On April 23, 2017, the "Dare to Love, Fear No Sun SHINE" themed charity run, jointly initiated by Pathfinder & Plant Doctor, commenced at Bailuwan Wetland Park in Chengdu. The charity runners, composed of members from Plant Doctor, Chengdu running groups, media running clubs, and the general public, all successfully completed the full 5-kilometer SHINE run.
(Bailuwan Wetland Park, Chengdu. Charity SHINE Run event site)
This charity run was launched against the backdrop of a cross-industry collaboration between Pathfinder & Plant Doctor, integrating skin-protective clothing and sun care products, and was aimed at outdoor sports enthusiasts. The organizers encouraged participants to fearlessly step out and embrace the sunshine, thereby embodying the event’s theme: “Dare to Love, Fear No Sun SHINE.” This cross-industry marketing effort shone a unique spotlight on both the outdoor brand Pathfinder and the skincare brand Plant Doctor SHINE.
(Bailuwan Wetland Park, Chengdu. Charity SHINE Run event site)
A successful brand must start with the actual needs of consumers, based on supply chain integration and content presentation. Today’s consumers seek not just brands but quality. It is precisely for this reason that the product functionality, value, and marketing story demonstrated by Pathfinder & Plant Doctor in their joint marketing campaign highly resonated with consumers.
Since the launch of the "Dare to Love, Fear No Sun SHINE" joint marketing campaign on April 1 by Pathfinder & Plant Doctor, the Pathfinder JD flagship store and Plant Doctor retail outlets have offered significant in-store benefits to consumers. Until April 30, customers purchasing any product in-store could participate in a lucky draw for prizes including an in-depth trip to Yunnan, a Plant Doctor skincare gift pack, a Pathfinder ultra-light backpack, Plant Doctor face masks, and JD e-vouchers for Pathfinder. This strategy not only boosted foot traffic to stores but also facilitated the flow of online traffic, providing dual benefits for in-store shoppers both online and offline.
During the same period, on the Pathfinder & Plant Doctor social media platforms and the joint JD page, in addition to offering bundled outdoor gear and skincare products, a fun “Dare to Love, Fear No Sun SHINE” H5 game was also launched. Users could participate without registration, purchases, or shipping fees—by scanning a QR code to enter, earning virtual running mileage to win prizes such as chances to enter the in-depth Yunnan trip lottery and qualify for offline runs. Over 30,000 users participated in this activity during the campaign.
On the Weibo topic ranking list, #DareToLoveFearNoSunSHINE# garnered over 2.8 million reads, with more than 80,000 netizens joining the discussion, including comments from well-known outdoor sports influencers. Meanwhile, the “Dare to Love, Fear No Sun SHINE” citywide (Chengdu) event launched on the GuDong app also received enthusiastic praise from runners.
In truth, whether selling products, creating content, or building a brand, as the so-called “boundaries” become increasingly blurred, what brands need to do is stay close to consumers. Against the backdrop of consumption upgrades and supply-side reforms, brand cross-industry collaboration presents a great opportunity for deeper consumer engagement. Understanding consumer needs deeply and connecting the online and offline worlds is the core reason behind the success of the "Dare to Love, Fear No Sun SHINE" joint marketing campaign.