Grassroots can also reverse attack, Anta challenge Adi Nike

Guide: Since 2012 Li Ning Company to 5 years 2 billion yuan sky-high to win the CBA sponsorship right, Shizhong has not stopped looking for new basketball resources. He knows better than anyone, Anta has the status and achievements of today, and once sponsored CBA inseparable-the sponsorship of basketball resources for sales may not be big, but can greatly enhance the brand image.
Beyond Li Ning to become the leader of the domestic sporting goods industry and not let Shizhong meet, he led Anta successively won the Chinese gymnastics team, the NBA and other heavyweight resources. Next, his goal is to pick up Adidas and Nike.
Shizhong eyes flushed.

He had just had a day of meetings, big and small, exhausted from needless to say.

Looking from his office, three sides of the sea, the endless, it is an open landscape. Shizhong took a seat with his back to the view-most of the time, the chairman of the Anta Board had no intention of paying attention to the scenery. Xiamen Anta Operation Center around the Jinjiang from the horse, 361°, special steps and other brands, a little inattentive, Anta may face the most brutal competition.

Now, Shizhong has a longer-term goal, he has focused on Adi, Nike and other international brands. "Before they (Nike and ADI) Let us sleep, now we have to keep them awake." When he said this, Shizhong's eyes were light. Later, he slightly excited to "financial world" weekly tell the future goals.

The Anta's head, has led Anta successfully sat on the domestic sporting goods industry's first throne. To be aware, the sporting goods company, which was established in 1991, has played the role of follower and Chaser in the past, with the goal of surpassing Big Brother Li Ning.

To achieve this goal, Shizhong, like most business leaders, spends too much on seriousness, rivalry and anxiety. Originally his plan was to complete this goal in 2013, but in 2012, Anta successfully overtook the curve. This year, Li Ning performance losses nearly 2 billion yuan, Anta net profit of 1.3 billion yuan. Since then, Anta witnessed Li Ning step by step into the mire, but also in the accelerated run to become the industry leader.

Earnings showed that in the first half of 2014, anta revenue of 4.12 billion yuan, net profit reached 803 million yuan. Li Ning, who used to be the boss of the industry, is worried, earning only 3.137 billion yuan, and the loss from 184 million to 586 million yuan in the same period last year. From behind the Anta, has been sitting in the sporting goods industry's first place.

But Shizhong and Anta did not stop.

October 12, Shizhong rushed to Beijing to stay at JW Marriott Hotel. He was wearing a black suit, a pair of polished leather shoes, looked a little excited, and occasionally joked with reporters.

A day later, at the Century Hall of Renmin University of China, Shizhong signed a cooperation agreement with NBA President Adam Huanhua, which also marks an "official market partner" who represents the highest level of basketball in the NBA, and Shizhong is very concerned about this because it may help Anta to be promoted to the new king in the field of basketball.

Although Anta has already belonged to the domestic brand first in the running shoes, but in the basketball field, the market belongs to the Nike, Adidas, the horse, Anta's basketball shoes in the profession and the design difficult to be recognized, even gives the person leaves the grass roots the impression. In 2012, the loss of CBA (Chinese men's Basketball League) after the sponsorship of the weak basketball resources Anta, is bound to win a more influential tournament, otherwise in the future contest will have no advantage.

In cooperation with the NBA, Anta received a lot of authorization: products, Anta can produce NBA logo shoes, accessories; Intellectual property, Anta has NBA30 team, legendary team (already disappeared in the NBA team), the semi-finals, the use of the final logo. In addition, Anta also has the right to open a store with the NBA logo products.

Shizhong's goal is clear, in the next three years, including basketball shoes in each category will be the first domestic brand, and in a foreseeable time beyond Nike and Artie.

"Anta is either not doing things or doing it with great strength. "he said.

Alongside the NBA

Since 2012 Li Ning Company with 5 years 2 billion yuan sky-high to win the CBA sponsorship right, Shizhong has not stopped looking for new basketball resources. He knows better than anyone, Anta has the status and achievements of today, and once sponsored CBA inseparable-the sponsorship of basketball resources for sales may not be big, but can greatly enhance the brand image.

