Lining, A Shoe Maker, Is Going Global With An International Talent Strategy.

December 17th hearing Lining This time we can win the best internationalization of ten years. enterprise The award, which is somewhat surprising, has neither oversea sales as HUAWEI (Lining's overseas sales in 2009 only 1% of total sales), and no international mergers and acquisitions like Lenovo or TCL. But the development of the "first build an international brand, and then expand the international market" has made Lining the most global brand in the domestic sports industry. Last year, Lining's performance in the mainland of China outperformed Adidas and Nike, and many consumers believed that if China's sports industry could produce an international market,品牌，那一定是李寧。

The road of internationalization is tortuous but forward.

In July of this year, Lining eBay launched its overseas online store, first landing on eBay Australian site and British site. In fact, as early as 1999, Lining had attempted internationalization. In August 1999, Lining first organized a group to participate in the ISPO Sporting Goods Fair held in Munich, Germany. One of the aims was to contact overseas distributors in order to fight for the European market. In 2001, Lining's first overseas brand image shop opened in Spain. Just as Li Ning Co was trying to sell its products to the whole world, Anta, 361 and other local sporting goods enterprises developed rapidly, and international brands such as Nike and Adidas began to exert their strength in China and occupy the first tier cities. Lining lost the first place in the market.

Before and after the attack, Lining adjusted the direction in time and refocused on the domestic market. In 2004, Lining reformulated the strategic plan: 2005~2008, focusing on the domestic market and striving to break through in the internal and external markets. In 2009~2013, the international preparatory stage was focused on strengthening the internationalization capability; 2014~2018 was the stage of full internationalization. "At that time, Li Ning Co is expected to become the world's top 5 Sports Brand Company, and the international market share will account for more than 20% of the total sales." Li Ning Co's CEO Zhang Zhiyong said. In order to achieve this goal, the Li Ning Co takes the international route from inside to outside, that is, to realize the internationalization of its capability before going to the international market, enhance the ability of innovation and brand marketing. In addition to research and development centers in Portland, Lining has a clothing research and development center in Hongkong and a sports science research center in Beijing. The establishment of these research centers made Lining's products reach the international standard from design to technology, such as breathability of clothing materials and rebound of shoes.

Joining the international talent system

Lining has also attracted a large number of international talents. Lining has created a management team almost all from the top 500 of the world, chief product officer from Nike, CFO from DELL, and fabric development from Adidas. The company nearly 1/3 management is expatriates, and in Lining's design team, there are former Nike senior designer, CONVERSE's former global creative director AlanHardy, and Warner Bros. movie design prop, MattRask, AlanHardy. Internationalized talents have become the most solid foundation for Lining to go global.

In international marketing, Li Ning Co is highly praised and impressed. Lining's spokesperson has been an international sports superstar, including shark O'neal, the 26 time to break the world record of Russian female athlete Isinbayeva. Lining is also a partner of Spain and Argentina national basketball team. In 2008 Olympic Games, the Professional Tennis Federation (ATP) of Spain and Sweden delegation is also a long-term partner of Lining. The problem that any enterprise can not get around in the process of internationalization is how to create a distinctive brand image. Lining's answer is Oriental.

This year, Li Ning Co carried out the brand remolding, taking "sensitivity, balance, endurance and precision" as its brand characteristics. Zhang Zhiyong said: "these are things that no one can take from us, and can also make Lining brand become distinctly different from other international brands. {page_break}

Specifically, to the product level, the design of Lining's products is not only in line with the standards of globalization, but also closely related to the popular elements of the world, but at the same time, it has Chinese characteristics and embodies the spirit of the East. For example, the "Banpo" shoes, which once won the industrial design award, were inspired by Banpo pottery in China; while professional sports shoes and costumes for Isinbayeva, while respecting the ideas of American designers, they also adopted the phoenix pattern represented by domestic designers. Better use the international perspective to explore the Oriental connotation of Lining brand itself. Since last year, Lining has launched the training plan for mainland, Hongkong and American designers.

For the internationalization of Lining, Liu Chuanzhi, chairman of Lenovo Group's board of directors, once said: "the road to go will be very difficult. But the international road is Hirohiro. " For Lining, this is just the beginning.