Many travelers in China have likely passed by the Biem.L.Fdlkk store at a train station or airport, wondering about the brand’s peculiar name. Today, the mystery behind the unconventional name of this Chinese golf apparel brand is finally unraveled. The crazy English name comes from the phonetic transliteration of the Chinese brand name “比音勒芬” (bi yin le fen).
The China-based golf apparel company was founded in Guangzhou in 2003. Because imported brands usually stood for high-class and high-quality in China at that time, some local retailers would use meaningless English brand names to create a foreign-sounding cachet.
In 2014, the New York Times asked store staff about the meaning of the English name, one employee said it’s German, while employees at another shop said it’s the name of a French designer. While the employees are undecided about the etymology of the brand name, the brand is doing decidedly well among Gen X men.
Read about the rise of Chinese luxury brands
Founded by Xie Bingzheng in 2004, Biem.L.Fdlkk opened his first counter in Nanjing’s high-end mall. Since then, the Chinese golf apparel brand has experienced remarkable growth, now boasting nearly 1,100 stores across the country. Its revenue reached more than 2 billion yuan as of 2021, showing an 18% year-on-year increase. Costing more than a thousand yuan, a polo shirt from Biem.L.Fdlkk is comparable to Armani and Hugo Boss pricewise. However, it is still far from that level of recognition.
Bold moves and global ambitions
In recent years, the company has been undergoing great changes. In 2023, it celebrated its 20th anniversary, but it also announced big changes and declared the indirect acquisition of the global trademark ownership of high-end men’s clothing brands Cerruti 1881 and Kent & Curwen through its wholly owned company. This news not only supported the company’s stable growth but also showcased its ambition to become a global high-end brand. Biem.L.Fdlkk will now attempt to revive and upgrade both brands, expanding itself even more.
Biem.L.Fdlkk gained popularity because of its golf collection
Biem.L.Fdlkk caters to those who appreciate golf culture, whether they are avid golfers or not. Positioned in a niche market that combines golf and fashionable leisure apparel, the brand targets discerning Chinese high-end consumers who embrace smart casual dressing. Additionally, Biem.L.Fdlkk complements the “old money” and “quiet luxury” trends, appealing to individuals seeking sophisticated and understated elegance. The company offers a wide range of clothes and accessories, which are divided into golf collection, lifestyle collection, fashion collection, and culture collection. As well as this, the company owns the Carnaval De Venise brand, which specializes in vacation and travel apparel.
However, the most fruitful product line still remains to be the golf collection, ranking first in the comprehensive market share for five consecutive years (2017-2021). In 2021, Biem.L.Fdlkk’s golf segment made up the largest part of the company’s success with a staggering 72.8% market share by volume. This impressive market share is partly attributed to the brand’s strategic partnership with the national golf team, which was established in 2013. Since then, Biem.L.Fdlkk has been providing the team with competition uniforms.
Even so, the company does not limit itself to professional sportswear. Many of its customers are not interested in golf so much as they are interested in golf culture and style. The company states that the product line integrates characteristics of golf sport into design, with the items boasting both functionality and comfort.
Biem.L.Fdlkk targets middle-income buyers in lower-tier cities
The brand’s target consumers are middle-aged men who pay attention to sports, fashion and functionality, mostly buyers earning a middle or higher income. Biem.L.Fdlkk tries to produce items with a distinctive personality and consistent style in design that emphasize on “resonance” with target consumers. The company is committed to providing consumers with high-quality, high-grade, and high-tech wearing experience that is driven by constant product innovation.
This way, the brand focuses on those consumers that prioritize quality: Biem.L.Fdlkk strives to offer consumers with high-value products and meet their differentiated demands in consumption upgrading. The company mainly has stores in first- and second-tier cities, but is focusing on expanding its sales in third- and fourth-tier cities at the moment.
Middle-class consumers in 3rd to 4th-tier cities are becoming the fastest-growing consumer group with a growing consumer confidence and demand for higher-end brands. An increasing number of buyers in lower-tier cities are willing to invest more into premium-quality products, and Biem hopes to seize the opportunities in these markets.
The brand’s advantage is its designs that are tailored for Chinese customers. Unlike foreign high-end men’s brands, like Lacoste and Ralph Lauren, whose designs may not be suitable for Chinese body shape, Biem.L.Fdlkk’s clothing design has more emphasis on the body shape of Chinese high-end consumers, which makes its cuts easier to sell.
Biem.L.Fdlkk’s omni-channel sales
Although most companies in China are emphasizing online channels more than offline ones, Biem.L.Fdlkk remains a company that values offline growth. From 2019 to 2022, it has inaugurated more than 300 offline stores. With the expected slowing of e-commerce growth, companies with a higher proportion of offline direct sales have higher performance potential, which benefits Biem.L.Fdlkk.
Biem.L.Fdlkk’s offline stores are generally located in high-end malls, airports, high-speed railway stations, and golf clubs. Particularly in transportation hubs, VIP lounges, for example, are the important marketing channels and marketing windows. Those places have high traffic volumes of middle-aged wealthy travelers. With China now recovering from the effects of its zero-Covid strategy, Biem.L.Fdlkk expects to benefit from its offline distribution channels.
However, the brand had to expand online outreach too. To counteract their losses during the pandemic, Biem.L.Fdlkk started an online VIP membership to retain offline loyal Chinese high-end customers, through online stores, VIP online communities, and WeChat mini-programs. According to Biem.L.Fdlkk, in February 2020, its online store sales exceeded 30 million yuan in an 8-day WeChat membership store campaign, and the conversion rate for the VIP members was as high as 40%. By 2021, the VIP members exceeded 700,000.
As well as this, the company embraces more traditional marketing tools. Because part of the targeted customers are middle-aged men, the brand also places advertisements in TV programs, sports events and facilities, for example, famous golf clubs. Competitions and events represent another crucial instrument for the company’s marketing.
Focusing on China-chic
Catching up with the Guochao trend, Biem.L.Fdlkk is promoting Chinese culture. In 2021, the brand partnered with the Palace Culture IP of the Forbidden City. They rolled out the “Fu Lu Shou” (three gods of fortune, prosperity and longevity) series in spring and summer and the “Feng Tian Cheng Yun” (Mandate from Heaven) series in fall and winter. The series are filled with the charm of traditional Chinese culture and were well-received in the market. Since then, the company has capitalized on its advantage over foreign firms, as customers are increasingly showing more interested in Chinese companies.
The company has also been updating its visual identity: in 2020, it introduced a distinctive monogram into its design. By incorporating golf and green flag elements into its signature “BG” letters, the Company has created its own “BG” monogram. It shows a collision of colors, which is both classic and retro, representing a real sense of high-end fashion. Once launched, the products have been widely praised by the market, and in 2021, the company continued to upgrade the monogram pattern and apply the pattern in more SKUs. The company intends to build it into a super symbol of high-end brands that can continuously inject new cultural genes into Biem’s sub-brands.
What is Biem.L.Fdlkk’s strategy of growth?
- Biem.L.Fdlkk caters to sports enthusiasts and embraces the “old money” and “quiet luxury” trends, appealing not only to professional athletes but also to fashion-conscious individuals.
- Initially perceived as a foreign brand, Biem.L.Fdlkk now leverages its Chinese identity to its advantage.
- While employing online channels, the brand maintains a strong focus on offline distribution.
- The company strategically partners with national sports teams and events, enjoying extensive promotional opportunities.
- Targeting middle- and high-income consumers, Biem.L.Fdlkk aims to expand its presence in lower-tier cities, tapping into new markets.
Author: Sofia Tishchenko
