pH7 Communications - Brand / Reputation Management Campaign of the Year

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Company: pH7 Communications
Company Description: pH7 Communications is an agile strategic communication agency in China. Founded in Shanghai and with a branch in Guangzhou, pH7 quickly adapts to new challenges and embraces new ideas. In the past two years, pH7 has been the recipient of over 15 awards for innovation in marketing communication.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Brand / Reputation Management

Nomination Title: ANTA RUNNING: Born From Runners, Evolving With Runners.

Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched: Launched from December 15th, 2020 and last till May, 2021

BACKGROUND

In China, running has become an optimally healthy lifestyle, with tremendous growing numbers of runners every year. But no brands have paid attention to or developed professional technology exclusively to match Chinese runners’ needs. Thus, the eagerness for a pair of running shoes for Chinese runners has reached a critical point.

CHALLENGE

Being a domestic sports brand to compete with international sports giants, ANTA still has not won consumers’ full trust in the professional running field. Moreover, established running brands have all released their professional marathon products with cushioning protection or carbon-plate. There is not much room left for ANTA Running to stand out. The question remains, how could ANTA Running win Chinese consumers’ hearts?

There are 3 important FINDINGS and we found among the Chinese runners that our brand can meet the request:


1. 87% of Chinese runners run to lead a healthy lifestyle, yet 96.4 % of them had endured an injury.
2. In China, despite all the running shoes including the top brands on the market today, we are still missing the kind that would adapt to Chinese runners’ needs, not vice versa.
3. Chinese consumers always care for brands that show extra attention to them.

OBJECTIVE

1. Increase attention for ANTA Running as a professional running brand.
2. Strengthen the professional image, competitiveness in the marathon racing field, and market influence of ANTA running.
3. Enhance brand favorability and promote product sales.

STATEGY

1. ANTA Running kicked off the first chapter by leveraging “Big Data” through strategic cooperation with Codoon, a leading domestic online sports application to better understand Chinese runners’ needs.
2. ANTA refined a new comprehensive categorization, basing on different runners’ goals —Run Fast, Run Far, Run Fun — to help runners develop a clear expectation of what ANTA running shoes can offer.
3. ANTA highlighted the technology and cultural attributes of its products through visual and engageable presentations, to optimize and maximize media and influencers’ impact in various sectors.

SCHEDULING: Optimized communication timeline to fully attract traffic and maintain buzz for the official launch.

1. On December 15th, 2020, ANTA launched the new brand concept of running categorization — Run Fast, Run Far, and Run Fun.
2. In 2021 Q1, ANTA collaborated with the professional running APP – Codoon, and launched the Chinese Runner’s Survey report.
3. In 2021 Q2, ANTA organized a professional runner’s test run and released the documentary of product experience, meanwhile the press conference of the new product launch was held at Shanghai’s well-known sneaker store.

ACTIVITIES

1. Product Launch
- For runners to Run Far, ANTA previewed C100 ADV triple carbon-plated shoes while launched a professional running gear Tr∞n 1.0. based on the 100 million active users’ data on Codoon. Equipping with impact-absorbing material, it effectively reducing injuries and optimizing the running experience.
- For runners to Run Fast, ANTA launched C202 GT carbon-plated running shoes through professional running experience events, marathon racing events and a sneaker store release event. With impressive achievements, C202 GT helped runners to reach their personal best. It immediately became an elite marathon runner’s must-have.

2. Visual presentation
- To pay tribute to the marathon spirit, canvas interweaving elements of the human heart and blood vessels are on C202 GT Special Edition. This design is inspired by the runners’ spirit, as running brings forward both our outer and inner determination.
- ANTA revolutionized its traditional conference format and created a distinctive immersive space using user-based data, to demonstrate the brand's long-term goal in technological innovation.

RESULTS
- By Q2 2021, ANTA achieved: 1,367 media exposures, 1.35million engagements, 100billion impressions and RMB 42million AD value.
- Related Weibo hashtag reached over 80 million impressions and 70,000 positive engagements.
- One day after the ANTA brand’s 3-year strategy press conference, “Anta Tr∞n 1.0 version” T-mall search rate increased by 58.51%.
- ANTA C202 GT Special Edition was sold out instantly offline and on official online store, and exhibited an enormous price increase on the secondary market.

Supporting Materials:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KYHYenUriL1Ufaa_xc3ednDvHzbzM722/view?usp=sharing