"This cake is not only a question of market share, or a sports brand in the professional level of the status of a show." "Shizhong said.

In basketball resources, the NBA is undoubtedly the best representative. Also from Jinjiang, through with the NBA 7 years of cooperation, has become the domestic brand basketball shoes in the field of the eldest, the professional shoes and design has been recognized.

Anta wanted to take the place of the gram. This year, it has been a high-profile win weightlifting, judo and other sports resources, especially won by Li-Ning as a "spiritual pillar" of the Chinese gymnastics team, by the media interpreted as "stepping into the forbidden area of Li Ning." The company, which has a market capitalisation of more than HK $37 billion, is taking steps to establish its position.

Working with the NBA, Shizhong's biggest concern is how to get to the ground. He is not just going to sponsor a tournament, when he sponsored the CBA, Anta raised the need for players to wear anta basketball shoes. "To sponsor a brand, the most important thing is to have a relationship with the product." It doesn't matter with the product, it's not about the consumer. "Shizhong said.

Initially, the NBA refused to offer many of the benefits of Anta. This highly commercialized alliance will not easily accede to the demands of partners. What's more, Anta put forward the requirements of the brand before the business has not had, the NBA is particularly cautious.

"About two years." "We'll tell them that the NBA is a league brand, but if the brand is doing it in China, it will have the ability to help you work with the consumer," Shizhong said. ”

This is where Anta moved the NBA. Money says the NBA has been successful in the Chinese market. At present, including Lenovo, Qingyang and other dozens of Chinese brands and their cooperation, each brand will spend 3 million to 5 million dollars a year, only this one it can earn 80 million dollars a year income. But after Yao and Yi left, the NBA does not have many Chinese cards, and it needs new play in a few years ago when the Chinese league plan ran aground, its stores were blocked and its construction plans stalled.

"We have been assessed and evaluated when choosing partners, and we think Anta is the best." In addition, Anta's idea and our idea also coincide. "said Huanhua, new NBA president.

In order to obtain this can compete with Nike, Artie, said Anta pay 200 million yuan a year, Shizhong to this denied, but he declined to disclose the amount. ' It's a very, very reasonable price, ' you can imagine, ' he said.

"Shizhong is very ruthless, he is holding a big recruit." "The key way," said Zhang, founder of the sports information company, after losing the CBA sponsorship, everyone thought that Anta had lost his power in basketball resources, but it had gained a commanding point in this way.

October 1, with the NBA logo basketball shoes, shoulder bags, socks and other products began in Anta 7,701 stores in 2000 stores listed, including the Lakers, heat and other 8 team main colors basketball shoes. And in the doorway of these shops, the LED lights with the NBA logo are conspicuous.

Not only that, Anta also has the right to produce NBA single standard sneakers in China, its production of NBA sneakers in the days of the cat, Beijing-east and other electrical channels sales. "For NBA basketball shoes, we want to focus on the electric business platform." Anta President Zheng said.

With the cooperation of the NBA to achieve success, there have been cases. Three years ago, the NBA and the South Korean apparel company MK Trend signed cooperation, the latter has the right to change the color of NBA team clothing. Since then, the MK trend launched a lot of bright colors of clothing, it will do more trend, in Korea is very popular, and even many stars wear such clothing.

"We took advantage of the NBA's trendy brand image, which led to the growth of sales," he said. Michael Kim, chief executive of MK Trend, said. Michael Kim

Zheng hopes that Anta's basketball shoes will be as popular as the Mk trend NBA costume.

Brother Change

Admittedly, even before winning the NBA resources, Anta has surpassed Li Ning, becoming the most beautiful sports brand in the country. It holds about 5 billion yuan cash flow, is the Chinese Olympic Committee's partner, holds the Chinese gymnastics team, the judo team, the weightlifting team and so on core resources. In the first half of 2014, its turnover was nearly 1 billion yuan higher than Li Ning, more than 2.8 billion yuan, revenue and profit in the industry ranked first.

