How Anta Has Raised Its Game By Backing China’s Olympic Campaigns

Between 2020 and 2021, Anta’s share prices have risen by a whopping 157%, putting its market value at US$64b. If this bull run continues, the Chinese sportswear giant could soon surpass Adidas in market value, whose shares rose only 39% to a value of US$74b and become the second-largest sports apparel brand in the world. 

It wasn’t just China’s athletes who ruled the roost in the recent Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the stylish kits created by homegrown sportswear giant Anta also sealed its place in the collective memory of audiences across the globe.    

So, we look at two ways how Anta has leveraged on its sponsorship game as patriotic Chinese consumers, are more open to spending on quality local brands.   

Collaborating With A-List Young Athletes To Build Gen Z’s Brand Loyalty 

Anta is enticing sports fans, particularly Gen Zers, by roping in major young athletes, including NBA star Klay Thompson, dancer Wang Yibo, freestyle skier Gu Ailing, as celebrity endorsers. 

While these A-listers can bring in their dedicated fanbases for Anta, working with KOLs is not without risk, more so, with celebrity scandals hogging the headlines in China. On the positive end, athletes are less likely than idols to be in the eye of the paparazzi and involved in scandals, however, the drawback is that idols tend to generally attract more eyeballs and revenue from the masses for the brand.    

With how sensitive the Chinese government is, Anta has to also pay special attention to the public comments about China from its growing stable of international athletes as it expands worldwide. 

Building On Olympic Glory 

Over its long-term partnership with the Chinese Olympic Committee, Anta has invested over US$460m in R&D technology and filed 1,400 product patents, as elite Chinese athletes showcased their prowess in the brand’s innovative apparel and equipment. The brand is also set to pump in over US$616m over the next five years, as it vows to create high-quality sports performance wear and equipment for both professional athletes as well as the ordinary consumer, as it challenges the dominance of international behemoths like Nike and Adidas. 

Anta is not only banking on the positivity created by Tokyo 2020, but is generating hype for the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. Under the brand’s “Two Olympics” (Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022) marketing blitz, the sportswear leader will launch Anta Champion Stores in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities to spotlight China’s national team stories. 

Apart from spotlighting remarkable athletic feats, it will also introduce a collection of high-end sportswear and lifestyle products that was created for these pro athletes. This clever strategy allows Anta to continue its Olympics-themed marketing after Tokyo, and also cements its brand reputation as the apparel choice of champions.  

These moves prove Anta has a strategic plan that combines banking on its mostly sports-related sponsorship deals and creating quality products to win the hearts and minds of a new generation of consumers.