The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2023
Zhang Jike's sponsors cut him in days — Anta terminated 'all cooperation'
Days after scandal reports hit China's table-tennis star, Anta said it had 'terminated all cooperation'; FAW Toyota, DeRUCCI and Nutrend followed within days.
Anta (安踏) · FAW Toyota (一汽丰田) · DeRUCCI (慕思) · Nutrend (诺特兰德) · 2023-04-03
What happened
Zhang Jike (张继科) is a Chinese table-tennis Grand Slam champion whose endorsement portfolio spanned sportswear, cars, furniture and nutrition. On April 1, 2023, reports of personal financial disputes surfaced around him and spread rapidly across Chinese social media.
By April 3, 'Anta deletes Zhang Jike promotional materials' was the No.1 trending topic on Weibo. Anta's customer service confirmed the company 'has terminated all cooperation with Zhang Jike', and the brand scrubbed his materials. FAW Toyota deleted related posts, mattress maker DeRUCCI ended its cooperation, and supplement brand Nutrend terminated its contract — the retreat was complete within days.
The brand-side bill: when a scandal hits an athlete whose income is endorsements, sponsors have no waiting period. The first brand to announce termination sets the price of risk, and the rest compete to cut ties faster. Materials vanished, contracts ended, and a Grand Slam champion's commercial portfolio collapsed in under a week.
Why it happened
- Anta's announcement — 'terminated all cooperation' — hit Weibo's top spot and set the pattern for every other sponsor.
- FAW Toyota deleted materials, DeRUCCI ended cooperation and Nutrend terminated its contract within days.
- An athlete's endorsement income depends on sponsors acting as one; one defection forces the rest to follow.
- Scrubbing materials and confirming termination cost brands little, so none waited for any official conclusion.
The lesson
One sponsor breaking ranks forces the rest. For a star whose income is endorsements, the first brand to say 'terminated' sets the market price of risk.
Aftermath
Anta said it had terminated all cooperation with Zhang and removed his materials. FAW Toyota deleted related posts, DeRUCCI ended its cooperation and Nutrend terminated its contract, completing the sponsor retreat within days.
Sources
- 36Kr — Anta customer service: 'all cooperation with Zhang Jike has been terminated', 2023-04-04
- 21st Century Business Herald — Anta removes Zhang Jike materials; FAW Toyota deletes related posts, 2023-04-04
- Jiemian — Anta no longer searchable for Zhang Jike on Weibo; flagship store removes materials, 2023-04-04
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