From May to June 2024, Luxe.CO Intelligence researched a total of 464 sports and outdoor brands and tracked 382 market updates in the Chinese Mainland.
Based on this, Luxe.CO Intelligence selected the top 4 cases most worthy of industry attention and provided exclusive comments. These dimensions and dynamics reflect the efforts and development trends of sports and outdoor brands and the industry. (Note: The ranking is in no particular order)
In the fiercely competitive sports and outdoor field, these four top cases illustrate two important trends: “tracing back to roots” and “breaking boundaries.”
- Li-Ning and Arc’teryx strengthened their brand roots in their own ways, focusing on the consumer.
- KOLONSPORT quickly captured niche scenarios, boldly expanding into niche markets.
- Vibram broke out of its role as a manufacturer, standing in front of consumers and communicating directly with them.
1) Li-Ning released a brand spirit declaration short film “In My Name,” featuring former gymnast and Li-Ning brand founder Li Ning, along with five athletes and sports enthusiasts, to interpret the brand’s spirit of “Everything is Possible.”
Case Insights:
Li Ning founded the professional sports brand Li-Ning in 1990. The brand’s development has always been closely linked to professional sports and technological innovation. Recently, Li-Ning also held the 2024 Li-Ning Tech Show in Beijing, showcasing the brand’s journey and achievements in technological innovation and six major innovative technologies for the first time.
However, as the fashion craze brought by the Li-Ning brand gradually fades, how should the brand awaken its unique memory in consumers’ minds?
For a brand derived from a personal IP, the founder is the most potent and representative figure of the brand spirit, the most valuable brand asset.
For a long time, Mr. Li Ning has rarely been active in the public eye. In “In My Name,” the short film starts with a conversation between Li Ning and a young man in a park.
For a professional sports brand, if technological innovation is key to product strength, then brand spirit is core to brand strength. Today’s consumers are more concerned with whether brand values and spirit align with their own.
The name “Li-Ning” not only represents a great athlete, an era of gymnastics, and a professional sports brand, but also embodies the brand spirit of “Everything is Possible.”
Young people may not be familiar with Li Ning, but the Li-Ning brand will continue to call everyone to participate in sports. Sports exist not only in stadiums but also in parks, basketball courts, tracks, gyms, and all life scenes. Every ordinary person, every name, can create their own brilliance through sports.
2) Outdoor brand Arc’teryx launched the World-Class Rock Climbing Project, developing a world-class rock climbing site at Shegeng Chuangdong in Fengshan, Guangxi. Arc’teryx also collaborated with Kendal China to write the “Observation Report on the Development of Chinese Rock Climbing,” systematically reviewing the development of Chinese rock climbing over the past 20 years.
Case Insights:
Before venturing into the apparel industry, Arc’teryx started with making the world’s best, life-or-death climbing harnesses.
This is the root of Arc’teryx’s outdoor gene, which needs constant revisiting and contemporary resonance.
Although Arc’teryx now offers products covering a wide range of mountain sports: Whiteline skiing series, ASCENT climbing series, TRAVERSE hiking series, and Endorphin mountain trail running series, it has always played the role of a popular educator for climbing and other mountain sports globally. This includes holding climbing academies and mountain academies at climbing meccas worldwide, taught by top global athletes or in cooperation with local professional outdoor guides, continually reinforcing Arc’teryx’s unique gene and professional image.
In the Chinese Mainland, Arc’teryx has been working with experienced climbers to establish the “Arc’teryx Climbing Community” since 2015, aiming to jointly promote the development of climbing in the region.
Compared to other outdoor sports, natural rock climbing in China is still niche. The lack of world-class rock climbing sites and challenging routes has limited the growth of the climbing community. Thus, Arc’teryx decided to develop a world-class rock climbing site with at least one accessible, diverse, fun, and all-weather climbable 5.15 difficulty route through this World-Class Rock Climbing Project.
3) KOLONSPORT launched a high-end fishing apparel series, including ABORAK fishing jackets, fishing shirts, printed vests, hooded jackets, and woven shorts.
Case Insights:
To win the future outdoor consumption market in the Chinese Mainland, brands need not only professional and functional support but also a strong drive from fashion aesthetics and niche scenarios.
Outdoor activities have become a beloved lifestyle scene for consumers of all ages. People are paying more attention to different niche scenarios, with fishing being one of them. Today, fishing is no longer an activity exclusively for the middle-aged and elderly, but is increasingly becoming a trendy lifestyle among young people.
As of publication, fishing topics on Little Red Book have 2.63 billion views, and Lure fishing topics have 970 million views. On Douyin, fishing topics have 7.882 million participants and 254.34 billion plays, while Lure fishing topics have 3.597 million participants and 73.64 billion plays.
Additionally, outdoor-themed and more fashionable apparel have become a daily wear choice for many. Although many sports brands do not have fixed fishing product lines, they have launched fishing series apparel through collaborations, promoting the fashion trend of fishing apparel products.
Kolon Sport has always advocated a close-to-nature outdoor culture. With the launch of the dedicated high-end fishing apparel series, the brand’s product segmentation now covers travel, hiking, mountaineering, camping, and fishing, adhering to the brand’s unique Asian outdoor aesthetics.
4) High-performance technology outsole brand Vibram opened its first Connection Lab in China and its fourth globally in Shanghai.
Case Insights:
Vibram is a global leader in high-performance rubber technology outsole development and manufacturing, operating for over 80 years. Vibram’s “yellow octagon” symbol has become synonymous with quality, performance, safety, and innovation in the global footwear industry.
Vibram produces 40 million outsoles annually, testing over 1 million kilometers. As one of the most widely used outsole suppliers in the market, Vibram’s outsoles are used in hardcore outdoor activities, casual, work, safety, fashion repair, and orthopedics.
Many people specifically check if their outdoor sports shoes have Vibram logos to ensure slip resistance and other features. Therefore, sports brands’ products become mobile advertisements for Vibram, enhancing product strength for more sports brands.
As a materials brand, Vibram does not hide behind sportswear brands but actively communicates directly with consumers, especially professional sports and outdoor communities.
Examples include the Resole Station for replacing worn-out climbing shoe toes and soles, interactive classes sharing shoe care knowledge, sports experience activities with sports communities, signing and supporting numerous outstanding domestic climbers, and more collaborations with trendy sports brands.
The opening of the first Connection Lab in China provides an opportunity for the public to explore the Vibram brand and helps Vibram connect with more brands and communities focused on cutting-edge technology, original creativity, and sports trends.
A question worth pondering is whether Vibram will evolve from a supply chain IP to a consumer-facing sports brand in the future. Let’s wait and see.
| Image Credit: Provided by the brands
| Editor: Elisa
