Li Ning - China's New Sponsor

Oldhand said:
What do you think they have been practicing with all this time? ;)
The entire team must have been using Li Ning / Kason at this preparatory camp.

By the time they hit the AE courts, they will be quite at home with the new brand.
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If the information that the team china contract ends in April with Yonex, I cannot see how they should be able to use another brand at AE, without contract breach? Or maybe the current contract does end before AE?!?!

/Twobeer
 
twobeer said:
If the information that the team china contract ends in April with Yonex, I cannot see how they should be able to use another brand at AE, without contract breach? Or maybe the current contract does end before AE?!?!

/Twobeer
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Oops, if that's the case, we will definitely see China using Yonex at the AE :o
 
Oldhand said:
Oops, if that's the case, we will definitely see China using Yonex at the AE :o
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Or they can they can pay an early contract termination sum to Yonex.;)
Li Ning has been hitting the sports news recently. They have just signed up Yelena Isinbayeva, Olympic pole vault champion and IAAF female athlete of the year, reported to be worth US$1.5 million/each year for 5 years. Li NIng has also signed up speed king Usain Bolt, and this one must be real big bucks.
Li Ning has also signed up NBA stars Shaquille O'neal of the Phoenix Suns and Baron Davis of LA Clippers.
 
taneepak said:
Or they can they can pay an early contract termination sum to Yonex.;)
Li Ning has been hitting the sports news recently. They have just signed up Yelena Isinbayeva, Olympic pole vault champion and IAAF female athlete of the year, reported to be worth US$1.5 million/each year for 5 years. Li NIng has also signed up speed king Usain Bolt, and this one must be real big bucks.
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That is impressive the most marketable Male & Female athletes in the world currently. Obviously on a very agressive brand awareness drive.
 
madbad said:
Has anyone visited their website?
http://www.lining.com/EN/home/index.html

Must say it's rather underwhelming
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Can you explain?
BTW, Yonex is a much older company than Li Ning. Already Li Ning is financially a bigger company than Yonex and it's revenue has already overtaken Yonex's and it's profit is about ten times larger than Yonex's.
A taste of things to come is Li Ning's staggering revenue and profits growth over the very few years since it started as a company, like growths in the 50 to 60% each year.
 
taneepak said:
Can you explain?
BTW, Yonex is a much older company than Li Ning. Already Li Ning is financially a bigger company than Yonex and it's revenue has already overtaken Yonex's and it's profit is about ten times larger than Yonex's.
A taste of things to come is Li Ning's staggering revenue and profits growth over the very few years since it started as a company, like growths in the 50 to 60% each year.
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I think you misunderstand me. The website is rather underwhelming for such a supposedly large company.
 
The case of Li Ning and Yonex is a classic case of Yonex not realizing the importance of an emerging China. Instead of forming a joint venture with China in the early days, it has overplayed its "Made in Japan" is superior strategy thru quality differentiation. Now I can only see Yonex as the biggest loser overtime in the badminton equipment market, having been beset with problems from less well known Chinese competition, is now faced with a competitor it cannot win.
 
taneepak said:
The case of Li Ning and Yonex is a classic case of Yonex not realizing the importance of an emerging China. Instead of forming a joint venture with China in the early days, it has overplayed its "Made in Japan" is superior strategy thru quality differentiation. Now I can only see Yonex as the biggest loser overtime in the badminton equipment market, having been beset with problems from less well known Chinese competition, is now faced with a competitor it cannot win.
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experienced players will use what is most advanced and valued products. Let see how will this head to head competition in badminton equipments pan out. Right now, the japanese cars are still much desired and recognized as the best value. Just because buick signed up tiger wood, i don't drive a buick. LN has to have good products to convince me to buy their products, regardless how many pros they may sponsored.
 
taneepak said:
The case of Li Ning and Yonex is a classic case of Yonex not realizing the importance of an emerging China. Instead of forming a joint venture with China in the early days, it has overplayed its "Made in Japan" is superior strategy thru quality differentiation. Now I can only see Yonex as the biggest loser overtime in the badminton equipment market, having been beset with problems from less well known Chinese competition, is now faced with a competitor it cannot win.
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I see your point, but can not totally agree.

