Li-Ning, China’s athletic footwear and apparel company founded by Chinese Olympic medal-winning gymnast LiNing, has rolled out its full Digital Li-Ning brand website in the US.

The eCommerce commitment is aimed to build the brand’s awareness and strength in the US, home of the world’s number one sports lifestyle brand Nike.

The new range includes styles for men and women and key partnerships with Olympic athletes as well as the eCommerce facility.

The US division of Li-Ning will be based in Chicago, led by a team of marketing executives with more than 20 years of experience in brand management, digital and consumer marketing, and product design and development for some of the world’s largest brands.

Coming off of a nearly 600 per cent increase in daily Web traffic since its soft launch in late 2011, Li-Ning’s official US rollout includes a built out product line in basketball, running and women’s fitness, as well as limited edition styles such as the Year of the Dragon Turningpoint basketball shoes. The company will continue to release additional styles in both men’s and women’s apparel and shoes throughout 2012.

Li-Ning says the embodiment of Eastern philosophies and principles around movement drive the brand’s value proposition and differentiate the company from other leading footwear and apparel competitors by offering consumers an opportunity to defeat the ordinary everyday.

“US consumer demand for Chinese brands is increasing as indicated by marketing communications firm JWT’s “100 Things to Watch” Report and brand consultancy Mongram Group’s Chinese Brand Survey 2011. Both of which indicated a shifting perception of the “Made in China” brand,” the company said in a statement.

“US consumers are really connecting with the brand and the Eastern philosophies that drive it,” said Craig Heisner, VP of marketing, sales and merchandise for Li-Ning.

“They are looking for something different and are more open to exploring a well-established brand in China that is fresh and new here in the States. The online response has been overwhelming and we have seen nearly 20 times the amount of Facebook ‘Likes’ just in the last two months. That success is simply a small marker of a larger strategy to further the company’s progress as a global brand as we continue to roll out in 2012.”

As a joint venture with leading brand eCommerce and digital marketing company Acquity Group, Li-Ning says the US rollout is part of a virtual marketing strategy unlike any other previously attempted by a Chinese company. Through Acquity Group’s Brand eCommerce(TM) approach, Digital Li-Ning aims to invoke stronger bonds with the consumer through a solely virtual experience that enables them to feel the personality of the brand as if they were standing in a brick and mortar location.