Li Ning is getting better and better at branding, and gradually it is finding its own identity," said Leo Burnett's Wong. Its viral video featuring the US customs officials seems to bear this out.
Aside from its interests in basketball, it has been keen to build on its presence in badminton, a hugely popular sport in China. It sponsors the Chinese national badminton team and in 2009 it acquired Kason, a specialist in badminton equipment. The badminton positioning is expected to help Li Ning expand in other Asian markets. In 2009, the brand opened a boutique store
in Singapore, its first overseas flagship. The store focuses on badminton equipment.
Li Ning also hit the headlines in 2010 for signing A safa Powell, the Jamaican sprinter. His previous contract was with Nike.