stonecrandall Chapter 495 Design beyond the times
Chapter 495 Design beyond the times
The two of them were already very familiar with each other. Plank often came to Lin Dong's house, so there was no need for too much politeness.
Just after sitting down and chatting for a few words, he saw a familiar face walking in, followed by a blonde female secretary.
Mr. Chu?
When Plank saw the person clearly, a hint of joy appeared on his face.
He had been thinking about what kind of investment Lin Dong could bring him.
Needless to say, although Lin Dong himself had accumulated hundreds of millions of US dollars in wealth before, and made hundreds of millions more in Nike in the past two years, even if the Supersonics and his Spanish team were not counted, Lin Dong was already a top billionaire in the billion-dollar club. However, compared to the production line he said that the annual production capacity in the first phase would exceed 300-500 million, and the second phase would even reach an annual production capacity of 1 billion in sales, his wealth was still not enough to make a fuss, or even if it was enough, it would be a gamble on the degree of wealth. Then he might as well start his own sports brand company. Why bother to find you, Under Armour, and let you hold 51% of the shares?
Plank might have first thought of the Mitsui Group. After all, he knew the background of the Supersonics very well. With the size of the Mitsui Group, investing in such a production line is naturally a small matter.
But the problem is that the development focus of the Mitsui Group in recent years is still in Japan, developing nuclear energy, heavy industry, and real estate.
Sporting goods? People are really not interested. Besides, Mitsui Shou is just a young master of the Mitsui family branch who doesn't care about things. Although his brother loves him, it is a small matter for him to give him 200 million or 300 million to play with the team privately, but it is not necessary to casually involve an investment of more than 1 billion US dollars for a word from his brother. It is inconsistent with the development focus of the group.
But Chu Bufan is different.
The head of Softbank in the United States has invested in Under Armour once before. Although Under Armour was delisted later, they sold all their stocks steadily before the delisting and made a lot of money. This time Lin Dong asked him to come... In any case, this guy can definitely afford to invest as long as the project is good.
Plank quickly stood up to greet him. He smiled and looked at the secretary behind Chu Bufan, jokingly saying, "Mr. Chu changes his secretary so frequently."
"There are too many trivial matters at work, and the competent ones should be given the job. Jennifer is more capable." Chu Bufan responded with a smile, while asking the secretary to sit in the bar next to him. He came forward and shook hands with Plank: "Xiao Lin told me that there is a good project and asked everyone to meet. I guessed it was you. Hahaha, after withdrawing from Under Armour last time, I have been paying attention to your company. You have done well. You have made a comeback after a heroic act. How come you finally want to compete with Nike?"
To be honest, the bureau was set up by Lin Dong. Plank himself did not dare to think about competing with Nike now.
But they are all smart people. The investors are standing here, so you can't tell them that you are not good enough.
Plank smiled and said, "No, no, no, no, no arm wrestling. Nike's size is unbeatable. If we want to move, we have to kill it with one blow. That means we need more help. That's why we invited you."
Chu Bufan laughed and sat down on the sofa. He looked at Lin Dong next to him and said, "I know you and Xiaolin are on the same boat. Let's not talk too much about politeness. I'll make my attitude clear."
"I don't care about the grudge between you and Nike. I'm just an investor."
"I did make a lot of money from Under Armour before, but that doesn't mean I will regard the money I made as a 'favor that I have to pay back'. I have absolute confidence in Xiaolin's influence."
Chu Bufan said, turning his head to look at Plank: "Plank, you are the most influential person I have ever seen. One of the principled businessmen, I have a good impression of you, at least you are a guy who is responsible to investors, and I am willing to bet on you, but..."
"Having a responsible and capable boss and a spokesperson who is influential enough are not enough."
"After the last incident, I did some market research on sports brands. Facts have proved that Nike can stand at the top of sports brands, relying not only on commercial hype, but also on their R\u0026D team, which is second to none in the current sports goods field, and has a huge consumer database, and the grasp of consumer preferences, aesthetics, ergonomics, etc., are not comparable to other sports brands."
Plank was a little speechless after a few words.
It was also because he was too excited just now that he treated Chu Bufan as a fool.
Boasting can't fool this venture capital expert. The reason why Softbank can become one of the largest venture capital companies in the world is definitely not by "being fooled" and shit luck.
The points raised by Chu Bufan hit Plank's weak spot, and were the main reason why he didn't dare to compete with Nike even if he made a comeback.
Background! Knowledge! These are the real core of a company that can spread all over the world.
Otherwise, if it is just commercial hype, even with a spokesperson like Lin Dong, it can only be popular for a while, not forever, and even the glory of three to five years cannot be sustained.
Speaking of which, Under Armour actually has its own foundation, that is, when Plank created this brand, he invented the "sweat-absorbing polyester sand thread" material. The tights series made of this material are popular in high schools and universities, and he also has absolute patent rights.
