Li-Ning is a Chinese sports brand founded in 1990 by Olympic gymnast Li Ning. While successful in China, the brand has little awareness in the US market which is dominated by Nike and Adidas. This strategic recommendation proposes building a digital ecosystem and community around Li-Ning to engage younger Americans aged 15-25 and increase the brand's market share. Key recommendations include developing websites, social media, a co-branded app, influencer marketing, contests and incentives to foster sharing and user-generated content using the hashtag #Lining. The goal is to position Li-Ning as a brand that brings friends together through sport.
4. LI-NING
•
Founded in 1990 by Li Ning a former Chinese Olympic Gymnast
•
Headquarters in Beijing, and US ones opened in 2010 + A flagship shop in
Portland
•
Quoted on the Hong-Kong Stock Exchange in 2013
•
Partnership with Chicago-based Acquity Group to improve its distribution and
brand awareness
Revenue: US $1.354 billion in 2010
Net Income: US $220.9 million
4
5. LI-NING
Shift in the identity in 2010:
让改变发⽣生
for non Chinese speakers
Make the change
5
6. BRAND OFFER
Product: Li-ning: Sports footwear & apparel, equipment & accesories
Sports: Running, Basketball, Badminton, Football, Tennis and Fitness
Place: 2007: 4,297 Li-Ning retail stores, some owned, some franchised
Promotion: Athletes & teams endorsements in China & around the world,
NBA: Baron Davis, Shaquille O’Neal, Damon Jones, Dwyane Wade who left
Jordan brand for Li-Ning
Apparel provider for Olympic Gamers
Since 2006, collaboration with
Limited sale edition in 2006
6
7. SWOT
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
• Good sponsorship of NBA
• Increase in sales since last years
• The quality of product is
recognised by sports industry
• Investment in media since several
years (TV ads)
• 1st annual loss since 2004
• No brand awareness in USA
• Brand identity too close form the
Nike Swoosh
• Dry Laundry - Greenpeace report
on massive pollution in China
including a lot of brand
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
• Sport culture is really important in
the USA
• Sportswear market is evaluated
between $480 and $620 billion
• Challenging market conditions in
China
• Economic crisis since 2008
• USA has the largest number of
obese people
• Other brands invest huge amount
of money in communication
• Brands like Adidas or Nike are
more legitimate to sell in USA
7
8. MARKET
Brand Value in Billion $
16
14
12
15
10
8
6
4
5
2
1,5
1,4
Reebok
Under Armour
0
Nike
Adidas
Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlm45eleik/forbes-fab-40the-most-valuable-brands-in-sports-2013-3/
8
10. PROBLEMATIC
How Li-Ning can
emerge in the US sportswear market
and increase its market share
among younger people
whereas the market is already
saturated by historical brands?
10
12. OBJECTIVES
•
Increase market shares among young Americans
•
Improve brand awareness from none to aided
awareness
•
Attribute distinctive qualities to Li-Ning Equipments
•
Increase visibility on the digital
•
Create a WOM process – community
12
13. TARGET
Main target: Y Gen
• 15-25 yo
• Boys & Girls
• Enjoying sports
• Fickle, no brand loyalty to a brand
13
14. TARGET
Core target: Digital Native - Ultra Connected
• 15-25 yo
• Boys
• Involved in a sport team: Basket, Badminton…
• Spend more than 52 hours per month on internet
• Spending on average 2,3 hours per day on social media
18-25 yo
University students
Using the
Internet each day through a
computer or a laptop for
more than 5h13 per day
14-17 yo
High School students
Multitasking on digital channels
Mobile: an average use of 2h25 on
internet per day
Social, Digital & Mobile around the world –
We Are Social – Jan 2014
14
17. COMPETITORS
Nike = Health / Lifestyle
Recently Jordans = Lifestyle
Miley Cyrus
23 – Jordan shoes
Adidas = Both Street Style / Sports conscious
Foot locker
Snoop Dog
17
22. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION
Global Advice
• Build a digital ecosystem