It is interesting to ponder that the Chinese Olympic Committee partners, the Chinese gymnastics team and other resources, it is anta from the rival Li Ning's hands, and the Chinese gymnastics team has long been regarded as the hinterland of Li Ning.

In fact, Li Ning has been the absolute big brother of China's sporting goods industry before being overtaken by Anta. Historically, these two companies are just about the same, but for the past more than 20 years, Anta has been playing catch-up. Compared to the "Prince of Gymnastics" glory of Li-Ning company, Grassroots-born Anta is not very consumer recognition.

Time to return to August 8, 2008, Li Ning lit the Olympic torch under the eyes of hundreds of millions of people, so that the company named after Li Ning really went to the world. The company, founded in 1990, cooperated with the Chinese Olympic Committee at the beginning of its creation and spared no effort in sponsoring the competitions. In the eyes of many consumers, Li Ning this brand has even become a symbol of the country.

It was a glorious stage. 2008, Li Ning company created 6.69 billion yuan income. A year later, it overtook Adidas with unstoppable's momentum, when Li Ning's sales were 8.387 billion yuan, while Adi's sales were around 7 billion yuan.

This dazzling achievement is built on the basis of happy enclosure. In the year of 2009 alone, Li Ning added 1239 stores to 8,156-arguably the largest domestic sports distribution channel.

But the pitfalls are buried. After the Beijing Olympics, the entire Li-ning company looked to the international, they no longer satisfied with the domestic market, coupled with the 2009 performance has surpassed Adidas, they have every reason to run faster.

In addition, as early as January 2008, Li Ning set up an overseas footwear research center in Portland, which inserted red flags into Nike's backyard and signalled a positive war with Nike.

In this process, Li Ning's most aggressive move is to reshape the brand, issued a brand new logo and slogan, and the brand DNA, target crowd, product positioning and so on a full range of adjustments, trying to create "a".

"A more international perspective, more love of innovation, more pay attention to quality." If we want to get their approval, we need to be more sensitive, fresher, more energetic and more individualistic. Zhang, the CEO of Li Ning Company, said the reason for this adjustment stems from the company's market survey of consumers from 2006 to 2007. The results show that the actual consumption of Li Ning is generally 35 to 40 years old, accounting for more than 50%. If Li Ning wants to dominate the market in the future, it must reinvent the brand.

"In the long run, it needs to be done," he said. But not at that point in time, it's debatable. "Li Ning Company A core executive to" financial World "weekly memories, the past Li Ning sneakers price is two hundred or three hundred yuan, and the brand remodeling, its price adjusted to four hundred or five hundred yuan, for consumers, this is a bit difficult to accept.

Finally, the three or four-line dealers can not withstand the adjusted product prices, the performance of a sharp decline. "The results of the decline, dealers do not order, at this time, Li-Ning company headquarters began to discuss, we are in the end to the volume or brand?" The executives said the company was divided, with one side supporting the brand and the other supporting the channel, while management was "swinging back and forth between the two decisions".

This time, Li Ning gave up the basketball, the Chinese Olympic Committee and other resources, instead of sponsoring badminton and other unpopular projects. "Some are too casual and should be careful not to give up a few resources," he said. "he said.

As a competitor, Li Ning's turmoil has finally ushered in an opportunity for anta. In fact, Anta's ability to capture opportunities is a crucial factor in its capability to overtake Big Brother Li Ning.

2004, Li Ning gave up sponsoring the CBA, Anta did not hesitate to choose to follow up. Only the changes that this sponsorship has brought to Anta are turning upside down. The turnover of Anta was only 310 million yuan, by 2011, however, that figure had risen to 8.9 billion trillion yuan; in 2009, when Li Ning gave up working with the Chinese Olympic Committee, Anta also took the resource and packaged it for four years--the Chinese delegation will be wearing a dress with an Anta logo in all sporting events. This August, Anta replaced Li Ning and successfully contracted the Chinese gymnastics team ...

