The brand of Li Ning

Li Ning has been understood as the "sandwich layer" between the high-end and the low-end, which is obviously not the design of Li Ning's own, but the forced-Central University of Finance and Economics, vice dean of the School of Culture and Media Li recently the industry has made a big deal is probably Li Ning Company's "Change" Used for many years, Li Ning Classic old Mark will say goodbye to its leading era, called "Li Ning Cross Action" new logo will become the brand new logo, and the original slogan "Everything Is Possible" also be more international "make the Change" replaced.　　This is a controversial one, with great encouragement and a straight back. As a means to reshape the brand, the change of standard is not only a necessity but also a normal state. For example, Pepsi-Cola trade mark up to 11 times, is more than twice times more than Coke. KFC and Kodak also reached 5 times and 6 times respectively. The root cause, enterprises in the external competition and the consumer environment has occurred a large or fundamental change, enterprises to maintain a lasting competitiveness, usually to its strategy to make major adjustments or changes. The change of the standard is undoubtedly an important symbol, but also indicates the beginning of brand remodeling.　　And the brand only follows the footsteps of the outside world to make the corresponding adjustment and correction, so that the brand has always had a benign "interaction" with the competitive environment, in order to promote long-term benign growth and development of the brand.　　So under what circumstances is an important moment for corporate change? First, when companies are committed to entering the international market. With the domestic market mature and stable, some enterprises will be their business tentacles overseas. Usually when the brand is faced with the strategic task of entering or deeply developing international market, the original logo often has the recognition obstacle of color, pattern and text in the target market, affinity and communication, and sometimes even faces the legal obstacle of being registered by others in foreign market. At this time, the introduction of new brand logo to highlight its international appeal, to establish a more international brand image is beneficial.　　With Lenovo as an example, April 28, 2003, Lenovo formally replaced the old logo "Legend" to "Lenovo", the direct reason is that Lenovo in the process of opening the internationalization strategy, "Legend" logo has been unable to carry out sales and market promotion. Second, when the enterprise needs to interpret the new service concept. Today, both the industrial market and consumers in the consumer market, their needs are always changing in a variety of ways. Especially, with the change of consumption concept brought by economic growth, the challenge of adapting to the new consuming environment is put forward for the survival and development of the brand. November 15, 2006, KFC began to change in the global scope, the amiable Colonel "take off" 54 years of white double row buckle suit, put on the "Red Apron", at the same time, its line, color also made appropriate adjustments. The new logo conveys to customers the important idea that KFC will, as always, hand-cook fresh, tasty, high-quality food for customers, a move that reflects KFC'sThe new consumer demand under the benign interaction with consumers. Third, when the enterprise brand itself needs to adjust. The change is the first time that Li Ning Company set up 20 years to change the standard, it is not considered. And the huge impetus behind it comes from its brand image itself. 2006-2007, Li Ning Company's market research report to consumers, Li Ning brand actual consumption of people compared with the target consumer, there is a certain deviation, that is, the overall large, nearly 35-40-year-old population of more than 50%. And consumers believe that "Li Ning is a reliable, moderate, trustworthy, positive brand image, but can not say its distinctive personality." Another interesting reason for Li Ning's embarrassment is that its new brand slogan, "Everything Is possible" (anything is possible), was unveiled in 2002. Two years later, Adidas also launched the new slogan "No Impossible (Nothing is impossible)", then Adidas overtook Li Ning, followed by Nike to become China's second market. At this point, Chinese consumers see these two very similar slogans, but mistakenly believe that Li Ning is imitating Adidas. So even if Li Ning's "brand reinvention" raises a lot of questions, but in the industry's stance is still evaluated as "is a great progress of domestic brands", "Li Ning finally chose to brand strategically in the planning and dissemination of the match on the", "is in the consciousness and the idea of a big step." [Page] The right time to talk about the "brand remodeling plan", Li Ning side stressed, not as some media said is met the "growth of the ceiling", but after three years of hardships after another start, to reshape the target sword refers to more personalized, more in line with the internationalization of the spread of the brand. It is undeniable that this is actually the inevitable response of Li Ning under the huge external pressure, but the intention of active seeking change is also very clear.　　This also embodies an important principle of the change of the standard: that the initiative is always stronger than the passive.　　