Firms help spur a running craze in China

Firms help spur a running craze in China

Staff Reporter

2013-12-30

More and more people in China are taking up running, with its popularity fueled by private running groups and promotions hosted by various companies including sporting goods giant Nike and China’s largest residential real estate developer Vanke, reports Guangzhou’s 21st Century Business Herald.On Nov. 16, 1,500 runners flocked to the former site of a factory owned by Chinese steel company Shougang Corp in Beijing to attend a running event held by Nike. The event kicked off with a promotional film and ended with a rock music concert; it also featured attractive coaches.

Nike said the event was meant to inspire more people to go jogging, and it is the company’s responsibility to arm joggers with the best equipment for this purpose, according to Simon Pestridge, vice president of marketing at Nike Greater China.

The sporting goods giant previously sponsored the 2012 Shanghai International Marathon, prior to which Nike’s outlet in Shanghai offered marathon training and invited runners from around the world to attend exchanges with members of local running groups.

Jeanne Huang, Nike’s communications director for Greater China, said the sponsorship was largely meant to tap the company’s expertise in the sports business to inspire a love for jogging in participants. Huang played down the idea that the company is only aiming to boost the brand.

As part of efforts to inspire a love for running amongst China’s youth, Nike on Nov. 13 launched a 60-second-long film titled The Run, as well as a commercial comprising interviews with runners including blind Hong Kong runner Inti; 74-year-old Sun Gengsheng; and Liu Xiang, a Chinese hurdler who won an Olympic gold medal in 2004.

In contrast with this focus on young people in China, Vanke’s jogging push targets the middle-aged in a bid, it said, to boost their health.

At the Beijing Marathon in October, Vanke’s CEO Yu Liang showed the company’s support for jogging by participating in the marathon, finishing the run in 3 hours and 44 minutes. Sources from Vanke noted that Yu aimed to persuade companies and organisations around China to encourage running among employees, since many of their middle-aged personnel are under severe pressure and tend to neglect their health.

So far this year, Vanke has held running events in four major cities to promote health awareness among workers, and the company is looking to hold similar events in 60 cities nationwide next year.

Meanwhile, Beijing Hyundai Motor has been honest about its motives to boost brand recognition through running sponsorships. Sources said the company, which sponsored the recent Beijing Marathon on Oct. 20, aimed to boost its brand through sponsorship and to target young consumers in support of its launch of several new car models.