Yonex earns its name, not because it only sponsors CHN team. It also sponsors various teams from the power houses as well. Sure, losing sponsor players such as LD may be a big lost, but I do not think others will consider Yonex "no good", because Yonex will only have LCW, TH, etc under belt.

Yonex does not earn that much market share in CHN to begin with, due to its much higher cost. Now, LN steps in, but with the massive signing, LN/Kason may need to adjust its price tag (mostly higher) to swallow the cost. So, in some of a way, Yonex can actually take advantage of it. I am pretty sure badminton die hard know LCW, TH, but not only LD. ;)

In the western markets (as well as most other Asian markets), Yonex are much well established than LN/Kason. By losing LD and co. I do not think everyone will start to trash Yonex on ebay, and switch to LN/Kason in a split of second, just because the symbol changed. ;)
 
LazyBuddy said:
Yonex does not earn that much market share in CHN to begin with, due to its much higher cost. Now, LN steps in, but with the massive signing, LN/Kason may need to adjust its price tag (mostly higher) to swallow the cost. So, in some of a way, Yonex can actually take advantage of it. I am pretty sure badminton die hard know LCW, TH, but not only LD. ;)

In the western markets (as well as most other Asian markets), Yonex are much well established than LN/Kason. By losing LD and co. I do not think everyone will start to trash Yonex on ebay, and switch to LN/Kason in a split of second, just because the symbol changed. ;)
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yonex for the last 50+ years has solidified itself has king of badminton. even people who know very little about the sport know that Yonex is a quality brand for badminton equipment. This is a trust and reliability issue, you cannot buy trust, you MUST earn it. Yonex is a tried and proven brand, world champions, all england champions and olympics champions of the past 50+ years have pretty much all used yonex.
Of all the olympic medals given out, probably 95% of them are yonex sponsored. About Li NIng taking over Team China as main sponsor, i really don't think Yonex needs to worry too much. Yah, Li Ning sponsored Team China and a whole bunch of big names, but so what? They are not proven.

The only problem i see for Yonex is losing Lin Dan. He is badminton. Forget everybody else, he is the face of badminton as a whole. If anything, Yonex needs to keep this guy. I mean, blame Lin Dan for the ridicoulous price of the old AT700. Any equpiment he uses instantly turns into gold. People will buy whatever he wears and uses. If Yonex were smart, they would sign him to a 4 or 5 year deal, maybe 1-2 million USD a year, just to use there stuff.
Now, i dunno if this is possible, i hear there are strict sponsorship deals with Chinese national teams.
maybe lin dan should turn independent :D hahah kidding
 
yourbestfriend said:
maybe lin dan should turn independent :D hahah kidding
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lol why would he want to? do you honestly believe that only yonex make good quality badminton rackets? victor and sotx have been around for years and if LD prefers to use SOTX in his spare time, (who coincidentally have always sponsored him for personal use), then i really dont see why LN and KASON cant make equally good rackets in the very very near future lol. It's all about which company has the greates marketing power and there's only gonna be one winner. I actually fear for yonex's extinction from badminton lol. i think they still make the best shoes even if there is negligible difference in rackets - oh and their shirts are much better looking haha.
 
Look, Yonex is the market leader in badminton racquets solely due to its brand name, not better quality than competition. Racquet manufacturing is actually very low tech, contarry to what many think. The only high tech comes from the raw materials used to make the racquets, and for that Yonex or for that matter all other racquet manufacturers know next to nothing about how to manufacture say hmg, uhmg, titanium, cup stack nanotubes, etc. These high tech fibers and resins and matrixes are made by other more high tech companies, and they sell such materials to all racquet manufacturers like Yonex, Kason, Victor, Chao Pai, RSL, etc.
 
taneepak said:
Look, Yonex is the market leader in badminton racquets solely due to its brand name, not better quality than competition. Racquet manufacturing is actually very low tech, contarry to what many think. The only high tech comes from the raw materials used to make the racquets, and for that Yonex or for that matter all other racquet manufacturers know next to nothing about how to manufacture say hmg, uhmg, titanium, cup stack nanotubes, etc. These high tech fibers and resins and matrixes are made by other more high tech companies, and they sell such materials to all racquet manufacturers like Yonex, Kason, Victor, Chao Pai, RSL, etc.
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I think the guy's right.
 
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