Zhang Zhiyong: The Olympic Games Of Small Companies

In 2004, Zhang Zhiyong, 36, became Li Ning Co Ltd CEO.

In 12 years, he completed the pformation from a cashier to CEO.

As soon as the Beijing Olympic Games is convened, how will he lead Lining to achieve a leap from national brand to world brand?

Zhang Zhiyong CEO Li Ning Co Ltd.

(information photo) life forty, great understanding, no shame, no doubt.

In 2008, it was Zhang Zhiyong, the Li Ning Co CEO.

But in this year, he may have many things to do and argue.

As a sporting goods company in China, Lining will welcome the Olympic Games at home.

At the beginning of this year, in Tongzhou, Beijing, in the new park "Li-Ning Town" just completed by Li Ning Co, "China Economic Weekly" interviewed Mr. Zhang Zhiyong CEO of Li Ning Co exclusively to reveal Lining's Olympic strategy.

The first Olympic Games made China the focus of attention all over the world, and forced Chinese enterprises and brands to compete directly with top international companies and brands.

"We are really excited about the Olympic Games, but also very confused. We don't know what to do.

Competitors, like NIKE and ADIDAS, have had many experiences in running the Olympic Games and we are the first ones.

Zhang Zhiyong said, "we started from brainstorming, put forward a lot of questions and ideas, once we solve a problem at once, and at last the whole structure becomes clearer and more streamlined."

Zhang Zhiyong is relieved now.

At the end of last year, Lining had released the Olympic strategy with "hero" as the theme, and carried out the three major plans of "heroic team", "hero gesture" and "hero return", and more specific implementation is being carried out step by step.

"Hero" is the theme and core of Lining's Olympic marketing. Why should we position it?

"I remember one of the marathon athletes who had hurt himself in one Olympic Games. His father helped him to run the whole race.

This man is a loser on the field, but he makes everyone feel that he is a hero. This is the spirit of the Olympic Games.

The Olympic Games are not only champions, even athletes, but also ordinary people will make people feel that he is a hero.

Zhang Zhiyong said.

In the interview of the two Olympic Games, Zhang Zhiyong repeatedly stressed that Lining is a small company. Indeed, no matter from the market value or the revenue figures, Lining really can not compete with its competitors NIKE and ADIDAS.

"Lining has always been a partner of China's bid to host the Olympic Games, but after winning the bid, we lost the chance to become a sponsor of the Beijing Olympic Games.

When we heard about it, our employees burst into tears.

Zhang Zhiyong said, "but this is sensible."

ADIDAS has invested $80 million in Olympic sponsorship, which is higher than Lining's annual market charge and needs to expand in the global market. In fact, this investment is cost-effective.

But Lining is only promoting in China's domestic market, which is simply unbearable.

Therefore, Lining adopted the "roundabout" strategy in the Olympic strategy and played many tricks of winning the game. Zhang Zhiyong called it "spending money and doing great things".

At the end of 2006, Lining reached an agreement with the CCTV Olympic Channel. From January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008, he provided Lining's costumes, shoes and accessories for all the columns and events reporters of the CCTV Olympic Channel, including all the events broadcast at the Beijing Olympic Games.

"This exposure rate is also incredible."

To Zhang Zhiyong's satisfaction, Lining has signed four gold medal dream teams of the 2008 Olympic Games, including gymnastics, shooting, table tennis and diving.

"The conservative estimate is that the four teams will win at least 40% gold medals.

We did not choose at random, and their media attention and audience ratings were the highest in all previous Olympic Games.

Zhang Zhiyong also revealed that in addition to the exposure rate, the Olympic Games can also show the brand's innovation.

"Gymnastics and diving apparel demand high technology for sports.

Besides, it will be better and more fashionable in design and style. "

This not only reminds reporters of Zhang Yining's Lining short skirt that had earned enough eyeballs.

Besides, during the Olympic Games, we can see that many foreign sports teams will wear Lining's war clothes.

