Burton China Readies to Reach New Heights
By Norris Tangen
In the span of 50 years, snowboarding evolved from fledgling subculture to world-class sport. And, since its inception, no snowboarding brand has been more influential than Burton. Now, with the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics approaching, the AmCham China Quarterly sat down with Burton China CEO Craig Smith to discuss brand building in new markets, the importance of local partners, and how Burton plans to introduce their brand – and snowboarding – to a new generation of riders.
Craig Smith has been working for Burton Snowboards for over 20 years. Before his present role as CEO of Burton China, he was the SVP of International business for Burton and before that he held dual roles as SVP of APAC and General Manager of Burton Japan. Prior to Burton, Smith worked for Oakley for 5 years and was responsible for establishing the company’s subsidiary in Japan. Smith started his professional career at JSM Sports Marketing company in Tokyo where he oversaw management of the Powerbar brand in Japan.
Photo courtesy of Burton China
Working from a Vermont barn in 1977, Jake Burton Carpenter combined elements of skateboarding, surfing, and skiing to found what would become one of the snowboarding industry’s leading brands, Burton. Both Jake Burton Carpenter and the brand he founded have played a central role in establishing snowboarding as the global sensation it is today. Now, 45 years later, ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Craig Smith, Burton’s CEO in China, has once again set the company’s sights on introducing the sport to a new audience.
China Development
Craig Smith has been with Burton for 23 years, with much of that time spent in Asia. He initially joined the company as the Asia Sales Director and went on to manage Burton’s operations in Canada, China, and the Southern Hemisphere. By 2010, Smith had taken over the role of General Manager of Burton’s Japan business, which, post the 1998 Nagano Winter Games, was the most profitable arm of the company. He eventually went on to oversee the entirety of Burton’s international operations. In 2018, Smith remembers, an opportunity to return to China presented itself with a call from founder Jake Burton Carpenter. “Jake called me up and told me, ‘Craig, China is really important. I hope I can find someone I trust to take over there.’ And those were my marching orders, his way of saying, pack your bags.”
Smith, who was himself in Japan during the 1998 Games, saw firsthand the post-Olympic impact on the country’s snowboarding and winter sport industry. Today, he says he perceives many similarities in the China market. As in Japan in the late 1990s, snowboarding is still in a nascent stage in China. Young as it may be, the growing popularity of snowboarding in China has been impressive. “There is a lifestyle attached to it. Snowboarding has a culture surrounding it, whereas skiing is very regimented. Snowboarding allows for more components and room for personal expression,” Smith explains the allure of the sport. Educating new consumers about both snowboarding and the lifestyle attached to it has been integral to Burton’s strategy in China.
Asked about the biggest difference he sees between the Japanese and Chinese markets, Smith doesn’t hesitate. “Scale, the size of the market here is phenomenal.” And, just as the Nagano games ignited the snowboarding craze in Japan 20 years ago, Burton plans to ride China’s post-Olympic boom to new heights.
Burton has been selling products in China since 2002, but they were officially established as a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE) in 2013. Smith says a significant part of Burton’s larger China strategy has been patience. “We’ve focused on longer-term investments like building key relationships,” he says. One example of this is the partnership Burton established with the Chinese National Snowboard Team in 2006. Today, Burton has the distinction of being the longest-running sponsor of the national team. As these long-term strategies begin to pay dividends, Burton is well positioned to scale their operations for the inevitable market boom. “In 2013, things started to warm up with investment at resorts. Finally, in 2015, with the announcement of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, that’s when we knew the fuse was lit,” says Smith. Since then, Burton has invested more heavily in China. For example, the company added 12 additional staff members to their China office. Smith says that Burton also increasingly shifted focus toward market research and education, “We learned about the Chinese consumer, the touchpoints that are important to them, and what we could do as a company to connect with them in different ways.”
Craig Smith rides at the Genting Resort Secret Garden in Zhangjiakou
Photo courtesy of Burton China
Burton China snowboarders
Photo courtesy of Burton China
Market Opportunities
Within five years, Smith predicts that China will become the largest snow industry in the world. Two key factors determine industry size: skier visits and participation.
Skier visits, counted each time a skiing or snowboarding guest visits a ski area or resort, provide a significant metric. Comparing skier visits in China and North America over the past year, Smith notes, “In North America, there were 51 million visits, while in China in 2019, there were nearly 21 million.” Skier visits in China have been growing by an average of 20-30% annually, and Smith is confident that this trend will continue, stating, “Skier visits in China will likely double those in the Americas.” The second factor is the participation element, referring to the number of individuals considering themselves skiers or snowboarders.
So, why is Smith so confident in China’s potential to be come the world’s largest snow industry? Apart from the post-Olympic boom, Smith believes several factors are at play. Firstly, the Chinese government has played a pivotal role. “In 2015, President Xi stated his ambition to create 300 million winter sports enthusiasts. This commitment is echoed frequently in discussions with resorts and local government officials, underscoring the government’s dedication,” he remarks. This initiative aligns with the central government’s broader aim to promote physical activity for improved public health.
