Over the past decade or so, sports brands have been telling consumers to compete with themselves and challenge themselves. Such universal values are not incorrect, but they also make more and more young people feel tired. Those few brands that put aside clichés and bring a different interpretation to sports and the world are being appreciated. New Balance is one of them.
Interlocutor:
New Balance China Marketing Director Chen Rui
Fat Whale Chief Knowledge Officer Wang Jing
Since 1906, William J. Riley of Boston, USA established a company called New Balance Starting from the foot arch support company, this company with running shoes as its core has a history of 116 years. Some factors beyond trends have allowed New Balance to survive for a century and maintain an enviable and stable growth pace.
The past 2020 and 2021 have witnessed a series of milestones for New Balance in the Chinese market: the brand won the protracted trademark war; online and offline sales increased despite the trend; the world's first running concept store settled in Taikoo Li Qiantan, Shanghai; the NB GREY concept store grandly opened at iamp Shanghai.
In an environment where speed, traffic, freshness, and fleeting trends seem to swallow everything, New Balance plays the countermelody of the fast-moving consumer era. It is like a defender of quality life "Old school but never old fashion". It uses its persistence in technical standards and its explosive sense of restraint to bring the power and ideas that break the rules to the world. This is New. Balance's unique "style" attracts batches of like-minded consumers.
We can see carefully crafted story content, but we rarely see New Balance promoting quick success in the market; it accompanies the life and growth of young people, but we rarely see it "deliberately being cute" in order to cater to it. The value upholding of a family business enables New Balance to find and adhere to its own development rhythm - time is always a friend of brand accumulation. On top of this, New Balance innovates in a low-key manner and exports its own culture and style to the world in an orderly manner.
1-New Balance founder William J. Riley got inspiration for the arch support from the shape of a rooster's paw.
2-New Balance entered the field of running shoes in 1938
3-1975, Team New Balance was born, and then the first clothing product line was launched
4-1975, TOM FLEMING won the New York Marathon wearing 320S
5-1999, Khalid Khannouchi breaks world record in Chicago Marathon (2:05:42)
6 - 2007, New Balance's traditional professional running shoe series NBx was born and has become an enduring choice for runners.
"Authenticity of Running"-the core of everything
Running has always been the original intention and source of all products of this century-old brand. In the field of product , New Balance has never stopped innovating and breaking through itself - New Balance 320 was the first pair of running shoes named after numbers, which later became a unique feature of the brand; 620 was the lightest running shoe on the market at the time; 990 was the pioneer of the high-end series and the first pair of running shoes in history to sell for $100.
"Multi-width running shoes" is another unique feature that reflects New Balance's "Authenticity" and "Ingenuity". Different foot types of users require shoes with different last widths. Jim Davis, chairman of New Balance, even personally quantified the multi-width shoe last system. Today, New Balance has 16 different shoe lasts, covering users of all ages for men, women and children. And technology platforms such as Fresh Foam and FuelCell are the embodiment of New Balance's craftsmanship and ingenuity.
Multi-width running shoes
"Run with you" - New Balance's insights on running and the world
In the past decade or so, sports brands have been telling consumers to compete with themselves and challenge themselves.Such universal values are not incorrect, but they also make more and more young people feel tired. American writer Fran Lebowitz said in "Pretend We're in the City", "People always say this: 'I want to challenge myself.' These challenges are all fake. Mountain climbing (and a series of extreme sports) is a fake challenge. You don't have to climb a mountain. Those things that people must do, but they haven't done yet because of fear, lack of expertise, and the foreseeable difficulty of the process, can be called a challenge. They are things you must do, not things you make up. "
Those few brands that put aside clichés and bring different interpretations to sports and the world are being appreciated. New Balance is one of them. "Rather than emphasizing the offensive nature of competition, New Balance emphasizes emotional companionship and support. We run with you (run with you)." New Balance’s partnership with Dark Running Group, a running group founded in China in 2016 and composed of visually impaired and hearing-impaired runners, is a concrete embodiment of “companionship”.
"The running rope is a living rope. One end of it is holding the visually impaired runner, and the other is held by me. Every time I hold the running rope, I feel that a responsibility is in my hands."
From another perspective, this also just shows the brand's "Authenticity" - Social responsibility is not about following the trend and doing the "hot projects" that everyone is doing, but about finding a suitable entry point and bringing value to society from the brand's field.
"Old school but never old fashion" - New Balance's new way of interpreting ingenuity and style
is in line with the brand concept of "Run with you". In recent years, New Balance's story-telling method has also been developed from a "eye-level" perspective of the user and integrated into the user's daily life.
This is first reflected in the choice of "craftsmen". Does “craftsmanship” necessarily belong to the “older generation”? Are young people necessarily impetuous? New Balance puts aside people's stereotyped perceptions of age and occupation and looks for the interpretation of "ingenuity" in the new era in various fields. They are an independent musician/fingerstyle guitarist born in the 2000s (Wang Jiangyuan), an artist who opened a nail salon (Coke), a Barbershop owner (Ollie The Barber), and a sign painter (Lao Zhao). Every collaborator intersects with New Balance's brand spirit somewhere.
