Bringing hoops back to the street

Q&A with Zhu Chenye, CMO of Anta

Q: Anta's Shock the Game basketball tournament has entered its seventh year. Compared to previous editions, what are the highlights of this year's updated version?

A: There are four major highlights for the updated version. First is the new tournament format as this year's competition has been transformed into a league, spanning three phases over a year; Secondly, a new logo has been unveiled, symbolizing uniqueness and originality; Third is the release of Shock the Game 5.0 basketball shoes, a new product line incorporating advanced technology; And the last one is the new incentive mechanism that offers participants the chance to earn rewards that are real gold, motivating young basketball enthusiasts to compete and embark on a journey "panning for gold".

Q: Why were those changes made this year?

A: With the changes in this year's tournament format, we aim to leverage the brand effect of the Shock the Game league and enhance the influence of basketball culture. Our goal is to promote basketball culture on a wider scale so that grassroots basketball culture resonates with people on a more profound level.

Q: The development of Anta's Shock the Game tournament over the past six years is widely acknowledged as a blazing success, sweeping through hundreds of cities. How will Anta continue to achieve future breakthroughs for the competition?

A: The tournament's popularity in recent years has truly been encouraging for us. By establishing Shock the Game as a sports event IP to drive the growth of relevant products, we have achieved something unprecedented in the domestic sports goods industry.

Moving forward, our aim is to develop Shock the Game into China's top mass basketball league and the country's leading grassroots basketball IP, offering the ultimate event and product experiences to young basketball enthusiasts.

Anta has always believed that basketball is one of the most important sports categories to connect with Generation Z, and it has been a core focus for the company.

Q: We have noticed a growing trend of collaboration between the Shock the Game tournament and urban commercial centers. How do you envision the future business model of the Shock the Game tournament in light of this trend?

A: Indeed, when initially organizing Shock the Game, our primary focus in selecting venues was the availability of basketball courts.

However, as the tournament gained momentum, we recognized the importance of tapping into commercial districts, as these areas serve as gathering places for young people. This allows us to engage with a wider audience and encourage more young basketball enthusiasts to join Shock the Game.