Anta: How Does Cinderella Wear Crystal Shoes?

Anta group CEO Ding Zhizhong: to run faster than all opponents in China, in January 12th, the eve of the 07-08 CBA All-Star game, "the first CBA Anta equipment design competition award ceremony" was held in Chengdu. "The CBA Anta equipment design competition is to let CBA grassroots fans design our own boots, All-Star robes and championship t-shirts for our CBA."

This is the idea of the organizer. This highly participatory activity has also highlighted Anta's "grass roots" idea.

"Grassroots culture" is the brand spirit identified by founder Ding Zhizhong. Anta has never been a blue ocean enterprise. Even in the most popular 2006 of "Blue Ocean Strategy", it never intended to find its own blue ocean.

"The blue ocean is very small, but Anta is the biggest in the Red Sea."

He said to business weekly.

Ding Zhizhong, who believed in "grass roots", led Anta group in 2007 to present the modern version of "Cinderella and crystal shoes" story, listing, Olympic marketing war, signing NBA stars, and a series of dazzling operations, so that the "grassroots" brand has successfully integrated into the "mainstream society".

The word "sober" by CBA sponsors is very useful for describing Ding Zhizhong, a 37 year old Fukien.

He knows his brand positioning and product positioning very well, and because of this, he knows how to seize the opportunities at hand and how to prepare for the future.

Before sponsoring CBA, Anta was more like a leisure brand, and only 15 days after its listing in Hongkong in July 2007, its market value reached HK $20 billion 900 million, and Anta also had a professional image recognized by investors.

This image is established through basketball, especially through sponsoring the CBA China Men's Basketball League.

But back to 2004, not many people are optimistic about CBA's business prospects.

At that time, CBA, who was looking for the famous sports brand sponsorship, was also on the starting line of the commercial operation. The sponsor of the CBA League, the Chinese Basketball Association, found the top three in the sporting goods market of China at that time, but both were rejected.

In November 2004, Anta signed a strategic cooperation agreement with CBA for 4 years, becoming the only sponsor of the CBA sports equipment.

Today, CBA has become the most profitable professional league in China. With the growth of CBA, there are not only a lot of Anta ads on the CBA arena, but also the Anta's red trademark on the players' shirts.

You can say that the initial cooperation between Anta and CBA was that it did not have the resources of the top three industries in the industry, but from then on, more than three years ago, Ding Zhizhong could see his recognition of the platform.

In the second year of signing the contract, in 2005, Ding Zhizhong decided to devote great cost to the development of technology, and to develop the professional basketball shoes of "King Series" for the 2005-2006 new season.

To determine the specifications of this kind of basketball shoes, Anta researchers coordinate with the team members to record, analyze and investigate all the sports rules in the 20 CBA basketball games - running, jumping, strong confrontation, standing on one foot or two feet, changing direction and stopping.

They also consulted athletes and coaches, and what movements and skills in specific positions are essential for winning, the team doctors will tell the researchers what kind of foot movement can cause the greatest damage.

Anta has set up its own R & D institution, "Sports Science Laboratory" and equipped with professional talents specializing in human mechanics and product function research.

The professional technical team has successfully developed the "King Series" basketball shoes.

The three battle boots, named "leopard", "lion pie" and "Hawk", are used by Anta's independent technology core technology (A-Core), which not only greatly improves the jumping ability of CBA professional athletes, but also achieves the best shock absorption effect in violent sports, and provides excellent protection for ankles and soles.

Vamp is made of full grain leather, which strengthens the air permeability and package property of the shoes. The lining material uses a mould proof and antibacterial suede lining. This kind of breathable and perspiration material not only makes the feet more comfortable, but also allows the feet to "calm down" after the high-intensity competition, so as to avoid the peculiar smell of sweating shoes.

Also, the TPU bearing tray of the middle palm is dutifully responsible for providing good support in key positions, which not only increases the firmness of the shoes, but also prevents the sprained feet from starting and stopping.

These technologies have been officially recognized by CBA, and three basketball shoes appear on the feet of CBA players running and jumping.

Outside the stadium, in order to nurture the brand image and public image of CBA, Anta is the first donor who responded positively and supported by "CBA and I grew up public welfare program". It donated 1 million yuan and 2 million yuan worth of Anta products. The funds of the project were used to build public projects such as hope school, CBA hope library, CBA hope sports room or basketball court.

Because of the good operation of the CBA project, Anta signed a 6 year contract with CBA in 2006.

And on this basis, Anta has to take a higher jump target: NBA.

From CBA to NBA, "in June 29, 2007, we started the global road show, and the introduction of rocket investment as the cornerstone of investors in June 27th was fixed."

Xu Yang, director of Anta brand management center, recalled to reporters that "the rocket enjoys such a high reputation NBA team in China. On the one hand, it can bring popularity to Anta brand. On the other hand, both sides have the opportunity to cooperate better."

Houston rockets boss Leslie Alexander has always been optimistic about the Chinese market. In 2002, Yao Ming landed in NBA to join the Rockets. Alexander was determined to bet on a "China concept".

The value of the rocket club has doubled from $200 million to US $400 million, and Alexander has begun to taste Chinese sweetness and decided to make persistent efforts.

Among the sporting goods companies in China, Li Ning Co is the first one to sign NBA players, first Damon Jones, then shark O'neal, and then rocket Hayes.

PEAK signed a contract with Battier after he was switched to the Rockets in 2006.

Anta also squeezed into the tiny locker room of the Rockets.

In September 2007, Alexander recommended Scola to Anta, and Anta signed the contract smoothly.

"Alexander became a free scout of Anta."

