An article from May 2015, reflecting my thoughts at the time, followed by the crowdfunding of "China's First Ancient Tree Pu'er Tea" - that was my choice. Reading it now, it's still interesting, so I've included it in my Paper Talk on Tea series to share with everyone.
The limitations and backwardness of the traditional tea industry in today's China are so apparent, so out of place. Anyone with a bit of insight can criticize the tea industry and lecture its practitioners. Tea industry gatherings are even called gatherings of the poor...
Indeed, that's the case! Among Chinese tea enterprises, there's still not a single truly listed company. The saying that seventy thousand tea enterprises can't rival one Lipton still shames us today. The high-rollers in the tea industry are often top performers from other sectors who dabble in tea for a while, then wave goodbye and move on, leaving behind remarks about how the industry is terrible, unprofitable, and full of fraudsters. The tea empire is now just a legend; heroes have aged, beauties have faded, and the lingering sunset still shines on this industry that once dominated the world but is now insignificant.
Those people are gone, leaving only legends. We must start anew!
First, Make Yourself Not Understand Tea
Forget about understanding tea, knowing how to taste it, and the craftsmanship. Forget about going deep into tea mountains. Set aside the fake traditions that are unavoidable, the famous mountains and ancient trees that consumers can never understand, and selling tea through storytelling and taste. Forget all that. First, make yourself not understand tea, and determine your strategy with fresh eyes. Look at your strengths, learn more from beverage companies, and figure out how to sell a consumer tea well.
Then, Learn from Consumers
See what kind of tea the post-90s generation likes to drink. Is it convenience, taste, fun, cheapness, or all of these? Go to the office tea bars in high-rise buildings and see what they're drinking and how. How can our tea make them like it? Go to airport lounges and see what's in the cups travelers carry. Ask them what form and taste of tea they prefer.
Also, Learn from Advertising Agencies
Think ahead before making the product. Don't be afraid of trademark and intellectual property registration costs, and don't be stingy with product identity systems. Sharpening the axe never delays the cutting of wood. If packaging isn't done well and trademarks keep changing, the enterprise will fail.
At this point, we know what tea we want to make.
We are making beverages in the name of tea, but we don't provide pre-mixed liquids; we provide delicious, cheap tea. We provide convenient, fun tea. Innovation is sometimes just an idea.
We need to learn from internet companies.
A century-old brand takes too long, but overnight fame is possible. How to quickly use online marketing for a V1 version of the product, gain the first batch of users, then quickly adjust and release V2, influencing more second-batch users, and persist through various pressures to repeat this process.
Learn from the Media
Look at a successful magazine; every article and image is of high quality, as if written and shot by one person. The people who understand your company best are your own. Establish a copywriting department, even if it's just one person, to create a systematic, consistent, and continuous promotion that is effective.
Next, Still Learn from Internet Companies
How to use IT for systematic management. The wealthy can start from the first step. Build a reliable, efficient system, use the data feedback from the system, avoid decisions made on a whim, and make scientific data management possible.
Finally, Learn from Traditional Tea Enterprises
Don't be confused or curse at 51's Lao Lü when you see this. Things are dialectical. Let me tell you what to learn from traditional tea enterprises.
Learn the Tea Culture Marketing of Traditional Tea Enterprises
Everyone knows tea is good for health, detoxifies, and is a healthy drink. This is the cultural marketing of our ancestors. Traditional tea enterprises have been inheriting and continuously promoting this, and we need it too.
Learn the Origin Marketing of Traditional Tea Enterprises
People always want the most authentic products. They won't buy a Hami melon unless it's directly shipped from Xinjiang. The advantage of origin is especially important in an era where even tea farmers are doing O2O.
Learn the Market of Traditional Tea Enterprises
The traditional tea market is a mix of good and bad, with various legends and wild marketing, simple and crude. But it's undeniable that there are tens of millions to hundreds of millions of consumers, including those willing to accept and spend lavishly. The two million in this 80/20 principle cannot be abandoned. How to convert these consumers into loyal users of your enterprise is a priority. Giving up is the worst choice.
The tea road is long; let's see and go!
BLK0
Comentarios por párrafo 0 · moderado
Comentarios 0 · moderado