However, this is Under Armour's largest asset, but also its only asset. Compared with Nike, it is too limited and too little, especially in the shoes area, there is no competition at all.
Seeing that Plank remained silent, Chu Bufan turned to look at Lin Dong with a smile and said, "I am willing to come here today because Lin Dong said he can handle these things, and I just want to hear how you did it."
Lin Dong didn't waste any time. He opened the large packages on the table that had been noticed by the two of them for a long time. They saw that they contained several concept sneakers. The workmanship was not very fine, and they even looked a little rough, but they were not. Influenced by its... unique and weird shape, it made the two of them feel bright.
"Design is nothing more than two basic conditions. One is ergonomics, which makes you more comfortable to wear, and the other is trend-setting aesthetics and creativity..."
Lin Dong picked up the nearest pair. It was a pair of sneakers that seemed more in line with the two's usual aesthetics, and was also the most common one.
The overall appearance seems to be comparable to most popular models on the market. The sole looks very high, about five or six centimeters, and the soft foam makes it look round and full.
But...it glows! It looks fluorescent, and with the bright green hue, it looks quite trendy.
"Flash shoes?" Chu Bufan smiled and picked up one. He did not hesitate to praise it, but he also did not hide the disdain on his face: "Very beautiful sneakers, but these shoes seem to be a bit outdated. As early as In 1995, some sports goods had already launched this type of sneakers, and they were indeed popular for a while. However, the battery problem of the LED light made the service life of this type of sneakers too short. When people found out that their expensive price only meant they could be worn for two or three years. After a few months of freshness, I am no longer willing to pay for its brilliance. Now even Nike, which invested heavily in this aspect of the production line, has given up on this design... huh? "
While playing with the shoes, he seemed to have discovered something, and asked curiously: "Where is your LED light installed?"
"No!" Plank next to him obviously discovered this before him. At this time, he held the pair of fluorescent shoes in his hands as if he had found a treasure, and said with some excitement: "This thing does not shine with LED lights. Yes Yes……"
"Phosphorescent rubber." Lin Dong laughed.
In another world, someone did invent flash shoes equipped with LED lights as early as 1995, and they were indeed popular all over the world, but they were eliminated from the market due to battery life issues.
However, this cannot resist people's love for 'glittering', so the reflective design launched by Adidas on football shoes in 2012, the first pair of fluorescent shoes produced using phosphorescent rubber, became popular in Europe as soon as it was released. Under the leadership of those football superstars in the league, it became popular all over the world, and even once threatened the status of Nike, which had already unified the country at that time.
Now, phosphorescent rubber is not a difficult material to find or produce. Lin Dong just advanced this matter seven years...
"It will automatically absorb light sources and will appear brighter at night. Bright green and bright yellow are the most suitable colors for it, which can maximize its characteristics." Lin Dong said with a smile: "It does not require batteries."
Just one sentence made Plank and Chu Bufan's eyes light up. The former has been a sports brand for more than ten years, while the latter has done detailed market research and has a good understanding of the development history of sneakers.
Both of them know very well that no consumer can resist the temptation of this sparkling product, especially teenagers and children!
Chu Bufan almost wanted to make a decision to invest in the project directly, but in the end he held back and asked another question.
"Phosphorescent rubber is not a very scarce material. As soon as your shoes are released, coupled with your influence, they may become popular all over the world in an instant, but you must also understand that they will be imitated soon. Maybe they are a Month, two months? It’s still a bit too risky to invest in two stages of a production line with annual sales of 1 billion for this one shoe..."
"Of course, so let's apply for a patent first. It will take some time for them to find alternative materials. It will be stable for at least two or three months, right?" Lin Dong said with a smile: "By the time they find new materials, we have already started The second model is launched..."
He picked up a pair of lightweight looking shoes on the table.
The overall shape is relatively simple. The woven high-top mesh upper and foam midsole make it feel very light when you pick it up. Although it still looks not small, if you wear it on your feet, it may feel like you are not wearing it. , it is indeed too light.
This is more like a pair of casual shoes than sneakers, or... the overall shape looks more like a 'coconut shell'.
Both of them felt like they liked it at first sight, as if just looking at this pair of shoes gave them a relaxed and comfortable feeling, which is completely different from most of the high-top, heavy-feeling shoes that are currently popular on the market... Of course , I asked them to say more specific benefits, and it seemed impossible to tell them, but they just looked like it, maybe because they had never seen this type of shoes.
The two of them looked at it carefully and pondered its various benefits.
Lin Dong could see the love and confusion in their eyes. He obviously liked it but couldn't tell what was good about it, but...
If the last pair of fluorescent shoes focused on materials and was an idea that could only be popular for a while, then the value of this pair is different. They are walking on the most correct aesthetic path and striving to lead global fashion. of.
Ever since Kanye designed the first pair of coconut shoes in 2009, it has actually proven the aesthetics of people in this era.