"Since four years of continuous service for the Chinese delegation, the production, design, distribution, service requirements for the enterprise is very systematic." "said Zhang, vice president of Anta.

More crucially, these moves have greatly enhanced the brand's focus on Anta. "As long as it is possible to win the championship team, it is our goal." We want consumers to associate Chinese sports with Anta. "These long-term sponsorship, the impact on performance will not be so fast, but will have a positive impact on the brand, long-term will increase brand revenue."

At the same time, after Li Ning shouted 90 after the slogan positioning, Anta is also strengthening their market positioning. Instead of focusing on a first-tier city, Shizhong is targeting the three or four-line market, positioning its consumers in consumer groups between 18 and 22, including college students, young white-collar workers and migrant workers. He has even claimed repeatedly that Anta does not care about giving up some high-end users because of the difference between brand and consumer orientation.

This strategic positioning in its shoes priced reflected incisively and vividly. Anta has signed NBA star Kevin Garnett and Lang More, launched its exclusive sneakers, but the price is only about 399 yuan, and other domestic and foreign first-line sports brands at the price of thousands of dollars compared to a lot cheaper.

Although the price is low, but the product performance and quality is not bad. Shizhong even raised the example of apples and millet. "Apple's cell phone and Millet's mobile phone, the gap between the two is not big, but Apple's brand better than millet." I have always advocated that products of the same price we have to do better. To this end, Anta packaging a "national sneakers" and "strength is priceless" concept, designed to emphasize the high cost of their sneakers.

"I want to do the real ' national sneakers ' so that more people can really afford it." Shizhong said that although cheap basketball shoes may affect the gross margin of Anta's products, he doesn't care, because "anta sacrificed one or two SKU's gross profit margin, but the sales went up, the enterprise also did not lose."

In his view, Anta is not the first line of urban consumers in the eyes of "high-end, atmosphere, grade" products, the crux of the problem is that if the consumer satisfaction and recognition of their practices, then why not keep doing this?

Despite the price advantage, Anta shoes sales increased, and quickly consolidate their own in the middle and low price market leadership, but a shizhong has been unable to solve the problem is: Anta sneakers some features such as wear-resistant and deodorant, it does cater to the needs of the masses of consumers, but really like basketball people do not care about these, But the technical content and design of the sneakers. At this point, the grass-roots image of Anta, has not been recognized by high-end consumers, their first choice is still Artie and Nike.

In addition, Anta has been looking at the three or four-line market, but relatively unfamiliar to the first-tier cities, which caused its sensitivity to new things not enough. How to please the middle-class city consumers, has always been a problem in front of Shizhong.

Of course, relying on the crawl of resources and the development of the three or four-line market, Anta also handed in a good report card. 2009, its turnover reached 5.87 billion yuan, net profit growth of 39.8% to 1.2509 billion yuan, more than Li Ning's 945 million yuan. In the 2011.5 Annual report, Anta surpassed Li Ning by 160 million yuan sales, and took the top spot. Although the final annual report of Li Ning to 30 million of sales of the advantage of the domestic brand is still the first, but Anta has begun the best of times.

The change that was forced

Anta did not rest easy. In the 2011, when it began to emulate Li Ning, China's sporting goods industry ushered in a period of adjustment. After the Beijing Olympics, China's major sports brands crazy development, through the continuous opening of new stores to stimulate growth, the annual growth rate of more than 10%, the entire channel will soon be filled. As a result, the brand inventory backlog is serious, the income plummeted, closing tide constantly. It is urgent to reform the inventory and retail channel.

Anta is also affected by this wave of low tide, even shizhong have lost their way. He once stood in the office of Xiamen Operations Center to look at his staff, some puzzled to ask himself: This is a market value of 30 billion Hong Kong dollar company? Is this the employee of HK $30 billion?

In the eyes of Shizhong, Anta is ill, and he needs to find out the cause quickly. In the 2012, it appears that Anta has surpassed Li Ning to become the boss of the domestic sporting goods industry, but its operating income and net profit have slipped 14.4% and 21.5% respectively, while Li-Ning company is bogged down in the predicament, loses nearly 2 billion yuan, the income declines 24.5% to 6.739 billion yuan, the gross profit reduces 36.9% To 2.55 billion yuan. The brands, such as 361°, the special step, the Chinese trend and so on, are also facing difficulties.

