Case Archive

Cases from China and APAC.

An archive of brand and market cases drawn from 20+ years across Asia-Pacific. Each case published in full on Medium, with shorter analysis on LinkedIn.

Public analyses below, drawing on the same frameworks used inside paid client engagements. Direct client work is conducted under confidentiality and not represented here.

Why Nike's China Comeback Is a Configuration Question

A structural read on Nike China 2026 from inside the category. Seven consecutive quarters of decline alongside rising profitability, accelerated marketplace cleanup, and Nike's largest distributor walking from a flagship lease. Why the configuration of assets, more than the assets themselves, determines whether they reach the Chinese consumer.

The OEM-ODM-Brand Pathway: What Anta's Rise Reveals About Chinese Manufacturing's Three-Layer Ascent

Three layers of capability, two structural jumps, and one acquisition gate. Why Anta succeeded with FILA and Amer Sports, why BenQ-Siemens collapsed, and the strategic blind spot inside Nike and Adidas's asset-light bet.

The Acquirer, The Purist, The Specialist, The Localizer: A Framework for China Sportswear in 2026

Four archetypes for the brands gaining ground in China sportswear. Anta acquires, Li-Ning concentrates, On specializes, Adidas localizes. Why Nike fits none of them, and why that gap is structural.

The Behavior Badge: Why Some Sportswear Brands Hold Pricing Power and Others Don't

A framework for understanding why On, Arc'teryx, and Lululemon hold pricing power in China while heritage brands discount. The shift from knowledge badges to behavior badges.

China Market: When the Playbook Stops Working

Why global brands keep making costly mistakes in China, and what the shift from expansion to consolidation means for APAC brand strategy.

Rethinking Accessibility: How Sportswear Brands Can Win China's New Participation Economy

With 400 million active participants, China's sportswear market is shifting from aspiration to participation. How brands are winning the 300-800 RMB price zone.

Running in China Is Now a Lifestyle Economy

China's first running boom was brand-led. The second one is consumer-built. What that shift means for Nike, Anta, Li-Ning, and every brand competing for runners.

China's Tennis Boom: When the State Machine Meets Middle-Class Dreams

How government policy, middle-class aspiration, and brand strategy are converging in China's fastest-growing sport category.

Sports Brands Are Missing the Biggest Opportunity in China

Chinese women moved from aesthetic fitness to high-intensity training faster than any brand's product cycle. Who's catching up and who's falling behind.

China Sportswear 2026: Everyone Is Trading Jerseys

Adidas designs 70% of China apparel locally. Anta acquires Puma and opens in Beverly Hills. Global brands go local, Chinese brands go global. The competitive map redrawn.

After the Hype: What's Actually Driving China's Footwear Market

The sneaker boom is over in China. With 200 million gig workers and youth unemployment at 17%, comfort and function now drive footwear demand.

Shorter analysis and earnings season reactions on LinkedIn, covering Nike, Adidas, Anta, On Holding, Lululemon, Puma, Under Armour, Amer Sports, and other brands competing across APAC markets.

If one of these cases mirrors a question your brand is facing.

The frameworks above are drawn from the same thinking applied inside paid client engagements. When a public piece lands close to a specific situation you're navigating, a Strategic Read is the most direct way to work through it together.