakthrough". Asian athletes can stand on the Olympic track and field finals. This is enough, but now, how to interpret Liu Xiang is not an easy task.

A symbolic sports personage often has a huge impact on professional companies such as Nike.

In the year when Jordan announced his retirement, Nike's stock fell 10%.

Leaving a classic case

Some experts said that although Liu Xiang regretted the withdrawal, Nike, Coca-Cola and other years of successful "Xiang marketing" is still a classic case, which will be relished by future generations.

Nike's "investment" for Liu Xiang can be described as a long-term success.

As early as 2002, Liu Xiang entered Nike's field of vision.

In 2003, Nike began to focus on Liu Xiang's "service", and meticulously arranged its clothing, equipment and attendance.

In June 2004, Nike started Liu Xiang's marketing and advertising plan for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

Nike has designed Liu Xiang's news center on Sina. Once Liu Xiang wins the gold medal, it will become the first time for the whole nation to understand Liu Xiang's required platform.

After Liu Xiang's victory in Athens, Nike has increased the intensive cultivation of Liu Xiang.

In July 2006, Liu Xiang broke the world record for the 110 meter hurdles on the second day, and the salesmen of Nike stores in China put on promotional shirts. In August 2007, when Liu Xiang made a grand slam in Osaka World Championships, Nike developed a "T-shirt" on the same day.

Wang Xinye said that Nike's excavation of Liu Xiang's commercial value is more like a small fire soup, scientific foresight and unique vision, coupled with a planned and step-by-step promotion of the market, which made Liu Xiang's value fully released before the Beijing Olympic Games.

"Compared to the companies who signed Liu Xiang for just one hammer, it was a small cost that brought a big return."

　　奧康：緊急調頭

"If every step is so relaxed and every step is comfortable, can it be wonderful?

2008, look at China's footsteps.

This ringtone made by Liu Xiang's narrator has been in the mobile phone of AOKANG group's brand director Luo Huirong for a long time, but in August 18th, 4 hours after Liu Xiang's withdrawal from injury, the narrator was replaced by music.

This is undoubtedly a blow to almost all Olympic marketing activities related to Liu Xiang's AOKANG group. Now, Liu Xiang's retirement from injury is totally beyond AOKANG's expectations.

　　押寶劉翔　　

In March 2007, AOKANG boarded the Olympic sponsor's last bus to become an exclusive supplier of leather products for the Beijing Olympic Games. It provided ceremonial shoes for the Olympic Games. In order to make use of the rights and interests of the Beijing Olympic logo combination, the AOKANG launched the Olympic champion's dream movement in May 10th of that year, and set up a dream fund for the cause of public welfare to help the Olympic champions realize their respective commonweal dreams.

However, it was not until Liu Xiang joined in November 22, 2007 that AOKANG seemed to find the key to marketing.

"In fact, there is not much money invested in the Olympic dream program."

Wang Zhentao, chairman and chief executive of AOKANG group, confessed.

However, outside rumors Liu Xiang's worth is 58 million.

Liu Xiang's last advertisement before closing up training in 2008 was AOKANG. In this advertisement, Wang Zhentao and Liu Xiang appeared together and put in the golden time of CCTV.

More importantly, all the marketing activities of AOKANG launched around Liu Xiang in 2008.

Liu Xiang's running online image has always been on the front page of sina, and Luo Huirong revealed: "we invested 1 hundred million of this time."

Contrary to expectation

"Liu Xiang's withdrawal from competition is bound to have an impact on AOKANG's marketing."

Zhong Yiqian, an associate professor at the advertising School of Communication University of China, pointed out that because Liu Xiang quit the competition, AOKANG's contests for Liu Xiang events will not be carried out. According to the insiders of AOKANG group, the AOKANG Olympic team of AOKANG will be dissolved.

In AOKANG's plan, there was a marketing strategy for Liu Xiang if he didn't win the championship.

Earlier, when Luo Huirong introduced AOKANG's Olympic marketing plan, he pointed out: "if Liu Xiang does not win the championship, AOKANG already has a set of safeguards. At that time, our marketing slogan is" footsteps have not stopped, there is still a dream in your heart, you are the champion forever. "

However, there are no contingency plans for Liu Xiang to withdraw from the competition in the preliminaries.