"No advertisements are allowed in the sports broadcast of the Olympic Games, which is totally different from other comprehensive sports.

But sports brands are lucky because the International Olympic Committee stipulates that sports brands have no more than 6 square centimeters of exhibition opportunities.

In the absence of other brands, sports will become more attractive and prominent.

Zhang Zhiyong said.

The reporter asked why the Olympic Games were approaching, but Lining's TV commercials had been reduced. "This is the" Sun seeking "of small companies.

Zhang Zhiyong said, "we need to be smart enough to do things."

"In the early days of the Olympics, advertising was very hot. Now the advertisement is too expensive, and the price is still rising. The 15 second advertisement is the cheapest about 8000000. It is not very cost-effective from the rate of advertising arrival and the cost of every point of view."

Zhang Zhiyong said, "television advertising is just one form, and we will adopt other more cost-effective forms, such as PR, promotion on the Internet, etc.

We need to leave some suspense, but it will be very promising. "

Zhang Zhiyong disclosed that in 2008, Lining will use the 16%18% of total turnover for marketing, "this proportion is very high, but it can not compare with the total amount of NIKE and ADIDAS, so we have to do very well."

"Lining's Olympic dream, I want to have two: first, get the qualification to enter the world-class brand, because the Olympic Games is an excellent opportunity for the world to see the brand of Lining," two is the hope that the highest annual growth rate Lining has ever achieved in 2008.

He scored 80 points for himself. Zhang Zhiyong was born in Xinjiang in 1968 and grew up in Shanghai.

In 1987, he was admitted to Capital University of Economics and Business. After graduation, he entered the office of a bureau.

A year later, Zhang Zhiyong resigned. "I don't think that's right for me."

In 1992, he joined Lining. "At that time, Lining was still a very small start-up company."

It took him 12 years to complete the pformation from a cashier to a treasurer to a general manager, and finally to CEO.

In 2004, Zhang Zhiyong, 36, became Li Ning Co Ltd CEO.

The more than 20 year old employee called the name of the 40 year old boss. There are few such companies, but Lining is like that.

"We began to change in 2005, not only for me, but also for all bosses." total "to" total "will suppress innovation, any innovation should be inspired by the system.

"I am a CEO who grew up from a local company. Many things are self-taught. I have many training courses with my employees."

Today, Zhang Zhiyong talks about the company's strategy, marketing and management, which are very professional and in-depth.

"In 2004, when I assumed office as CEO, I promised to accomplish three goals: one is to set up a strategy for the company; the two is to turn Lining from a company to an organization and a team of companies; three, to train a successor team."

Zhang Zhiyong thinks these are the biggest changes he brought to Lining as CEO.

For his work performance, Zhang Zhiyong said, "I'll score 80 points for myself."

As for the future, Zhang Zhiyong said that he and Lining still have many wishes that have not been realized. "In 2018, we hope to achieve the world fifth of sports brand.

But whether it's 5 years, 10 years or 15 years, our dream is to return to China's first place.

Now Lining has a first-class team, runs the ERP management system, employs the world-class designer, the advertising company 4A class, establishes the design center in the US and Hongkong, the Lining brand is becoming more and more fashionable, becoming younger and more and more internationalized, but it seems to be more and more like NIKE and ADIDAS. It seems to be very much like a follower. How can it surpass it?

"It's like drawing. We need to paint before we want to paint it special."

Zhang Zhiyong believes that "Lining is already trying, our goal in the next five years is a clearer brand positioning."

"Competitors, with a history of more than 80 years and a history of more than 40 years, is not enough in our operational level methodology. We still lack experience and experience," Zhang Zhiyong said. "But in terms of brand equity, especially in China, we still have an edge."

Today, Zhang Zhiyong has a happy family and a lovely couple.

A person who runs to the present without changing the runway must be a very determined and powerful person.

"Peace and distance" is a very popular phrase by Zhang Zhiyong. He said he would do charity work like Mr. Lining after retirement.