Chinese homegrown brands bet on World Cup early, reaped solid overseas gains via quality products and prior accumulation, stressing solid foundation beats blind trend-chasing.
The moment the final whistle blew, the Spanish team players gathered around the World Cup trophy, standing under the spotlights on the podium.On this side of the screen, several executives from domestic companies who had been on the edge of their seats throughout the entire tournament finally breathed a sigh of relief. Beads of sweat from their palms dripped onto their open tournament schedule sheets, leaving small, faint stains.
No one could have predicted that this group of entrepreneurs, who had been deeply involved in the domestic products sector for many years, had already staked all their core resources on this tournament a year ago.At the time, many in the industry considered their decision overly reckless: instead of sticking to the stable, proven profit model they’d already established domestically, they were pouring hundreds of millions into World Cup-related initiatives. Most believed this investment would likely go down the drain, with little chance of generating any meaningful impact.
The reality, however, exceeded most people’s expectations. In the first month of the tournament, Luckin Coffee launched limited-edition merchandise featuring the Spanish national team, while Vatti posted posters promoting its “free meal for the champion” promotion in prominent locations at all its overseas brick-and-mortar stores.TCL prepared two contingency plans in advance for different potential winning teams; Hisense secured partnerships with key star players ahead of time; Mengniu secured advertising slots during broadcast breaks; Lenovo leveraged its tech expertise to secure tournament-related brand exposure; and Yili signed partnership agreements with eight participating teams all at once.
Over the past month, after Luckin Coffee launched its “Champion”-themed free-order promotion, wait times for orders at its brick-and-mortar stores nationwide at one point exceeded three hours; Vatti’s kitchen appliances featuring the “Champion” logo were widely discussed on overseas social media platforms, with many international users asking about purchase options in the comments section;TCL’s monthly market share in overseas markets increased by three percentage points; and the growth rate of followers on Mengniu and Yili’s official overseas accounts increased fivefold compared to previous periods.
To the outside world, it appears that these domestic brands have capitalized on the World Cup’s buzz to garner significant attention, with many marveling at their skill in riding the wave of popularity. However, only those working within these companies truly understand that the buzz surrounding such top-tier events is never something that can be easily capitalized on.If a product isn’t backed by solid quality, forget about sustaining a month of buzz—it’s likely that critical overseas users will point out its flaws after just two matches, making it impossible to maintain a positive reputation in the long run.
Ultimately, the World Cup has never been a place where you can simply invest and reap traffic at will; it’s more like a springboard to help brands expand into international markets.Without a solid foundation built on years of accumulated experience, it’s difficult to reach the desired destination even when standing on that springboard; and if a product’s quality and service aren’t up to par, it’s impossible to gain a foothold in overseas markets—even if you were to buy up every single advertising spot at the stadium.
These professionals, who have been navigating the business world for two or three decades, understand one truth better than anyone:Good fortune never falls from the sky. Behind achievements that to outsiders seem like a stroke of luck lie countless sleepless nights spent by the team, countless iterations of plans, and years of accumulated industry experience—all of which gave them the confidence to finally take the plunge.
The same principle applies to everything you do going forward. There’s no need to constantly focus on catching a particular trend to achieve leapfrog growth. First, build a solid foundation for your current business and refine your products to perfection. Only then, when the opportunity truly arises, will you have the confidence to reach out and seize it—and only then will you be able to truly hold onto that opportunity.