"Why is it downhill?" One is that the business model has not been innovated for many years. We used to do the wholesale, finished the product to do TV commercials, let everyone know you this brand, sold to the dealer is finished; second, we got ' listing syndrome ', as a big business. Shizhong realised that this must change.

But it's easier said than done. Li Ning also saw the business model of the problem, in the face of bad results, the original CEO Zhang out, Li Ning himself back, and TPG partner Kim together to control the company, and then like other brands to start the retail channel reform, inventory and other operations, but quickly into trouble. Most of its shops are joined, distributor interests complex, want to complete such a big change, no unified thinking can hardly be completed. And Kim replaced the majority of Li Ning's management, during the transformation, such turbulence is undoubtedly worse.

Anta has also experienced the throes of change, but unlike Li Ning, it finally took the lead out of the low tide. "In fact, private enterprises are forced, but forced out of things today appears to Anta played a very good role." "For change, Zhang admits.

Specific measures are, the past Anta a year has 4 quarters of the order, dealers ordered goods, brand operators will wash off, after adjustment, Anta will be fair to 6 times a year, and will recommend how much the dealer should order. "Formerly is the Distributor undertakes the responsibility, in fact the dealer simply does not have the way to undertake, he sells does not move presses a season goods you to be finished, therefore you need to change the role more." "Shizhong said.

In the terminal store, brand dealers need more cooperation with distributors. Anta all of the stores have used the ERP system, so that you can timely understand the store every day which style sales good or bad, timely replenishment and update. At the same time, some poorly run shops were quickly closed.

"At first (the distributor) is not acceptable, it will be very hard." But the era of close-looking money is over, now have to take out energy, make changes, the adjustment on the adjustment, the move on the move, if you can not do the substitution. "Zhang said.

When some dealers do not want to install the ERP system (they do not want to tell their own real data to the brand) and do not actively adjust, anta to help them in the country's major counties and cities to open flagship stores.

Zhao was deeply impressed by the change. He joined Anta three years ago and was responsible for regional retail outlets. "Distributors really need time to adapt to this adjustment at first, but the focus of the store to make the effect, do not need us to push too hard, the dealer actively adjusted." "Zhao said.

Unlike Li Ning, Anta's shops are mostly owned by dealers, and they can promote change through executive orders. Inventory processing is the most typical example. Anta at the collective Low price repurchase inventory initiative, but also opened nearly 200 factory stores, and through the electric business channel to help dealers deal with inventory. By the end of 2012, its inventory processing has been basically completed.

But Li-Ning company because of the interests of the franchisee complex, processing inventory, the amount of distribution will attract a variety of entanglement. So even if the 2 billion yuan to carry out channel reform, or attracted a part of the dealers dissatisfaction. More crucially, Li Ning will be a part of the recovered goods at ultra-low prices in every customer promotion, which is the offline channel is a big impact.

"Sold to E-commerce or other channels, but if the final flow to my market channel, it will have an impact on the new goods." A Li Ning dealer said the company on the surface of the dealer's goods away, is to help them, let them go to order new goods, but when the new goods on the market, suddenly these are taken away in the inventory of the customers appear on the "Price", which is a dilution of the role of the brand. "The consumer's first reaction is: Online is 20 yuan, in the shop but to 200 yuan, who will go to the Li Ning store?"

This is indeed a less sensible approach. Zhang revealed that anta back to the inventory will be part of the benefits to employees, which is not only to help dealers, but also not with the offline channel formation of conflict. "Anta's request is to adjust the inventory to a benign, but not to the conventional shop brand image discount." "Zhao to" financial world "Weekly said.

At the same time, Anta is also in the management of flat reform. Before the company has operations Management Department, the following has a large area, division managers, distributors, franchisees, layer management. After the reform, Anta has abolished these levels, and the company has a direct sales operations department.