In tandem with these efforts, substantial infrastructure investments have been made in recent years. Importantly, both private and government investments have fueled industry growth. Smith highlights the transformative impact of infrastructure development, saying, “The bullet train from Beijing to Zhangjiakou has reduced what used to be an arduous four to 11-hour car journey to a mere 60-minute trip.”
Joint Venture Benefits
After years of building up the company’s operations in China, Burton initiated a search for a joint venture (JV) partner in China. Smith stresses the importance of identifying the right JV partner as instrumental to the company’s continued success. The company was looking for a partner that could support them in areas where they were lacking. Smith explains, “It’s in government relations and the localization of supply chains; those are areas where it’s very important to have a partner to support us.” The search process required years of attention and effort. Smith recalls that before Burton entered into a joint venture with their local partner, Hillhouse Capital Management, they talked to between 15 and 20 different organizations.
Burton’s interests in China extend beyond financial success for the company; they also aim to cultivate snowboarding culture as they did years ago in the US. Given this mission, Smith says the foremost criterion for a partner was to identify a company that understood and embraced the culture of snowboarding. Smith is adamant, “We are a privately held company, and we did not necessarily have to find a JV partner. At the risk of sounding arrogant, we are the industry leader in snowboarding, and we could have achieved financial success in China. However, that’s not what our brand is about. Our brand is about sharing the love of snowboarding and all that it encompasses.”
Enter Zhang Lei, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Investment Officer of Hillhouse Capital Management. Smith calls Zhang, “one of the most passionate snowboarders I know,” and says that he truly understands Burton’s mission. Besides the significant financial investment from Hillhouse Capital, Smith knows that each side brings invaluable strengths to the partnership. “We know what we’re good at, and we also know our weaknesses,” he says. For Burton, Smith adds, “The partnership with Hillhouse Capital has allowed us to excel in our strengths. It’s given us the freedom to do what is right for the brand, the sport, and the culture of snowboarding.”
Dear Rider
In our conversation with Smith, he frequently mentions Burton’s Founder, Jake Burton Carpenter. Carpenter passed away in 2019 after a long battle with cancer, yet his presence still permeates nearly every aspect of the Burton brand. Smith explains that, true to his roots, Carpenter was always a “product guy.” “We have a new product called ‘step-ons,’ which is a new binding technology Jake came up with after he joked that he was getting too old to bend over and put on his binding straps. That’s how he was—self-deprecating, creative, and always compassionate.”
Burton recently collaborated with HBO Sports and Red Bull Media House to create “Dear Rider,” a documentary that celebrates Carpenter’s life and his profound impact on the snowboarding industry. The title pays homage to the customer catalogs where Carpenter would always include a handwritten message beginning with the greeting “Dear Rider,”
Photo courtesy of Burton China
Product Localization for Global Consumers
Although their operations span the globe, it hasn’t been challenging for Burton to stay true to their brand DNA. Smith explains, “Our founder, Jake, was always very clear about who we are and what we stand for.” Smith calls Burton a “value-driven company” and says they focus heavily on sustainability and inclusiveness. Opportunely for Burton, their focus on green initiatives aligns with the Chinese government’s current environmental priorities. However, Smith insists that Burton is unwavering in their core values, saying, “We are not going to change our identity for any market, because that wouldn’t be authentic.” With that said, he still appreciates the need for local modifications, stating, “We have a saying: the Corporation bakes the cake, and the local offices put the frosting on it.”
Part of Burton’s localization effort in China included establishing a soft goods license to create products tailored for the local market. Notably, outside of the company’s Vermont headquarters, Burton China is the only international arm of the company with a licensing agreement. Smith notes three main reasons for this: “First and foremost, it’s the Chinese consumers. The trends in the China market are slightly different from our global line, whether that’s color stories, fit, or details. We know from our market research that we need to create products specifically for China.” While it is unusual for Burton to create market-specific products, it’s not unprecedented. Smith recalls a line Burton previously tailored for female consumers in Japan, explaining that the global line didn’t fit Japanese women, so they created a local line adjusted for fit and style. Next, Smith says “speed to market” is an important component. He points out that Burton’s license agreement is another benefit from their partnership with Hillhouse Capital, as it enables them to operate efficiently outside of the corporate supply chain. “We can create the right product, the right fit, the right color stories. It’s very efficient for us to get to market right now,” he says. “For example, what we’re going to sell in stores next October, we already have the samples in our office now.” Smith says Burton wants to be even more proactive in China, and he is counting on this efficient supply chain to be a huge asset to the brand going forward.
The final motivation for the soft-goods license is year-round business. Currently, Burton is exclusively associated with the snow industry. Smith explains, “I meet people who say I love Burton, but I’m not a snowboarder, so it’s not a brand for me. So, while we’ve positioned ourselves as the snowboarding industry leader around the world, that also limits some of our business capabilities.” China, as a new market, represents a unique opportunity to expand Burton beyond the winter season into a year-round brand. However, Smith realizes that in order to capitalize on that opportunity, Burton needs to focus more on apparel, accessories, and China-specific products. He says that is made possible by the licensing agreement.
This article is from the AmCham China Quarterly Magazine (Issue 1, 2022). To access the entire publication for free, sign up on our member portal here.