– improve traffic through different platforms
– increase the time spend inside the brand
channels of communication
• Invest in Social media to support the community
& invite people to create UGC
22
23. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION
Global Advice
• Facilitate every interaction with digital
channels through links, buttons and
Twitter/Facebook Connects
• Aggregate information into a Database,
& consolidate them to push personalized
offers
23
24. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION
Global Advice
• Provide a great amount of content to invite
people to discuss about it and to improve
our organic ranking in Google
• No massive invest in event/media like the
Superbowl but repetition in leads mind
through a presence in every channel
24
25. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION
Global Advice
• Creation of the hashtag #Lining
• Federate every content about the brand
around a Hashtag => 1 unique database to
measure the digital echo
• Stick to an agreed strategy > 1 use per
channel for a greater message clarity
25
26. ECOSYSTEM
Website
Thorough reworking on every digital channels
Dedicated
Website
wayofwade.com/
Brand Website
not e-commerce
li-ning.luhta.com/
Corporate
Website
lining.com/
26
28. RENAMING
1 use per channel
Li-ning.luhta.com
Lining.com/
Wayofwade.com
BRAND
CORPORATE
DEDICATED
Lining.com
Liningbusiness.com
Wayofwade.com
Blog
Lining-blog.com
28
29. WHAT’S INSIDE / BRAND SITE
Core
platform
Simple
platform
Ecommerce
Web
responsive
Personal Account > Facebook/Twitter connect
Good quality pictures of products + descriptions + consumer reviews
Special offers
Share buttons
29
30. WHAT’S INSIDE / BLOG
CONTENT
COMMUNITY
Phase 1: The content/community are managed by the brand
Display articles, interviews, videos to attract a community
Phase 2: The content/community is managed by its own members
who will discuss own subjects through different forums
30
31. APP
Co branding with an existing app: TEAMUP
Principle:
“Get together with people
in your area, looking to
get out, get active
and have fun” J
31
33. SOCIAL MEDIA
• Main plateform : #Lining
• Hashtag
• Livetweet
• RT
• The central network to
activate the others channels
33
34. SOCIAL MEDIA
• Broadcasting products explanation
& athletes interviews
• Shoppable video
• Comment inside videos
34
35. SOCIAL MEDIA
Will relay & display Photo & Video:
• News
• Events
• People wearing Products
• Contests > Incentive “Serie”
Relay #Lining
Aggregating UGC
35
36. SOCIAL MEDIA
Animate the community
• Use of Boards: New/
Products/Videos/Trends/
Around the world
By color/products/sports
• Use of Open Graph:
Post the pin directly on Facebook and Twitter
36
40. INCENTIVE
Contest: Play against Wade
Contest
ONLINE
Tournament
OFFLINE
Principle:
• Invite friends to
create a team
• Share it
• Invite other friends to Like
• Reward: Tournament against Dwyane Wade
40
41. INCENTIVE
• Contest: Sponsor My Team
• High school football/basket/badminton teams
• Reward: Sponsor the winning team
(customized shoes+ sweat)
• Principle: each team will post one tweet with
#Lining #SponsorMyTeam
• Winner: Most RT
41
42. INCENTIVE
• Contest: Act in your favorite show
• Instagram contest: Replay one of your favorite scene with
friends wearing #Lining shoes
• Winner: Most Likes
• Reward: Visit Teens shows set
42
43. STREET MARKETING
• A specific vending machine
for 2 friends
• Finds shoe sizes thanks to a
Kinect
• Allows them to try pairs of
sneakers
Grab & Try
48. POS
• Some shops will be equiped with a giant TV
screen
Content display
• Instagram pics of the #Lining community
• Tweets of #Lining
• Livetweet with #Wade #Lining
• Videos/Ads
48
51. BUDGET
BUDGET
Website
Blog
Social
Media
Presence
App
co-‐branding
>
Play
against
Dwyane
Wade
>
Act
in
your
favorite
Serie
>
Sponsor
my
team
Street
Marke=ng
Shazam
>
Talk
shows
Product
Placement
RP
Blogger/Vlogger
POS+PRINT
TOTAL
51
$90
000
$40
000
$190
000
$13
000
$150
000
$40
000
$50
000
$700
000
$200
000
$100
000
$30
000
$400
000
$2
003
000