Along with Ac quity and other partners, Digital Li-Ning, in which Li-Ning holds a minority stake, plans to invest a combined $100 million on global marketing over the next five years.
Li-Ning sees its niche in the U.S. as an Eastern-inspired brand that emphasizes the spiritual side of sports, focusing on balance of mind and body over brute strength and power. To start, the company is selling products in three categories: basketball, running and women's fitness.
The marketing campaign is still at an early stage and messaging has not yet been fully developed. But as an example, women's fitness products will be marketed as sporty yet still feminine.