A glaring comparison chart was displayed on the projection screen at the end of the conference table.
The blue bar representing Li Fei Brand sales rose like a wildly growing bamboo stalk, climbing section by section, and had already left the red bar representing the Air Jordan brand far behind.
"Gentlemen, I don't want to repeat these numbers again."
Phil Knight, one of Nike's founders and the marketing director, tapped the table with his fingers, his voice hoarse and low. "The facts are right in front of us. We're losing this war. The AJ Brand that once built our empire is now having its market share steadily eaten away by Li Fei."
"Phil, this isn't entirely our fault."
One executive could not help defending himself. "Michael has done his best. He's thirty-seven! He lost to Li Fei in the Eastern Conference Finals two years in a row. That isn't his fault—it's a problem with the overall strength of the Chicago Bulls. Fans only chase winners. That has always been true. Li Fei won two straight championships and was FMVP both times. Of course his brand's popularity has exploded."
"I'm not assigning blame!" Knight raised his voice. "I'm demanding solutions! We can't sit here and wait to die while Li Fei devours everything we worked so hard to build!"
The conference room fell silent.
Everyone knew that the root of the problem lay on the court.
As long as Li Fei remained at his peak, and as long as Jordan could not defeat him head-on, the AJ Brand would struggle to surpass Li Fei Brand in momentum.
"Since we're temporarily at a disadvantage when it comes to top-tier talent, then we need to open a new battlefield!"
A young brand strategy manager suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence. "We can't put