"Our large number of division managers are direct retail steering to a single shop, and this time we have the retail management department, pipe channels, open the image and display of the shop; there is also a sales Operation department, responsible for the operation of the goods, distribution of the main, main push, the main sale, to do the category combination; There is also a department that performs directly, and is trained as a shop assistant and salesperson. "Zhang said, so down, the big area did not, the dealer oneself do straight Battalion, Franchisee's system also did not have, Anta can realize flat management, can make accurate judgment to the market in time. followed by, Anta in the inventory processing, product design, new replenishment has the initiative, and dealers see the shop slowly improve the brand will naturally more trust.

By the end of 2013, Anta's retail reforms had begun to bear fruit, and Li Ning, a competitor, had made little headway. Even Li Ning's executives admit that the same retail channel reform, two companies have achieved no difference. As for the reason, he concludes: "Li Ning's channel control is very unsuccessful, and its own electric business strategy has a great impact on the line." Most importantly, Anta's executive power is definitely more than Li Ning. ”

To cultivate the internal strength

"Li-ning company has not done when the foreign said, but Anta has been in action." ”

Zhang, vice president of Anta, described the two companies ' disparate performance in clearing inventory and retail channel reform. In his view, Anta is more successful than Li Ning, a large part of the reason is that in the next few years in 2008, it through the introduction of senior professional managers and give them full play of space and other ways to tamp their own internal strength, while the market and channel to do enough, have a certain ability to fight.

At the executive level, Shizhong, Zheng, Zhang and other Anta executives are indeed more efficient, they are more strategic and more focused on brand management, which is an important factor in the promotion of Anta from an unnamed second-line brand to a domestic sporting goods faucet.

"Anta?" he said. I couldn't even tell him and the special steps before I came. "Zhang joined Anta in February 2008, and before that, he couldn't hear the sound of Anta for a long time." That's understandable, when few people noticed the second-tier brand from Jinjiang. And he joined, stems from Shizhong's rhetoric: "We together to make it the first domestic." ”

Zhang worked in Lenovo and Wanda, all of them industry leaders. "Lenovo is the first, Dalian Wanda is also the first." I feel that after the management of the efforts of the industry ranked a more dependent on the company to do first, is a very exciting thing. Originally intends to start a business Zhang, listened to the plan of Shizhong some echocardiography.

Finally impress Zhang or Shizhong. Once, Zhang to send him text messages, due to the professional habits in large companies, he wrote in the beginning of the text "Respect Ding Total" and other polite, the result was Shizhong scolded a meal. "He told me to write a message in the future not so long-winded, have anything to say." Zhang recalls, "he is very frank, direct, and approachable, and he speaks to you in a very practical manner." ”

Unlike Zhang, Zheng has served two multinationals: Procter and Gamble and Reebok before joining Anta. "It's a young sporting goods company, on a fast-growing track." "This is Zheng's deepest impression of Anta before joining in. In his view, "Anta is not very mature in all aspects of brand operation."

In fact, Zheng and Shizhong in 2005, before he was the general manager of Reebok China, as peers he often pay attention to Shizhong and Anta company, Ding has repeatedly persuaded him to join. Later, Zheng Management of Reebok was acquired by Adidas, its basketball business gradually replaced. Because the space that can display is getting smaller, Zheng finally joined Anta in 2008.

"At that time Anta or China sports brand second, from the first place there is a great distance, but he (Shizhong) has a lot of intentions, for Anta to become China's sporting goods boss did a lot, this is my favorite place." "What Shizhong impressed him most was the passion for the industry, which is the most prominent place compared to many private entrepreneurs," Zheng said.

The participation of these two professional managers has brought more space for Anta. This includes the 2009 substitution of Li Ning for a sponsorship deal with the Chinese Olympic Committee.

"I do not want to see the word is: Anta replaced Li Ning, to become the Chinese Olympic Committee partners." This concept is wrong. "In the history of the Chinese Olympic Committee, this is the first time that the concept of a partnership is based on a four-year cycle of packaged development," Zhang said.

