Merida (9914) Group has set a precedent in Taiwan’s bicycle industry by investing over NT$750 million over three consecutive years starting in 2013 to co-sponsor the Italian Lampre cycling team. This marks its official entry into the top tier of international road cycling competitions. Known as the “King of Mountain Bikes,” Merida aims to leverage this European cycling team sponsorship strategy to aggressively expand its presence in the global road bike market and vie for the title of “Queen of Road Bikes.”
Merida Group Chairman Tsgeng-Chu Tseng stated that the team will be named “Team Lampre-MERIDA,” with the Chinese name “蓝波．美利达队” (Lanbo Merida Team). This is the largest sports marketing sponsorship initiative in the company’s 41-year history, with anticipated returns on investment beginning to materialize next year.
Tseng noted that young people on the Chinese mainland highly value world-renowned brands. Although over 99% of Merida’s domestic sales on the mainland are mountain bikes, road bikes have an average unit price more than twice that of mountain bikes. Starting this year, sponsoring European teams is expected not only to help increase Merida’s global market share in road bikes but also to significantly benefit its mainland market prospects. Zheng Wenxiang, deputy general manager of Merida’s marketing division, stated that road bikes currently account for about 15% of Merida’s brand revenue. With the boost from this sports marketing sponsorship, the goal is for road bikes to make up 30% of brand revenue within three years.