Regardless of the four-year gap, in fact this has no impact at all. In 2005, European and American people actually already had a 'simple-oriented' aesthetic. This can be seen from some fashion shows. The reason why coconut shoes were released in 4 It came out only a few years later, but that's just because Kanye invented it four years later, inspired by a surge of aesthetic inspiration.
The other pairs on the table are all coconut shoe designs from the 1st generation to the 5th generation that were released in 2015. Although I didn't make much in my previous life, I loved it just like the purest basketball player. Cheer loves shoes and has a lot of them in his collection. These designs are all familiar, but they are just roughly copied.
If you directly take out the minimalist model of the 5th generation, it may still be questioned by people of this era, but it will be no problem starting from the first generation.
If people accept the first generation, they will definitely be able to accept the second generation, and if they can accept the second generation, they will definitely be able to accept the third generation... This is called using products to change the aesthetics of the world.
Nike and Kanye have already proven this in another world, and now, Lin Dong is just using Nike products to defeat Nike itself... No!
If fluorescent shoes are included, then Under Armor now is using the combination of Adidas and Nike a few years later to fight against the Nike family!
Even if Nike finds alternative materials to imitate fluorescent shoes, it will still have to face lawsuits if it wants to imitate coconut shoes. By the time they finally master the design essence of the first-generation coconut shoes and produce a product that can replace them, Under Armor's second generation has already It’s ready to go online, and by the time you copy the 2nd generation, the 3rd generation is already here!
How long can Nike last? In other words, how long can the U.S. market wait for Nike? One year or two years?
By that time, even if I dare not say that Under Armor will replace Nike's position, at least I can bite off a big piece of meat from Phil Knight as Lin Dong said to him! If it were smoother and crazier, it would not be impossible to seize Nike's market!
Want to beat Nike, rely on Under Armor? By Plank? Or rely on Chu Bufan’s investment?
It’s not that, it’s that you are ahead of the world in terms of knowledge and awareness of trends!
"I have already come up with the design of the shoe. Of course, it is just a concept shoe. It is crudely made and has no comfort at all." Lin Dong said with a smile: "If you want to perfect it, it depends on you, Plank. "
With Plank's vision and market acumen, after seeing these designs and listening to Lin Dong's blueprint, his eyes were already shining with excitement and he was full of confidence. He laughed and said: "As long as we have With these popular designs, you don’t have to worry about ergonomics! Under Armor already has a professional team, and what’s more, don’t forget what I got started with…”
"Your 'sweat-absorbent polyester yarn'?" Chu Bufan asked with a smile.
"I'm a rugby player, and I know something about the invention of raw materials?" Plank said with a smile: "That's the patent I bought from Professor Knapp, Johns Knapp! From Johns Hopkins University Lifelong Honorary Professor!”
"Under Armor has been able to establish a foothold in high schools and universities over the years and has an inseparable relationship with Professor Knapp. When it comes to ergonomics, is there anyone better than Hopkins University in the United States? The U.S. Department of Health invests every year The most popular university is the Department of Medicine of Hopkins University! Their research on ergonomics is simply not comparable to that of Nike. Several designers in my research team also graduated from Hopkins University. Looking back, I’ll ask them to ask their teacher to come out! If they can’t, I’ll go find Professor Nap! Of course… this requires money.”
Plank looked at Chu Bufan with a smile.
"Is 2.5 billion enough?" Chu Bufan smiled and slapped the table directly: "I just want 20% of the original equity. I heard that one of you has 51% and the other 49%? Each of you will give 10%. Me!"
Plank was overjoyed when he heard this. He would expand the production lines with sales of 1 billion in two stages and build some stores. This would probably restore Under Armour to the scale it was when it first went public. 2 billion would be enough. This was what he had thought about most before. Figures, I didn't expect that there was an extra 500 million... This was obviously not because Chu Bufan didn't understand the market, but because the pairs of shoes on the table and Plank's background gave him great confidence.
A superstar who is willing to give up hundreds of millions of annual salary from Nike to endorse, a head of a venture capital company, and these designs that exceed his imagination...
Plank's heart suddenly burst into flames.
When Under Armor collapsed, he used the few funds he had to buy back Lin Dong's stocks at a price exceeding the market price. Afterwards, his wife and children scolded him for being stupid, and even made Plank I also questioned myself when I encountered financial difficulties.
But now, he feels that it was the wisest decision he has ever made in his life.
He stretched out his hands and held the hands of Lin Dong and Plank at the same time, laughing and saying: "Then what are you waiting for? Let's have a big fight! Bite a piece of flesh off Nike's body!"
"Maybe he bit Nike to death?" Chu Bufan responded to him with a meaningful smile.
Plank was startled, but then he saw Lin Dong also had a meaningful smile.
These two people are really wild at heart...but, I like it!
"Hahaha!" Plank laughed, and actually used a Longguo dialect he learned from Lin Dong: "That's right, damn him, bite him to death!"