In the past, the sponsorship of the Chinese Olympic Committee has been scattered, such as the Asian Games when there is a sponsor, the Olympic Games with a sponsor, and the Anta is four years overall package down. "Let Anta with the championship, gold, flag, the five links together, brand height will go up." Zhang said that such sponsorship would have continuity and be more effective.

The same year, Anta announced the acquisition of the Belle International brand Fila in Greater China, all operating and operating rights, the price is HK $600 million, Zheng joined Anta also known as the media is "for acquisition." Positioned in the low-end market and the public consumer's Anta, the aim is to scramble for some high-end users. Shizhong revealed that this year the high-end brand to achieve profitability. By the end of June, Fila stores in the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau had reached 441.

After joining the Zheng, one of his important work is to develop brand development strategy, will anta from the consumer's eyes of "well-known companies" into "Love Company", and proposed in 2013 to become the first brand of domestic sports-not only the market share to become the first, its brand reputation to become the first. In the face of the three or four-line consumer, Anta wants to be their friend.

"How do these consumer groups know themselves? What are they thinking? We need to know. Zheng said, "Although many people say that may have a better life, but I still see the factory workers, basketball court students ... Our brand communication should give them a better touch. ”

At the same time, Zheng asked the company this question-who is anta? What is the vision? What are the strategies to achieve this vision? What do you need to do under each policy?

This is a systematic positioning and grooming of Anta brands that the company didn't have before. "After I joined, I saw a lot of work is point shape, headache doctor head, foot pain medical foot, feel a certain point is very important, all things are staring at this point, rather than standing on the big strategic level look at the enterprise." "As a management, he needs to use the concept of integrated marketing to change the status quo and put Anta on a new level," Zheng said.

"I can not say now that Anta's brand is the consumer's beloved brand, but we originally from well-known to love may be 15 segments, now at least 30 or 35 sub-section, in the future to do 50, 60, 80 sub-segment ... Step towards this goal. ”

"Let Adi and Nike sleep."

In order to achieve this goal, Shizhong says, their management is basically meeting every day to study how to move forward with corporate change. "We work more than six hours a day to study change, and we're still working on what to do next, and I've had a day of the meeting today (October 10). ”

As the top decision-maker for the private company, Shizhong is running as high as a machine every day. Anta's slogan is "Never Stop", in a sense, he himself is the best spokesperson for this slogan.

Even during the 11 period, he did not rest, but rushed to Chongqing, Chengdu and other regional markets. The "Down market" is the habit he has developed over the years, and he has run more than 500 markets in the past two years, including many county-level markets. In July this year, Shizhong in a charity event in Xining, where he also took the time to patrol the local stores, even though he had a plateau reaction.

"Chongqing is a counterfeit area. "Shizhong will be in the phone photos to the" Financial world "weekly reporter to see, this is he went to Chongqing, the high-speed rail on the hand photographed. He pointed to the photos of the passengers wearing the shoes with Anta logo, said: "These shoes 10 pairs of three pairs are fakes, I then to the regional market leader to call, to focus on this matter." ”

Not only Shizhong, Anta's most senior executives ran to the market at all levels during the 11 period. "The style and spirit of the boss determines the spirit of the brand." Zhao said, "Anta is actually a brand grown up by cock Silk, relying on diligence and executive power." ”

Now, the brand has a market capitalisation of more than 37 billion Hong Kong dollars, compared to Li Ning, special steps, and 361°, four of the market capitalisation and more, but Shizhong did not intend to enjoy the fruits of the victory, he still in all things pro-, by example. In front of him the road is clear: to maintain the status of Anta domestic sports brand leader, but also 2020 years ago in various market segments have become the first domestic market. It also means that Anta must cross the mountains of two international brands, Nike and Adi.

Shizhong is not shy about the ambitions of Nike and Adidas, but says he will not challenge them in the same way. In fact, a complete imitation of international brands will not necessarily achieve good results. In the 2010, Li Ning made a radical rebranding, the core of which was to follow Nike, but the result was a big flop.

