Li Ning - China's New Sponsor

Discussion in 'China Professional Players' started by kevinboy, Feb 5, 2009.

  1. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    If Nike and Wilson wants to share the pie, why not LN? At least, LN holds the local market with a bit advantage to begin with, as many still consider LN himself as a national hero. ;)

    For the immediate step, I think LN will use MicroSoft strategy for game market. Since LN taking over Kason, it can simply use Kason's technology, and simply put its symbol on. In a long run, with Kason's exisiting knowledge and LN's fund, they should have a bright future. :)
     
  2. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    I doubt the players have much to say, if s/he still belongs to the team. Overall, its more of a financial decision over anything. Even as good as LD opposite such plan, CHN team won't have to stop to make 1 or 2 ppl happy. Overall, LN (Kason) racket performance is not like 10 times worse than Yonex. If players like GL, ZJW, Sun Jun, Ge Fei, GZC all can choose Victor, I do not think Kason can be any worse.

    Also, remember CHN ppl always seem have some "feeling" toward JP, due to the history reason. I doubt any player (even LD) wants to risk his/her reputation (and $$$) to publicly support JP over CHN product, by issue negative comments, or even using threatening tones. :eek:
     
  3. Oldhand

    Oldhand Moderator

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    In this time of economic recession (the more appropriate expression is 'hell'), it makes sense for China to protect and grow its own.

    Why Yonex when Li Ning can benefit China better? ;)
     
  4. ants

    ants Regular Member

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    Players dont have comment on these kind of issue. Its better for them to not say anything.
     
  5. quik_silver

    quik_silver Regular Member

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    Yes it is true that Chinese people have this little thing they can't get off from the Japanese due to World War II. Just with some curiosity, is there any financial numbers and terms being released by Li-Ning? I truly think Yonex will do anything to match their competitor's offer as we all know that China is the biggest market at the moment.
     
  6. quik_silver

    quik_silver Regular Member

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    There is a bit of everything about this issue - history, economics and maybe even politics. A question to all: Will the Chinese government have any words about this issue, if Team China DOES choose Yonex over Li-Ning? Although the Chinese government is proclaiming that they are becoming more democratic in their decisions, will this "small" issue evolve to a serious matter?
     
  7. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    But it's not like Yonex pays $1 more, then CHN team has to sign with Yonex. It's still down to CHN team (or their official) decision. In theory, Yonex can out bid LN by 100 times, but it's CHN team to make the final decision.

    Personally, I think LN has a big edge from the "relationship" part, as LN himself is the one to lite the torch in Olympics. Consider LN has been retired for almost 20 years, and suppose to be "nothing more than a business man", it shows quite a bit hint already... :rolleyes:
     
  8. dohma1993

    dohma1993 New Member

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    hmm interesting...
    will lindan and other china players use LiNing starting from now in tourneys other then Team China events? damnn no more old AT700s xDD
     
  9. winstonchan

    winstonchan Regular Member

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    absolutely agree with this!

    there are things that can't be measured by money only, though business is business, business is conducted by human, and human have feelings, humans do what they FEEL is rational in their mind, with factors like "face", economy (now and the future), politics, history, etc...

    and how do you know the pros like Yonex? i bet there are consumers and players out there who hate the guts of Yonex and can't wait to see LN slowly dissecting them..
     
  10. ZhangXi

    ZhangXi Regular Member

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    doubtful about the "Yonex out bid LN" part ...

    according to this: http://www.ec21baba.com/message_75.html, LN now is the 4th largest sport company in the world. And it has already sponsored NBA stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Baron Davis.
     
  11. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    If Yonex indeed loses CHN (or partially), then actually I consider it's a good thing for badminton in general.

    As big as Yonex, it will not just cry and wait to close after losing its biggest customer. On the other hand, Yonex will be forced to try much harder to gain newer market in the west. Right now, Yonex focus way too much in the Asian market, as CHN by itself might be enough to overtake the entire western market.

