"It never hurts when people are talking about you relative to a guy whose every statement is picked up by a microphone."

That was the assessment of Brian Cupps, Brand Initiatives Director at Li-Ning, of the recent news that Dwayne Wade's new Li-Ning-inspired nickname "Way of Wade" (WoW) was called "corny" by MVP teammate LeBron James. "It's more tongue in cheek than anything," said Cupps. "It doesn't hurt."

Li-Ning's fledgling partnership with Wade has certainly not hurt either brand. Though hard numbers are yet to come, Cupps said anecdotally that "all of our indicators, be it social media or future sales, are up based on Wade." Cupps added, "Particularly in the US, where we had little to no real consumer following, we have a very strong pull right now and demand for our products because of Wade. Now we have to feed that demand."

Feeding the demand is going to be a huge challenge for Li-Ning for a number of reasons. For starters, it's a Chinese brand facing a mountain of existing consumer prejudice against China. Worse, negative China news outside of Li-Ning's control impacts this effort. Continue reading...

Sports teams are always looking for new revenue and having their players wear alternative uniforms or caps have proven to be a nice moneymaker. Usually, those alternates are simply different colors or throwbacks to the uniforms of yesteryear, however the NBA’s Golden State Warriors are going a different direction Friday evening.

The Warriors will take the court tonight in short-sleeved jerseys—the “adizero NBA short sleeve uniform system”—the first such shirts worn in the NBA since probably the 1940s when the Boston Celtics donned them. Made by Adidas, the shirts could start a fashion trend, former NBA All-Star and current New York Knicks assistant general manager Allan Houston tells Bloomberg. “The younger guys set the trends and set the market,” Houston said. “If they embrace it and everybody likes it, then it could catch.” Those younger guys were the same ones who helped the trend of longer shorts replace the short shorts that had been worn for years back in the mid-’90s, Houston points out. Continue reading...

Sports teams always like to make a little more money. (How else will they pay for athletes' salaries?) Among other moves, their quest has led to a rise in alternate jerseys — another object for fans to purchase and prove they really care about their home squad. 

Now the NBA’s Golden State Warriors have upped the ante and introduced a jersey that isn’t just alternative — it's being called “groundbreaking.” Made by Adidas, the “adizero NBA short sleeve uniform system” is simply a T-shirt instead of tank top. 

This form-fitting model is 26 percent lighter than traditional NBA jerseys; uses moisture-wicking technology to help keep players a littler dryer; and, in a PR move that’s sure to go over well in the Bay Area, made with 60 percent recycled materials. The team will wear the new jersey and the matching pinstriped shorts (inspired by the Bay Bridge) for at least three games this season, starting Friday, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

Adidas, which also just debuted its new Y-3 sports line with a live-streaming fashion show,  says it hopes more teams might adopt the sleeved look next season.Continue reading...

Time to buy up all the New Orleans Hornets gear you can: The NBA team has announced it will become the Pelicans.

“This isn’t something that was just done overnight,” said team owner Tom Benson, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “We are not just changing the name to change the name. The Hornets name came from Charlotte. That fits in with Charlotte. It doesn’t fit into New Orleans, La., or our area here."

He continued: "The Hornets don’t mean anything here. We needed something that symbolizes New Orleans and Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. And nothing does that better than this name.”Continue reading...

China is the second latest economy in the world, every significant brand's future is impacted by its growth (or collapse!); but who's got the time?! Here's our weekly potpourri of ten reads that will make you look like a keen China observer during any conversation about China.

This week: Starbucks, Nike and Bulgari celebrate the year of the snake; hit films drives Thailand tourists; Kung Fu marketing; more.Continue reading...

You may have noticed "Jordans" trending on Twitter today. Inclement weather across much of the U.S. did not stop Jordan Brand fans from lining up in the cold to pick up the new $185-$225 Air Jordan 11 Retro "Bred" shoe from Nike, one of the most highly anticipated releases of 2012 for sneaker heads. One mob scene in Alabama saw local police using pepper spray to control the crowd, who were vying for one of 36 bands that would allow them to acquire the iconic kicks at a later date. Nike's stock rose 4% this morning, while its latest quarterly earnings report indicates the company intends to "focus resources on driving growth in the NIKE, Jordan, Converse and Hurley brands" going forward.

Back when Shaquille O’Neal was in his NBA playing days and couldn’t seem to sink a foul shot to save his life, there were plenty of coaches and fans who likely could have used a drink after watching him botch another attempt. Shaq has since retired from playing the game, of course, but he’s still ready to help people find a drink, though in a totally different way this time.

O’Neal is about to launch his own line of vodkas, the New York Post reports, that will be coconut-flavored, sugar- and gluten-free, hit store shelves early in 2013 and be called “Luv Shaq.” (One wonders how the B52’s are taking this.)

Drew Adelman, the founder of Devotion Vodka, which will produce the Shaq-branded sugar-free and gluten-free liquor, says that the plan is to go up against Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Ciroc vodka. Devotion was also responsible for a vodka that had Jersey Shore’s Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino’s name on it.

O’Neal, who now makes big bucks as an analyst on TNT’s Inside the NBA, has been on a self-promotion bender this year — or as he calls them on his Twitter bio, "random acts of Shaqness."Continue reading...

NYSE Euronext is in merger talks with the IntercontinentalExchange. (Update: Sold!)

Foursquare starts using Facebook data for recommendations.

General Mills announces more than 100 new products for 2013.

Amazon's Jeff Bezos among retail leaders honored by NRF.

Apple feels heat in Brazil over iPhone brand and sees "pinch to zoom" patent rejected.

Barack Obama pledges to take action on gun control.

Best Buy digital chief resigns.

Darden takes new tack to spur U.S. restraurant brands.

Deutsche Bank image remake suffers.

Disney raises bar on customer experience with new Fantasy Land.

eBay stops advertising inside mobile apps.Continue reading...