Xu Yang joked that without his mediation, Anta could not rely on Email and telephone contact with Scola's broker, and basically decided to endorse Scola's endorsement.

After the Rockets decided to introduce Francis, Anta also took the initiative to sign Francis.

In November 9, 2007, Ding Zhizhong and Xu Yang flew to Houston.

In the second days before the "YY war" (Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian) between the rockets and the Bucks, Anta announced the signing of Scola's news. After second days of competition, Anta and rocket formed a four in one "strategic partner". From the perspective of advertising, players, basketball shoes and training camp, the CBA and NBA were deeply integrated.

Xu Yang also said: "Anta has also signed the Rockets coach Adelman and Bonzi Wells, who is very suited to Adelman's" Princeton tactical system ".

More importantly, Ding Zhizhong and Xu Yang need to do more than just go to NBA, and integrate Anta's existing resources with NBA, that is, CBA.

Anta needs to multiply between two races.

Anta's way is to help the potential basketball players grow up in China through the pre season training camp of the Rockets.

The specific plan is to help potential athletes in China join the "CBA Anta star rocket training camp" in summer, accept the guidance of Adelman face to face, and Scola, Francis and Wells's "partner training".

In turn, the outstanding performances of these athletes in the domestic leagues, who have gained training camp's strength and strength, will make Anta's CBA sponsorship appear professional and have more marketing opportunities.

In order to impress Scola and Francis, Anta signed Nike's famous Jordan air cushion designer Bill Pedersen as a partner. In February and March 2008, it will launch a new product specially designed for Anta.

In June and July, the training camp started. After the August and September Olympic Games, Scola launched Anta's brand promotion activities in China, which could cover the end of the CBA and NBA season before the start of the new season.

Starting from an unknown CBA of the year, 3 years later, it was able to get through the NBA resources. These resources for Anta, which are eager to grow and expand, means greater market and consumer recognition.

In fact, in 2004, Ding Zhizhong hired a consulting company, AT corney, to jointly confirm Anta's DNA, define market positioning and formulate development strategies.

At that time, Anta's brand awareness and scale increased gradually, and Ding Zhizhong began to have the opportunity and ability to think about how the company should "further grow".

To be bigger, there are two problems to be solved: first, where is the target market of Anta; two, how to form a strategy of differentiation with competitors.

After market and consumer surveys, the two sides' analysis of Anta's market position is that Anta's dominance is in the control of the low and middle end market. In the middle and low end market, "there are about 500 million Chinese consumers who can't afford Anta, but with the increase of their income, they will become Anta's target customers".

After a clear positioning, Anta suppressed the temptation of "price increase".

"At retail prices, we are 20%-30% lower than Lining's."

Lai Shixian, chief operating officer of Anta, said that, taking into account Nike and Adidas's sports stars and Li Ning Co's "gold medal aura", Anta began to strategically seek athletes who have not yet been famous but have been struggling.

Such a brand strategy will not bring too much financial pressure to Anta, who can't do whatever it wants to do.

At the same time, Ding Zhizhong found that the market began to divide.

"Some companies are gradually moving into the fashion apparel industry, while others are focusing on specialized markets such as basketball and tennis."

He admitted that in the early stage of brand creation, like many other enterprises in Jinjiang, Anta had been swaying, showing some entertainment and fashion styles, such as finding Elva Hsiao as spokesperson. Although the singer's product sold well, Ding Zhizhong quickly judged that it was a mistake and returned to professional sports in a timely manner.

With this brand recognition, it can be determined that Ding Zhizhong signed a contract with CBA and later made a big investment, instead of a mistake, but a sober strategic choice.

The first battle of the brand, however, in 1999, Ding Zhizhong once walked out of the future proved to be a key step in the development of the enterprise. Today, it seems that the key step is a bit lucky.

In 1999, Anta's annual sales did not exceed 100 million. Ding Zhizhong startled the brand publicity and signed the world champion Kong Linghui of table tennis at the cost of 800 thousand yuan per year. At the same time, he produced nearly 5 million yuan of profits in the first half of the year, putting advertisements on CCTV sports channel.

The advertising star signed by Li Ning Co that year was the famous model Qu Ying.

To be honest, Ding Zhizhong did not know sports marketing at that time, but finding potential sports stars as spokesmen rather than movie stars was later proved to be the key decision of Anta.

In 2000, Anta bet on success: Kong Linghui won the men's singles champion of table tennis at the Sydney Olympic Games, and the champion champion on TV shouted the Anta slogan of "I choose, I like", Anta was almost fired.

From the moment Kong Linghui set foot on the Olympic champion podium, Anta's "good luck" came one after another.

In 2000, Anta's sales exceeded 300 million yuan, 6 times that of 1997.

This year, it is also the year that the Chinese sporting goods market is brewing a dramatic change.

Despite the fact that the domestic Li Ning Co has left Adidas and Nike behind, it has been growing slowly for 3 consecutive years. Adidas and Nike are closely distributing the Chinese market; the footwear industry in Jinjiang is also beginning to emerge from the small lotus corner.

Eye and luck, Anta is the first step in sports marketing.

In the same period, Anta began to establish a nationwide sales channel network.

In order to expand more smoothly in Beijing, Chengdu and Shenyang, Anta then supported several large distributors by means of interest free loans and capital injection, while the members of the Ding family were directly involved in the establishment of distribution channels such as Guangzhou, Quanzhou and Zhengzhou.

After the expansion of the channel, Anta's market share and scale began to expand.

In the rapid growth, Anta has become the second tier of the domestic sporting goods market.

In 2000, "Anta" was named "China famous trademark" by the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and commerce. Its products were also identified as "China's famous brand products".