    "Way too much food makes you sleepy, only hunger will awake your desire to fight". To survive, Yonex has no choice but to fight again. If Yonex can invest more in the western markets, and pick up some deals when it still only worth pennies, you never know how the picture will look like after anotehr 10 years... :rolleyes:
     
  12. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    Nike and Wilson might have 1,000 times more fund than Yonex, but does not mean Nike or Wilson wants to put all its gold into badminton market. :cool:

    Again, the decision will be very tricky, as it's not just a simple math calculation of $$$. Like I said, LN is the one lite the torch in Olympics, itself shows a lot of hint about his "relationship" power. Remember, there are tons of better looking, more famous stars in CHN now days, but it's LN, (not LD, ZN, XXF, Yang Wei, Zhang Ziyi, Jet Li, Jackie Chang, etc) lite up the torch...
     
  13. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    to win is to beat, not matching.
     
  14. Oldhand

    Oldhand Moderator

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    All said and done, it will take Li Ning quite a while to break into badminton markets beyond China.

    Yonex has hordes of groupies trumpeting and blah-blah-ing its merits to the sporting world outside China. Li Ning has none yet for badminton :)
     
  15. Oldhand

    Oldhand Moderator

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    I beg to differ.
    China is the biggest market for volumes... but not for expensive goods.

    The focus on China last year had more to do with the Beijing Games than, say, a sudden increase in retail intake. In fact, the sporting market keeps shifting focus according to what is happening where.

    London (and pretty much the whole of Western Europe) will be the biggest target market until the 2012 Games. (Whether the masses will have any money left to buy anything is another question altogether.)
     
  16. HaoFung

    HaoFung Regular Member

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    Being Chinese I dont really care who sponsors who... I have LN clothing for my table tennis since they sponsor the National Team... as for badminton... does it matter? Maybe people will just come to realize Yonex's gear isnt as dominant as we would like it to be...

    LN stuff isnt cheap either for CHN stuff btw... and before they can come out and prove their price/quality to the rest of the world, im sticking with my yonex gear
     
  17. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    i disagree.

    this deal is about business and money is the key component of any business deal. We shouldn't bring past history into this deal, especially when yonex wasn't told it was part of the deal nor yonex staff were involved in those historical war events. Why bring this old china-japan wounds into negotiation now but not before? Punishing yonex for what japan did years ago is too unprofessional. There are much bigger entity and deals that china could lay it on japan than yonex. Why do u think chinese pro players hate yonex ? They were all well taken care of before. They got the best equips unrestricted. Sure there will be some that dislike yonex brand but look at the 'like to dislike' ratio from this forum, a big big majority liked yonex products. Those who dislike yonex because of past war history, then they are not moving forward. My parents all have experienced the japan's war history but they have no resentment on today's japanese.
     
    #37 cooler, Feb 5, 2009
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2009
  18. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    if i'm yonex, i would let the china deal expire and focus my resources into the new market. The china market is nice to have but not essential. Yonex wasted alot of money fighting fakes and counterfeit in the chinese market. There are new markets like russia, EU, north america, south america, AUS, india that are ready to grow.
     
  19. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    to add, korea have no problem signing up with Victor, a chinese (TW) company.
    korea and china have had some bad histories too

    japan bombed pearl harbor, toyota and honda are quite popular in USA
     
  20. YueFei

    YueFei Regular Member

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    You're right, and I didn't mean to discount LN's effort to break into the badminton market. :)

    However, I still think the process might have been rushed- that LN should all of a sudden replace one of the premier equipment makers in badminton for the sponsorship of one of the premier national teams in the sport.

    The implication there is that, despite little previous background other than the acquisition of Kason, LN has all of a sudden become a premier brand in badminton. :eek: And I'm not discriminating against LN here- I think I would feel the same if NIKE threw its weight in and took over sponsorship for the Chinese national team. As for Wilson, while it has entered the badminton market to some degree of success, it has yet to sponsor an elite player other than JR, let alone an entire team of the Chinese caliber. ;)

    But all in all, like many have said, the more competition, the better it is for the market and consumers, and I hope in time, LN will be able to produce rackets that's the rave of all badminton players. :D
     

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