New Balance works with influencers to create sincere and intelligent text and video content, providing a boat for those who are also maverick and persistent in the noisy and impetuous environment.
The following is the complete transcript of the conversation:
1. What is Authenticity of Running?
Fat Whale
China's sportswear and footwear market is full of competing schools of thought. On one side are international giants across multiple sports categories, and on the other side are emerging brands with unique characteristics that bring new voices to the market. What's New Balance's role in this?
Chen Rui
New Balance China Marketing Director
First of all, what we have in common with all other international sports brands is that we all attach great importance to the Chinese market. At the same time, we are "low-key, pragmatic but innovative".
From a positioning perspective, this goes back to our brand DNA. Running is the source of all our products, lifestyle series, training series, football products, everything comes from our running technology. We have long been a great running shoe company, and our running line is our strongest product. So we must first compete in the field of professional sports shoes (We are the most authentic running brand).
Star products in the running field
At the same time, we have the gene of "trend", which makes us more high-end (Premium) in the field of sports.But for us, style is more important than trend.
Tokyo Design Studio
Shanghai Design Studio
Shanghai Design Studio
Shanghai Design Studio
Fat Whale
"Trends fade away, but styles last forever", this is a view often heard in the luxury goods industry.
Chen Rui
New Balance China Marketing Director
Yes, this may be my personal opinion. I think brands must have the ability to export culture. A brand can represent a culture, and a product can output a concept. So compared to fashion/Trend, I prefer to say that New Balance is a style.
Fat Whale
New Balance gives me the impression that it does not "deliberately please", or that it does not "go with the flow". Is this also part of the brand’s personality?
Chen Rui
New Balance China Marketing Director
I would like to share some of our understanding of the brand audience, there are several keywords - Smart, Confident, Witty, Humble. Fearless and independent, humble but not weak, humorous but not cute.
This is actually our brand character. New Balance's image is diverse, but it has never been "cute", even though we know this is a huge market. "What you don't do" is crucial to shaping the brand's character and temperament.
Fat Whale
What insights does New Balance want to convey to the world about running?
Chen Rui
New Balance China Marketing Director
As a sports brand, our insights into the world are based on our products. So I want to talk about the basic functionality of New Balance products first.
Without a doubt, we are running experts. Why am I so confident? There are three points: First, we can do "Fit Your Body" .
is derived from years of professional research and consumer insights. We understand that each runner has different widths and arch heights. Our same running shoes can be provided with different widths to accommodate consumers with different foot widths.
At the same time, we also have Vongo, a shoe specifically targeted at consumers with low arches. The midsole technology allows consumers with low arches to prevent their feet from pronation when jogging, walking, and walking, thereby protecting ankles and knees.
Secondly, "Fit Your Ambition" . Our technology platforms such as FuelCell and Fresh Foam were also mentioned earlier. These are all to better accompany and support our runners;
FuelCell is developed by New Balance Innovation Studio (Innovation Design) Studio), committed to bringing a more extreme speed experience to runners anytime and anywhere. The latest FuelCell full-sole carbon plate product line is New The best choice for energy feedback in the Balance running shoe family;
Fresh Foam is based on a large amount of runners' gait data and is developed by collecting ergonomic data such as the degree of pressure on different parts of the feet during running, running efficiency, and the degree of fit of the feet. It uses an irregular polygon structure midsole to balance the pressure of each force point, which can further improve the mid-to-low cushioning capabilities for runners and achieve a flexible, soft, lightweight, comfortable and rebound foot experience.
Finally "Fit Your Style" , we are also very good at shaping style and driving trend culture. We bring "style" back to running through technology innovation, and co-branding.For a runner, being a runner is just an identity. There are many aspects of his life, such as race days, training days, dinners with friends, going to work, etc. We can provide support for different scenarios.
Then I want to talk about the emotional level. Rather than emphasizing the offensive nature of competition, New Balance emphasizes emotional companionship and support. We are running with you. Our brand value is "We empower people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world."
You can be a professional runner, or just an ordinary person who likes running. You don't have to be a professional athlete, but we will provide the most professional support for every runner.
Fat Whale
In terms of "companionship", what concrete actions does the brand take?
Chen Rui
Marketing Director of New Balance China
Our cooperation with the Dark Running Group is a very typical example. A visually impaired person cannot see the world. When he insists on running, it is a great thing. At the same time, he will need more spiritual companionship and support.
We will provide running groups with escorts. Different from ordinary escorts, we will use traction ropes to guide visually impaired runners. This also requires the persistence and patience of both parties to cultivate mutual trust. This is a long-term process of running-in. A person has to entrust himself to another person with an open heart. You choose to believe rather than doubt. This emotion is very precious.
Fat Whale
You mentioned earlier that New Balance is "to create positive change in communities around the world." Over time, the brand has accumulated a group of loyal users. Has it formed a tangible community?