"Why are there so much homogeneity in all walks of life in China? The reason is not to look for gaps. "In Shizhong view, the sporting goods market has been growing, for enterprises, the key is to find the right positioning, the temptation to live, do not blindly follow suit." "How are we going to compete with Nike and Adidas? We don't have much money, they're not big, they don't have a long history of brands, they can only compete on a differentiated scale." Anta's goal is the mass market, and the mass consumers are in pursuit of cost-effective. There are half the people in China who can't afford our products, how big is the space?

Unlike many people who are not optimistic about sporting goods, Shizhong is full of confidence in the industry. The reason is that he traveled to China's big and small market, found in many three or four-line cities, students are not wearing basketball shoes, the market demand should be very large. "The sporting goods industry is the health industry, and now China is still too low." For sports shoes, people in Europe and the United States per capita four pairs to five pairs, we do not even a pair. ”

According to Shizhong's goal, Anta to sell 100 million pairs of sneakers, he judged that China will have 500 million pairs of sports shoes demand, anta to sell one-fifth of them. "There are 1.3 billion people in China, and if one of the 13 people buys Anta shoes, Anta can sell at least 100 million pairs, but it's still a long way from the target," he said. ”

In order to achieve this goal, at the same time, to spare no effort to layout the mass market, take many of the heavyweight resources Anta, but also in the implementation of Multi-Brand strategy: The original Anta brand is still in the layout of the general public consumers of ordinary shops, the NBA brand occupies the power channels, while Fila occupy high-end department stores.

Shizhong revealed that with the increasing number of its brands, in order to adapt to the group of Multi-Brand management, its internal structure is also being reorganized. But, for the idea of brand move, Shizhong always cautious attitude, because Li Ning's failure to make his memory, he does not want to take aggressive brand remodeling way, but hope to buy a foreign brand to get rid of Anta's grassroots image. His reference to Geely and Lenovo, the two Chinese companies bought Volvo and IBM respectively, the final layout of the international market.

However, Shizhong did not want to achieve that goal so soon. "We have to be pragmatic, the brand needs a time to accumulate." He said that he would not do things that are not sure, do things must be fully prepared. "We have not failed so far, people say I am more fortunate, but not everything is lucky." ”

He is soberly aware that, as China's local brand Anta, and international brands compared to the gap between the obvious, in the short term, this quality and image on the gap is difficult to be wiped, so the pace can not be too fast.

Take Anta key exerting force basketball shoes, in the shoes design and professional degree, Anta still far inferior to Nike and other brands. "Although Anta has a broad mass base and a lower price, Nike is too strong for real players to be particularly concerned about the technical content of their sneakers," he said. Zhao, an Anta employee, believes that Anta is far from its future rival, Adi and Nike, or even better than Li Ning, in the brand image and the recognition of high-end consumers. "Before still feel (Anta) too grassroots, with Li Ning almost, now this concept is gradually changing." ”

An industry insider pointed out the crux of Anta's brand Image: "Anta This company is difficult to lead the industry innovation, basically it remains in imitation + improvement stage." ”

Because of this, at Anta's various meetings, Shizhong repeatedly stressed that the road ahead of Anta is still very long, can not breed complacent sentiment. Every time he meets, he insists on this. Zhang said, for Anta to the brand's operation and upgrade, small to the company daily chores and other things, Shizhong always behaved unusually cautious and calm.

The only exception may come from the signing ceremony of October 13 this year with the NBA cooperation agreement. That day, in Renmin University of China century Pavilion, announced the NBA resources Shizhong Stadian, smug.

"I reckon the CEO of Nike and Adidas can't sleep this time, and they're definitely studying how to compete with us in the Chinese basketball market," he said. The same pair of basketball shoes, Nike and Adidas sell more than 1000 yuan, we sell 399 yuan, and we have the NBA brand endorsement, how can they sleep?

Half a month later October 29, the NBA's new season of the regular tournament officially opened, and for Shizhong, the new game also began.

(Should interview the object request, the article Zhao is a pseudonym)