Another Battle Between Lining And The International Giants

Adidas has become the seventh partner of the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee.

Frustrated Li Ning Co inherited the consistent blood culture of the eastern culture and launched the Olympic marketing communication plan with the theme of "hero".

The high profile of Oriental sentiment shows that the 2008 Olympic Games have built an unprecedented scale eyeball economy for Chinese enterprises with the enthusiasm of the Chinese people and the wide participation of all kinds of media.

Because of the special historical experience, the significance of the Olympic Games to China is largely on the spiritual and emotional level compared with other Olympic host countries, that is, a nation with "oppressed memories" can finally be proud of today; a rising power can finally become the center of world concern without precedent.

For such an Olympic Games full of national pride, it must become the first prerequisite for all marketing communications to cater to the national feelings of the host country.

For the sporting goods brand that has a professional relationship with the Olympic Games, it is also the "Chinese style", which is not only reflected in the online advertising communication, but also in the final media carrier - "products".

Nike and Adidas, which always flaunt the western fashion style, have made frequent moves to get the favor of Chinese consumers with Chinese style product design.

1984 is the first time that China has taken part in the Olympic Games. It has special significance in Chinese memory. For this reason, Nike launched 84 retro series products, one of which is "China Red" with the sole of the limited edition sports shoes, and the Yellow character "breakthrough of zero" on the vamp. It also launched a sportswear with the colors of the red flag and the king gold, integrating into the elements of the Terracotta Army culture, and with the Chinese characters' words of "rising and advancing" in the Chinese National Anthem Lyrics.

The successful signing of the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee's Adidas set up a "Asian design center". It is understood that the Xiangyun, fan, Chinese red, calligraphy, dragon, bamboo and other Chinese elements will be used in the design of Olympic clothing.

Adidas designed the "star of the Great Wall" specially designed for the Beijing Olympic Games. The Chinese red and gold color as the main color of the sphere, the the Great Wall pattern on the spherical surface and the two words "hot gold" China are more eye-catching.

As a local brand Li Ning Co, because of its familiarity with Chinese culture and its tradition of creating "differentiated competition with oriental elements", its Chinese style products are more profound than those of Nike and Adidas.

In the design of Li Ning Co, the image of "Golden Dragon" is integrated into the table tennis team uniform, and the blue and white porcelain is applied to the diving team uniform. Peony, Ruyi moire, Phoenix and so on are all used in the gymnastics team uniform.

In the design of sports shoes, Lining has made a deep excavation of Chinese elements. Among them, "Banpo basketball shoes" and "flying armor" basketball shoes, which won the German iF prize, are representatives.

According to the relevant person in charge of Li Ning Co, "Banpo basketball shoes" is inspired by the most representative pottery art of Yangshao culture in China, Banpo pottery. Its color matching is made of river sand yellow and silt, which is unique to Banpo pottery. The embroidered technology is used to reproduce the simple patterns on Banpo pottery. The inner lining area of the ankle is embroidered with a mysterious fish totem. The shoe sole texture of "flying armor" shoes refers to the shape of ancient Chinese bronzes, and it is designed around the movement mechanics, using the ancient Chinese armor and Zhong Ding structure.

Guo Jianxin, chief operating officer of Li Ning Co, once said: "no matter how international the brand is, Lining is a Chinese brand.

Modern oriental elements, this is our DNA. "

In October 2004, Lining co operated with the DRD design office in the US, that is, he began to isolate the international first-line brand, and began to create unique oriental flavor in product design.

Unlike Nike and Adidas, who have been in the Olympics for the first time in China, Lining, who has been adhering to Oriental style for many years in marketing and communication, has deepened the brand personality on the stage of Olympic marketing, and has really launched a "Dongfeng" for the sports marketing community who has always advocated the western fashion trend.

It is understood that the sales of the two products of Banpo basketball shoes and "flying shoes" are good at present. Do I wonder if this "reverse trend" retro practice can also affect young people's fashion psychology in the post Olympic era?

