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• Introduction
  • Business Story
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  • Business History
  • Factory introduction
  • Corporate Vision
  • Patent Description
• OH9 Socks
  • Glossary
  • Product Features
  • Product Introduction
  • Sock Type Evaluation
• Analysis
  • Operating Status
  • SWOT Analysis
  • Marketing 4P Analysis
  • Consumer 4C analysis
  • From OEM to Brand Creating
• Report
  • Transform from Adversity
  • Marketing Diversification
  • Media Reports
  • Giving Back to Society
• Survey
  • Interview with the Operator
  • Interview with Employees
  • Visiting Hosiery Festival
  • Reflection
• DIY
  • Socks Making Process
  • Pattern Design
  • Actual Operation
  • Results
• About us
  • Along the Way
  • Thanks List
  • Bibliography
• Site Map
• Narrative
  • Project Narrative
  • Project Overview
  • Project Elements
  • Contributions

     

        From OEM to Brand Creating

(1)Origin and development：
In 1991, the owner of OH9, Li Dunglin , came to Shetou as a hosiery knitter maintenance staff. After 3 years, in 1994, het bought the first hosiery knitter. From then on, the path of OEM was started, but it accepted the second-hand or three-hand business. Soon, he bought a Computerized Hosiery Knitter version 1.0. Until 2001, because of the WTO, the company began its first transformation and introduced fully automatic 3.5-disc film. The development during this period was full of ease, and new technologies were constantly introduced.
	(2) Crisis and Adidas orders：
	WTO made China a world factory so the company could no long receive orders from OEM such as football socks. However, due to insistence on the quality, it received Adidas’s OEM orders. Mr. Li said Adidas was very picky, so all the processes were very strict.         Before receiving the order, OH9 underwent a rigorous inspection process. It can be said that it is quite difficult to get Adidas’s order! Once, due to the problem of socks, the two sides did not agree with each other. Finally, the Adidas chief designer visited Taiwan in person. After Mr. and Mrs. Li forth pattern making and manufacturing process to the designer, the designer said: “perfect!” Things ended successfully.
Once, OH9 helped others to make fireproof socks. The process was troublesome. The wire needed to be burned into fiber. As a result, the whole factory was filled with smog. Mr. Li was scared. After that, he did not dare to accept orders like this. In 2012, affected by the contract, Adidas cancel the order, and the whole factory suddenly lost the main customer source.
(3)Health crisis and resurgence：
In 2012, Mr. Li became ill, which made things worse. But he relied on his good friends and the family members, and insisted all the way. Napoleon said, “The darkest hour comes just before the dawn.” And he also said: “The ball does not land, never give up.”, that is before the ball falls, you must try to save and reverse the situation. Just like life, don’t give up until the last moment because there may be a glimmer of light. So, after the illness was cured, he began to think hard about transformation. Therefore, on December 5, 2012, the enterprise held the self-published brand presentation where OH9 was born.
New products are continuously developed, innovated and improved according to the consumer’s demands. There are also athletes who ask the company to make socks suitable for their sports according to the athlete’s movements. When developing new products, OH9 usually lets high school sports classes try these products.
	(4)Brand expansion and development：
	In the development of new products, OH9 lets high school sports classes try the products. In 2013, the sub-brand i-Taione was created for the general public. Mr. Li said that his purpose was actually to enter the mainland’s market. Even the name had a great connection with the market, but later, it gradually focused on OH9 and then i-Taione was stopped. Making a brand means that quality and appearance should be taken into consideration at the same time.
It is useless to have a high quality with an appearance not loved by consumers. Therefore, OH9 insists on quality, and the appearance tends to be popular with the public, for example, children’s socks have very cute shape and quality guarantee.
(5)Uniqueness and future development：
The most important part of the brand is uniqueness. For example, different from other markets, OH9’s deodorant socks make wearers’ foot not stinky and dry all the day. There are also some deodorant socks that don’t need to wash and have no smell for 7 days, because they are soaked in chemicals that are harmful to consumers’ skin. However, OH9 never uses those chemical drugs, which shows its efforts with consumers and persistence in quality.
From the OEM to the brand, the most difficult problem for Mr.Li to overcome is “health”. Any problem can be solved, but without health, everything is gone, isn’t it? Since the creation of the brand all the way, what has made Mr. Li most proud is putting on his own brand and giving President Ma exclusively customized socks. OH9 also said Shetou hosiery industry lacks perseverance to adhere to the brand, because there is no pressure and risk to do OEM in this comfortable environment, but making brand must experience risks. “Effort may not be bind to successful, but it will not be successful without effort!” The results will be known only after doing! Mr. Li also said that it is very important that young people can join the industry, because they have more different thinking and practice. The average age of employees is a little low, but they are more successful than predecessors, and in the future, this brand will be inherited to young people. The inheritance of the brand is important!
<Photos Source：Provided by Mr. Li >
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