The economic development of Taiwan, China, began to develop rapidly in the 1970s. Labor-intensive industries based on OEMs have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain. They are gradually developing step by step based on family factories. Through traders taking orders, they package up some products from foreign manufacturers that do not meet the production cost at low prices, earning a slight processing fee. Of course, these local "black-hand" bosses are frugal, and the factory He also accumulated a considerable amount of capital. Part of this capital was used to expand production capacity, replace equipment, and update production technology. As a result, the scale of the enterprise was gradually established, forming numerous "small and medium-sized enterprises" in Taiwan.
However, it seems that most local companies, regardless of their size, are still just earning hard-earned money from processing. They rarely rely on marketing techniques and brand building to make their products generate higher profits. Added value, thereby expanding the company's profits. There are many Taiwanese companies that are leaders in the manufacturing industry, such as sneakers, bicycles, chairs, umbrellas, tires, computers, mobility scooters for the elderly, etc. Their status has reached a point where they can dominate the advancement and retreat of global industries. However, most of these successful companies have no brand development strategy and rarely invest funds to build their own brand awareness. At best, they only know how to marry others without establishing independence. Such a company can only be called a manufacturing industry rather than a complete enterprise. A complete enterprise should be a company that has comprehensive capabilities in manufacturing, R&D, marketing, and management. To give a few simple examples, when it comes to brands such as "NIKE", "ADIDAS" and "REEBOK", it can be said that everyone in the world knows it, but apart from stock investors, how many people know about Taiwan's shoe factories? Are Baocheng", "Fengtai", etc. actually the real manufacturers? The same example can also be applied to the bicycle industry. World-famous bicycle brands such as "SCHWINN", "SPECIALIZED", "HARO", "RALEIGH", etc. How many people know the real Taiwanese manufacturer behind it? In addition to strengthening management technology, improving efficiency, reducing costs, increasing production capacity, and improving quality, a successful company can actually increase corporate profits by establishing a brand to increase product value. Necessity.
After understanding the importance of marketing, all business personnel should delve into its techniques and essence. Marketing methods are ever-changing and each has its own ingenuity. There are different methods based on one's own resources, product characteristics, market segmentation, and consumption differences. But if you can make full use of various media and use flexible skills, you may not be unable to create results even if your funds are limited. When Pearson Publishing Company gave me the translation of "On The Ball", I was deeply attracted by the analysis of the strength of the sports world and the valuable business management and marketing experience in the book, and I felt the same regret.
Every reader should know that the United States is the most powerful sports kingdom in the world. In addition to its vast sports population, its sports system, grass root, media communication, and sports The equipment is the most complete in the world. As a result, many outstanding sports talents have been created, easily occupying the leading position in the global sports world. Internationally renowned companies related to sports such as NIKE, CALLAWAY, WILSON, SCHWINN TITLEIST, PRINCE, etc., individual organizations such as NBA (Professional Basketball League), NFL (Professional Football League), NHL; (Professional Hockey League), NASCAR (RV) League), MLB (Major League Baseball) and PGA (Professional Golf Association) all have a decisive influence in various sports planning activities around the world.
The global sports-related market is estimated to have an annual turnover of US$200 billion. Under this huge market incentive, it can be said that these companies or organizations are always thinking about how to best Innovate new business methods to expand its market --- the number of fans. They not only compete with each other in the industry, but also compete with outside the industry. Because the global population is fixed, in order to expand the market, individual sports must compete with other sports, hoping to rob their audiences and the time these audiences have to watch football games.
Because of these fierce competitions, every company or organization attaches great importance to its own operations, including image maintenance, brand building, customer service, employee relations, and crisis management. These are the focus of operations. The two authors of this book Author David. Carter (David M. Carter) and Darren. Darren Rovell is a professional consultant and senior columnist in the American sports industry. They have a deep knowledge of the American sports world. They have a very objective attitude to describe and analyze the inside stories of various companies and sports circles in the past few years, as well as the major events that have happened to many famous sports stars, whether they were successful or failed. Time and space background and business philosophy. The intelligence and thinking logic of many of these decision-makers can indeed provide many business leaders with many lessons.
Because of the operations of these companies and organizations, the number of sports-loving people around the world is increasing day by day. Therefore, outstanding athletes often become household stars, and their words and deeds become the focus of fans, and they The equipment used and the jerseys and shoes worn have also become objects of imitation. Under this imitation effect, sports stars are often turned into product spokespersons by companies. Choosing a star with a good image often has a great bonus point effect on the product, such as NBA legend O'Neal on Wendy's Burgers, and PGA Tiger Woods on American Express credit card (American Express) TV The ads are for non-sporting products, which is a good example of using sports stars to build awareness of the company's products.
In recent years, our company (Jianda Tire) has been working hard to get rid of the past economic model based on OEM production, and instead adopted a new strategy that emphasizes marketing and building brands to increase the company's profitability. After several years of hard work, it has gradually upgraded from "products without brand positioning" to "brand idolization", that is, choosing appropriate sports stars to strengthen product characteristics (i.e. credibility) --- through the personal characteristics of sports stars Charm is the best endorsement of the company's products and company image. Sponsorships for famous sports stars usually cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, which is beyond the reach of ordinary small and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, how do you find a few sponsors among all living beings that are within your marketing budget? Within the company, it is possible to fully express the image that the company wants to appeal to, which depends on Bole who can take the lead. I have two successful examples in this regard that are worth sharing with readers. The first is the signing of Jonsson, the former world cross-country mountain bike champion. John Tomac serves as the spokesperson for the advanced mountaineering tires produced by our company. Tomac is not the current champion so the sponsorship is at a reasonable price, but he was a top champion in the past. It already has a super idol status in the mountain bike industry, so it is an excellent endorsement for the company's new products. In 2001, he signed an unknown golf rookie class. Ben Curtis was even more sensational. In 2003, he won the British Open, the most prestigious and oldest major championship, for the first time. When the photo of Curtis kissing the Champions League was prominently published in magazines, newspapers and television around the world, Kenda's trademark was clearly displayed in the eyes of readers around the world, positioning our company image one by one. "A Rising Star"---a very good interpretation. Kenda brand became famous overnight just like this legendary champion like Cinderella. It can be seen from this that finding appropriate product spokespersons has an impact on brand shaping and establishment that cannot be calculated in numbers.
In short, the example of my original signing of the British Open champion is the same as the business wisdom the author of this book wants to reveal. It requires foresight, execution ability, willingness to take risks, and a determination to take risks. You are lucky enough to have such a comprehensive enterprise without having to spend a lot of money. You can also obtain similar opportunities, add points to your brand image, and lay a deeper foundation for the success of the enterprise.
Yang Qiren
Written on the eve of the 2004 Masters
The author of this article, Mr. Yang Qiren, is the vice chairman of Kenda Tire and the general manager of the American company, responsible for the company Global marketing business has been very effective in building company image and brand over the years. Ben Curtis, a golf rookie sponsored by the company, defeated Tiger Woods and Vijay in one fell swoop as a rookie. World-class players including Vijay Sing won the 2003 British Open Championship.