However, David ogway said, "ultimately, the brand's market position is the overall character of the brand, not the insignificant difference between the products."

Once the brand characteristics of Lining get the highlight of the world, then the hope of catching up is bound to flicker.

The second tier Legion's "heroic" breakthrough has always been Lining's competition in the Adidas, Nike international brands and Anta, 331 degrees and other local brands.

Taking the Beijing Olympic Games as a golden opportunity to further consolidate its leading position in the Chinese market and to become an internationally renowned sports brand is Lining's Olympic marketing objective.

However, due to the gap between the financial strength, Qingyun sent to the west wind, Lining, who sponsored the event sponsorship, made the Olympic sponsor in the hands of ADI.

However, the founder's "national hero" experience made the Li Ning Co soon find the theme of the Olympic Games' non Olympic sponsorship marketing strategy, "hero".

There are certain differences in the concept of heroic in Chinese and Western cultures. Heroes in traditional Chinese are more often associated with patriotic soil conservation and family glory. Western heroes are more reflected in the manifestation of personal personality and in the human struggle against cruel fate, which is different from that of Western knights in ancient China.

Nike used to vigorously publicize American heroism, and Michael Jordan became the favorite of hundreds of millions of young people. Adidas always adheres to the advertising strategy of team based individual heroism with the world's top sports stars.

"In the history of Olympic development, countless exciting moments -- the global brand network -- were written by Olympic heroes in the past, present and future.

They continue to convey and carry forward the Olympic spirit, to fight hard and to surpass themselves.

The Li Ning Co is an enterprise founded by a Chinese Olympic hero. So when the Olympic Games came to China, we expressed our respect for all heroes who contributed to the Olympic Games and sports undertakings by using the more humane and emotional words of "hero". It also represented that we regard the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as a new starting point for the development of the company, making progress and surpassing ourselves and becoming a hero's determination.

Zhang Zhiyong, chief executive of Li Ning Co Ltd, said when he released the 2008 Olympic strategy in November 8, 2007.

The three heroic plans of Lining's 2008 Olympic strategy are "heroic team", "hero gesture" and "hero return". This is obviously an emotional interactive marketing communication based on Chinese heroism. Through the "Olympic hero experience", the emotional communication between the brand and the target group can be realized.

The team, the Swedish Olympic delegation, the Spanish Olympic team, the special Rosa and other sports resources in Ethiopia called the "heroic team" to compete for the Beijing Olympic Games. The unique "heroic gesture" released by Lining was written in the capital letter "L" to represent the initials of Li-Ning. The deep core information was a set of words beginning with the English letter "L": Luck, Love; Li Ning Co will join hands with the Chinese athletes Education Fund and the China Youth Development Foundation to launch the Olympic hero return plan next year, as long as shooting, table tennis, diving and gymnastics four Chinese national team athletes won the gold medal in 2008 Olympic Games. According to the Li Ning Co responsible person: in 2008, Li Ning Co will sponsor 4 Chinese gold medals team, table tennis, gymnastics, diving and shooting, Spain, Argentina 2 World Basketball champions, and Sultan track and field.

Adidas has become a partner of sports clothing in Beijing Olympic Games, and most of the 3000 athletes who participate in the Beijing Olympic Games will be in the race with Nike equipment. Not long ago, they had been banned from the "wonderful trick" of Lining logo who was a reporter, guest and host of CCTV sports channel. In addition, the "Jinjiang" Gang's Olympic scene was divided. At present, the success or failure of the ambitious Lining 08 Olympic marketing is increasingly determined by its "heroic plan".

Lining, who holds the belief that "everything is possible", can achieve the ideal effect of "winning by quality" and "moving with emotion" in Olympic marketing communication.

In the name of heroes, it will depend on whether or not heroes can shine. In Olympic marketing, the scores on the field always determine the effect of the field.

We will wait and see.