As mentioned above, although the change of standard is the inevitable brand remodeling, at the same time is an update, adjustment, but after all, has undergone a metamorphosis, is familiar with the original, stable break, so for this "change" conduction process must pay attention to the principle of gradual changes, otherwise the subjective "surprise" will become an objective "fright." Prior communication at present, in our country to realize that the brand to timely change the logo of the enterprise many, but can spread the whole process in place is not rare. Throughout the process of changing the standard, often in addition to the launch more vigorous, its logo replacement process has been to the outside world, seems to be in a state of secrecy (perhaps to ensure the new logo launched when the sensational effect), but the process of change is precisely the need to focus on the spread. There are two important purposes for the public to have a prior understanding: one is to realize the transition of the old and new logo without reducing the recognition rate.　　The second and more important point is to implement the expectation management, thereby reducing the public's expectations of the new logo, thus reducing the disappointment value. Likewise is the farmer spring. New packaging Design Although effective frown, but also quite atmospheric. However, about the change of the standard, including the official website, there is always no unified information release.　　From the perspective of brand experience, the suspicion that makes the consumer helpless can bring the brand the latent insecurity. Although the natural transition is necessary, it should not be changed too much in principle.　　The downside of the logo change is obvious: it's hard for the original consumer to recognize the brand, and the potential consumer thinks it's a new brand, and it can be said that its original brand assets are gone and easily identified as obstacles. And such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Nestle and other well-known international brands change the standard, but in the same change, in the change in innovation. The change in the Chinese label for Coca-Cola, for example, is admirable. The same is "Coca-Cola" a few words, but the change in font, both the target consumers can be recognized at a glance, but also let people feel the brand has undergone a subtle change, more close to the present era, more can reflect the communication with consumers.　　Coca-Cola can be said to change the standard is a kind of innovation and improvement on the original basis. Li Ning's new logo is a continuation of the old version of the visual image-with a fluttering English letter L form the main picture, while looking more like a "person" word. Li Ning hopes to use the "human" image to interpret the values of sports, "encourage everyone to express themselves through the movement, to achieve themselves." But netizens ' evaluation is "like a second-rate brand logo", "No beyond the front logo, is a retrogression." There are many netizens think Li Ning's new logo "Cottage", is the former Li Ning's piracy. Is it worth thinking about the big gap between the consumer imagination? [Page] turn soft in order to cooperate with "brand remodeling plan", Li Ning Company chooses frequently in each kind of media to broadcast "the" the theme advertisement, in order to close to the young consumer group, manifests the intense turn. Li-Ning company CEO Zhang also claimed that the new logo design idea is to adapt to the young consumer groups, especially the "" "constantly changing psychology."　　However, after all the praise has been given to the "after", Li-ning new ads into the "overkill" dilemma, but also triggered the "whenever" and "the" "Consumer" lost, many people therefore claim to resist Li Ning. With the change of standard, the adjustment of the target audience is understandable, it is normal to be close to the younger group, but it is obviously unwise to cling to a group of people who have made a distinction between the ages, and "the ' Li Ning" has pushed itself into an overly narrow category, abandoning not only the original, still-paying crowd, Pleasing the uncertain unknowns ("the" "The" "") has very limited impressions of Li Ning, not to mention the goodwill, and the pleasing may not have a good result, but also fragmented (rather than effectively differentiate) the brand's target consumer group, Pepsi and Coca-Cola when the world is only to "think of themselves as young" groups,　　Embodies a considerable amount of integration. So experts pointed out that Li Ning for a series of products launched to "' A ' Li Ning" as the theme of the dissemination of the movement is understandable, but as a brandThere is something wrong with the advertisement. Why Li Ning "be positioned" although netizens scold Li Ning new sign for "cottage", but in fact, the logo sometimes has a limited effect on the brand. Industry insiders also pointed out, "by virtue of Li Ning's capital strength, is put a very very bad logo every day to spend huge sums of money to spread, and eventually will be accepted."　　"So the key or brand positioning." Before 2004, when Li Ning was going to Hong Kong, the Wall Street Journal has been sarcastic about Li Ning: For a long time, the company has been claiming to be a high-quality local brand acceptable to the public, but it has not established a unique image in addition to its price advantage, nor has it proven its ability to develop High-tech innovative products for professional athletes. This precisely hit the Li Ning brand positioning short.　　