Chen Rui
New Balance China Marketing Director
I know that the term social marketing is very popular recently. Going back to our New Balance brand, "Authenticity" is something we value very much.
Whether it is a so-called circle or a community, we believe in the naturally formed "shoe circle". Consumers gather together because they like New Balance shoes and love the culture we convey. The brand community does not need to be "managed" because people are not there to run it. The biggest feedback from the brand to people who like us is to continuously make good products and create good experiences, which naturally attracts everyone to come and play together. On the contrary, if the brand stops innovating, it will do the greatest harm to the people you want to "operate".
2. How to retell the story of ingenuity?
Fat Whale
The mass market is becoming a niche. We sometimes call it "circle", and the preferences of different circles vary greatly. Has the way we tell stories now changed?
Chen Rui
New Balance China Marketing Director
Good question. A very key change is that "the public has moved towards the focus", which means that the traditional way of delivering content by holding high and beating high is difficult to work. Nowadays, brands must become more "delicate", get involved to understand different groups of people and platforms, and communicate with consumers sincerely.
Another one is that the definition of "content" is also being expanded. Brand blockbusters are content, product experience is also content, offline activities and space experience are also content, and services are also content. The focus is on whether our brand provides or even creates a unique experience for consumers.
New Balance opened the world's first running concept store for C-end consumers in Taikoo Li, Qiantan, Shanghai in 2021. We provide high-precision testers in the store. Consumers visiting the store can measure their foot width and arch height with the assistance of store staff, and choose running shoes of corresponding width.
The same is true for the NB GRAY concept store (Shanghai iapm store) that opened on January 7, 2022. We have planned a limited-time photography exhibition. All photography works were created by the famous photographer Qin Sibo using black and white Leica camera and long-exposure shooting techniques. This special shooting technique makes the photography work present the beauty of the flow of time with a sense of story. Qin Sibo uses his photographic eye to freeze gray art moments, which is not only a tribute to traditional photography methods, but also an inheritance of urban ingenuity.
Photography Exhibition Area
"Eye of Shanghai" Art Installation - Installation artist Methmn Ma constructed it out of gray New Balance shoes and other creations
Fat Whale
You just mentioned "co-creation", and behind this is the change in the "power relationship" between brands and consumers. How do New Balance’s actions in recent years reflect this change?
Chen Rui
Marketing Director of New Balance China
In the past, brands were superior, but now brands and consumers see each other at eye level. We must have our own persistence, and at the same time, we must tell stories that consumers are willing to listen to, and use the format they like to reach them where they naturally exist.
"How far are you willing to go for a cup of coffee? Restart spring with NB"
Fat Whale
In other words, New Balance's way of telling stories is becoming more and more detailed. Brands also reflect this change in the selection and use of influencers. Not only are you unique in your selection of influencers, but you also create a lot of grainy and textured video and written content.
Chen Rui
Marketing Director of New Balance China
We always hope that the object of cooperation is consistent with the brand spirit in a certain place, such as perseverance, such as ingenuity, such as not following the crowd. The brand and our influencers are mutual inspirations and resonate in in-depth communication. The content brought about by this resonance is very valuable to a wider range of brand users. They find like-minded feelings when watching the video content or reading the text, and they can also be sure that people with these ideas are not alone.
Fat Whale
co-branding is also one of New Balance's very important strategies in recent years. How is the brand's character reflected in the partner selection criteria and cooperation details?
co-branded
co-branded
New Balance Balance China Marketing Director
precisely because of New Balance's insistence on brand character makes us a brand that can provide unique value in co-branding, and it is easier to attract equally excellent cooperative brands and media. This is also our principle for joint brand cooperation - hopes to create new value with another party through joint branding and provide a new idea or perspective to the current market.
Our cooperation with Italian clothing brand Stone Island is a good example. These two brands have a lot in common - we both have a high pursuit of technological research and development and high functionality in our respective professional fields. At the same time, we also have a deep brand foundation and a solid craft tradition.
New Balance Knitted mesh material, as the main fabric of the shoe body, reduces the weight of the shoe body and also enhances the high breathability required for sports shoes; the midsole uses updated FuelCell technology and a full-length carbon fiber plate to achieve an excellent high-rebound foot feel and a smooth transition of propulsion
This joint shoe not only inherits the leading racing experience of FuelCell RC Elite v2, but also integrates and collides the iconic design elements of both parties. It is an ingenious work with a sense of professional technology and retro fashion. We hope to use this to convey a diversified fashion attitude that is both suitable for the runway and the street, and interprets diversified fashion attitudes with professional strength.
Fat Whale
Let’s talk about New Balance’s investment focus in China in the next 3-5 years.
Chen Rui
New Balance China Marketing Director
Letting New Balance's "running" spirit develop better and more deeply in China is a top priority. In addition to the guidance of "style", we will also communicate more with Chinese consumers about New Balance's professionalism in the running field and help Chinese consumers integrate and practice a healthy lifestyle.
Finally, further implementing our brand mission - [Bring positive change to the community] - in the Chinese market is also our strategic focus.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-