Dai Shihao, General Manager of Tang Lions Costumes: How Tang Lions Rapidly Rise

In 2005, it was extraordinary for Tang Lion. Its annual sales exceeded 22 million pieces, and its sales increased by 60% year-on-year. It was ranked among China's 500 most valuable brands with a brand value of 2.974 billion yuan, ranking 218; along with the new spokesperson F. I. R (the Fei Er Band) signed the contract, Tang Lion's image was fully transformed and upgraded; Tang Lion won back the Hong Kong Tang Lion trademark; in 2006, Tang Lion brand entered the Korean, Australian and other apparel markets. On the afternoon of March 28th, in the exhibition hall of “Tang Shi” personality of China International Exhibition Center, the reporter interviewed Dai Chenghao, Executive General Manager of Tang Lion Garments Co., Ltd.

Reporter: This year, "Tang Lion" is the first time to participate in CHIC. Do you feel that you have achieved the intended purpose?

Dai Chenghao: “Tang Lion” can be said to be a high-profile attack on CHIC this year. Not only is the booth area larger, but also the design is more distinctive. After coming here to demonstrate, I think we have received the expected results and are more satisfied than we expected. Now customers, especially franchisee customers, have come to talk about it. On the morning of March 28th, many customers were queued up to negotiate. This is not suitable for deep communication. However, there are still customers talking for more than 40 minutes. This shows that many customers are optimistic about Tang Lion. It is inseparable from the rapid development of Tang Lion brand in recent years.

Reporter: What do you think is the fundamental reason for the rapid development of Tang Lion in recent years?

Dai Chenghao: "Tang Lion"'s greatest success lies in finding the right market position and creating a popular brand. The correct positioning of brands is a strategic issue that affects the survival and development of enterprises. It must be unwavering and must withstand the temptation of various markets. This is a painful process for the understanding of a business operator and brand builder. Tang Shi’s positioning of the popular fashion brand has given it a limitless market space, and it also makes the clothing brand truly become the “minist” brand for young people.

Reporter: What do you think is the key to the success of Tang Lion?

Dai Chenghao: First, the scientific management concept; second, accurate positioning; third, differentiated management; and fourth, strong research and development capabilities. Taking R&D capabilities as an example, we now have a professional design team composed of more than 50 people. The annual development model reaches more than 1,000 models. “Tang Lion” takes 5% of its sales revenue each year for design and research, and fashion investment. There are five. As much as 60 million yuan, there will be more in the future. This huge investment can ensure that Tang Lion can better guide fashion and meet consumer demand, and that Tang Lion's price/performance ratio can be further promoted, thus forming the best benign cycle. This is where the great market potential of Volkswagen's fashion brand positioning lies.

Reporter: What is the specific positioning of "Tang Shi" brand?

Dai Chenghao: "Tang Shi" brand positioning is: young, fashion, activities, leisure. As an apparel brand, we will pay more attention to product design capabilities in the process of providing products. We can provide our customers with products with fashionable and design changes, and we must ensure the stability of product quality. Our first-generation image spokesperson S·H·E vividly interpreted the brand connotation of “young, stylish, vitality and leisure”, and now the second generation image spokesperson F. I. R further explained Tang Shi's theme of “caring” and enriched the pursuit of Tang Lions.
Reporter: What is the future development plan for Tang Lion?

Dai Chenghao: We have just completed a five-year plan. The five-year business development is: sales in 2006 reached 1.5 billion yuan; sales in 2007 reached 2.1 billion yuan; sales in 2008 reached 2.7 billion yuan; 2009 sales reached 35 billion yuan; in 2010, it reached 4.6 billion yuan. In addition to formulating detailed business development plans, we have also made further development plans from the perspective of brand building and customer service. It can be foreseen that large-scale integrated stores developed by Tang Lion can be seen in large and medium-sized cities such as provincial capitals and municipalities directly under the Central Government in the next five years. Large stores can reach 3,000-5,000 square meters, medium-sized shops can reach 500-2,000 square meters, and thousands of small and medium-sized shops in small and medium-sized cities across the country. The goal is to build a strong market with powerful radiation capabilities. Shares and main sales networks involving high, medium and low levels. With this powerful network, Tang Lion will have more opportunities to provide customers with high quality services.

Reporter: Do you think you can complete this plan? How are you going to achieve this goal?

Dai Chenghao: It is feasible to complete this plan. These plans are based on a comprehensive assessment of the existing resources and capabilities of the “Tang Lion” and are based on a foundation. As an apparel brand that currently has an annual sales of over one billion yuan, we have some advantages in the management and production of materials, including the possession of a group of outstanding employees. At present, under the guidance of a clear development plan, we will focus on promoting the comprehensive improvement of personnel's comprehensive working ability and overall quality and comprehensively promote the development and application of information technology. We envisage that within five years we will develop to have annual sales capacity. At the scale of more than 4 billion yuan, we rely not only on adding more personnel, but more importantly, making our operations and business operations more standardized, more advanced, and more convenient. The company at that time was a situation in which information and automation covered a very wide range of situations. At the same time, the personal capabilities of the staff were more comprehensive and professional. Of course, to achieve this goal can not be separated from our partners and friends from all walks of life to give us help and guidance.

Reporter: How do you judge the development of casual wear in the coming years? Casual wear industry competition situation will happen?

Dai Chenghao: There should be optimistic views on the development of the casual wear market in the next few years. According to current investigations by authoritative departments in the field of casual wear, the national casual wear market sales volume will reach 220 billion yuan by 2010. It can be expected to reach 400 billion yuan. We in China are developing rapidly under the background of the 2008 Olympics and the concept of people is changing at an unprecedented rate. We face a major opportunity.

In terms of industry competition, we have gone through price competition and vicious competition, and are moving in a direction that is more conducive to the development of the industry and brand development. Each brand company has been exploring a clearer brand positioning and a more accurate positioning of service groups. It is possible to develop products with distinctive development products under a wide range of casual wear. Tang lion is also one of them. It is also trying to do this work. It is believed that only the healthy and distinctive development of each brand will make the casual wear industry more prosperous and have a better future.