From the current situation, this situation has changed, but it is not obvious. For Li Ning's position, the positive argument is that the price is superior to international brands (about 20% to 30% lower than the international first-line sports brands) and the brand has advantages over other domestic brands.　　But the negative argument is that prices are inferior to other domestic brands (about 35% to 40% higher than their domestic brands) and that brands are inferior to international brands. 6 years ago, today is not necessarily not the worry of Li-ning company: has been international brands beyond, but also face the pursuit of local rivals, it has yet to find a way to differentiate themselves.　　What is the crux of the problem? First, from the opponent to see Li Ning, always "be positioned." China Sports Goods Market has formed such a brand pattern: Nike, Adidas, Li Ning, Anta, special step. Li Ning is understood to be the "sandwich layer" between the high-end and the low-end. This is obviously not the design of Li Ning's own, but forced.　　Knowing this, but also have to be in the opponent's offensive to follow. Li Ning Company publicly said that after the brand remodeling, Li-Ning brand will be officially launched in the first-tier cities, and Nike and other international brands to launch a positive competition. Including the upgraded version of the new image stores, will be concentrated in the first tier cities. The proportion of high-end products in the store will increase, and in the four-line city will increase the proportion of low-end products. Nike, which has dominated China's first-line market, began to covet two or three-tier cities and three or four-tier cities that gradually showed spending power.　　Over the past three years, Anta, special steps, and other companies have listed, with the help of the capital market power, have also accelerated in the two or three-line city to open the shop speed. At the same time, Li Ning Company will adjust the price structure of products. The average price of footwear rose 7%, and clothing rose more than 10%. This is Li-ning company consciously to the middle-grade price of the product structure of the increase in the proportion of changes brought. In the third and fourth quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010, Li Ning's product discount rate was 22%, 20% and 21%, while Anta maintained or was below 20%. In the past, Li Ning Company to channel the lowest discount is 50 percent, will gradually increase their discount, such as 49 percent, 48 percent. [Page] Let's take a look at Li Ning's brand reinvention plan.Focus on the expression: clear their own brand positioning and core target audience, established a very clear brand personality. Smart humor, directness, creativity and curiosity will be injected into the brand's new personality in order to establish emotional ties with the younger generation of consumers.　　At the same time, Li-ning company hopes to break through in the "fashion" angle, but will never give up the leading advantage in the professional sports products, "top sports equipment" is still the core product line of Li Ning. What do we see? It's a price war and a technology war. is a mixture of anxiety and division.　　This shows that for brand positioning Li Ning is still lost. Second, from activities to see Li Ning, good surgery and lack of road. From these years look, Li Ning is good at even proficient in marketing, PR. Especially the Olympic Games, the bright spot is full. For example, Li Ning took the same tactic as Nike-sponsoring sports teams. But Li Ning has a better grasp of precision, bringing the Chinese shooting team, the diving team, the ping-pong team and the gymnastics team under their command.　　Li also signed the Argentine and Spanish men's basketball team, which has the most hope of defeating Nike's American men's basketball, and increased firepower on the basketball project. Li Ning, for example, has cleverly implemented terminal interception-a two-year agreement with CCTV's sports channel. In the 2007-2008 broadcast of the event, the host and reporters out of the mirror must be dressed in Li Ning's clothing. For example, as one of the most outstanding characters in China's sports history, Li Ning himself is not only the last torch of the Olympic Games, but also frequently participates in many PR activities during the Olympic Games.　　But after the Olympics, you will find that Li Ning is still only a well-known local brand, the impact on consumers is still very limited, still can not add to Li Ning's brand personality effective factors. Jack Traut and Steve Juvigin, in the book new location, point out that it's time to focus on repositioning instead of positioning.　　This is because today, the rapid development of technology, the unpredictable changes in consumer attitudes, the global economic competition intensified, so that enterprises to adhere to the original market positioning and loss of competitive advantage of the risk becomes particularly serious. And Li Ning needs to be clearly positioned in repositioning, which will make the brand's road more challenging. Zhang has long been determined: "Li Ning will be a few years to create a more distinctive personality, only accurate positioning, business can grow." "I hope that this wise judgment is truly implemented in every step of the enterprise's future development."