511In ancient times, fishing was a leisure activity enjoyed only by the sons of wealthy families, but in modern times, fishing has become a globally popular recreational sport, attracting more and more enthusiasts and giving rise to a huge fishing tackle market.
Fishing Tackle Brand KastKingThe founders saw this opportunity and started from a small garage. With innovative and cost-effective products, they quickly conquered the global fishing market.
How did this small fishing tackle brand from China step by step reach the international stage and become a leader in the global fishing market?
The Rise of KastKing
One of KastKing's founders discovered while studying for an MBA in the United States that fishing is almost a national sport there, with a wide age range, and even 40% of fishing enthusiasts are women.
This phenomenon is not seen in the Chinese market, as fishing is usually assumed to be a pastime for older men in China.
Growing up in Weihai, Shandong, known as the "Fishing Tackle Capital of China," he saw the huge potential of the overseas fishing tackle market, so after graduation, he decided to start his own business with another founder.
In 2013, he registered KastKing's parent company Eposeidon Outdoor Adventure in New York, and at the same time established the domestic main company Poseidon Network Technology Co., Ltd. in Shenzhen, with main products including fishing rods, fishing lines, and reels.
With the concept of "affordable innovation," KastKing quickly gained a foothold in the market. Within just one year of its founding, KastKing became the leading brand in the fishing tackle category on Amazon North America and gained the status of Amazon exclusive brand supplier. By 2023, KastKing's sales exceeded 500 million yuan, making it a star brand in the North American market.
Social Media Marketing Boosts Brand Growth
KastKing's success comes from efforts on multiple fronts.The brand focuses on product quality and technological innovation, and by cooperating with universities, has mastered the production technology of reel gears, enhancing product competitiveness.
In addition, KastKing has established a presence on multiple e-commerce platforms such asAmazon, eBay, Walmart, and has entered many large sporting goods chain supermarkets in the United States,exporting to more than 100 countries and regions including South Africa, Malaysia, Brazil, further expanding the brand's market coverage.
While making these arrangements, KastKing also understands the importance of social media in modern brand promotion. Through platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, it actively interacts with fishing enthusiasts and has built a strong community culture.
Image source: YouTube
KastKing has also adopted a unique influencer marketing strategy, choosing to cooperate long-term with fishing influencers,diluting commercial promotion traces and allowing the brand to naturally integrate into users' lives.
For example, KastKing cooperates with fishing influencer Mike Loughran on Instagram, not only promoting the brand through daily content but also providing him with exclusive discount codes and links. This long-term cooperation not only increases brand exposure but also builds fans' trust and recognition of the brand.
Image source: Instagram
As an "emerging social media and e-commerce platform," TikTok is naturally one of KastKing's important battlegrounds. TikTok's unique algorithm and broad user base provide huge promotion potential for the brand.
Currently, KastKing has 40,700 followers on TikTok. Although this number is not high compared to other platforms, the total number of TikTok video views has reached 19.5 million. Compared with other platforms, TikTok's user age distribution is younger, which has attracted more new-generation fishing enthusiasts for KastKing.
Image source: TikTok
Bright Prospects for the Global Fishing Market
According to Statista data, the global fishing tackle market revenue reached $23 billion in 2023, and is expected to grow to $31 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.15%.
China, as the world's largest fishing tackle production base, contributes 80% of the market share, especially the Weihai region in Shandong, with an annual output value exceeding 50 billion yuan, accounting for nearly half of the global fishing tackle supply.
Global fishing tackle market size rising Image source: Statista
However, despite having world-class output, Chinese fishing tackle manufacturers mainly focus on OEM production, and independent brands
still have limited recognition and influence in the international market.
Therefore, KastKing's development overseas in recent years can be considered a good start for domestic fishing tackle brands.
With the continued growth of the global fishing tackle market, it is believed that more and more domestic fishing tackle brands will shine overseas.
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