Kunpeng Project
The Japanese beverage giant's annual revenue of 104.6 billion comes from China, beating the unification.
1. Farmer. Recently, Japanese beverage manufacturer Suntory's strong performance in China has attracted a lot of attention. According to statistics, Suntory's total sales in China will reach 104.6 billion yuan, which not only beats China's famous Uni-President and Nongfu Spring, but also deserves to be the "hegemon" in China.
What is even more surprising is that Suntory is not a Chinese company, but it is mistaken by many people for a domestic brand because of its "localized" marketing strategy and brand strategy. Suntory's move has caused a lot of reaction in the industry, so how did Suntory gain a foothold in the Chinese market and achieve a "counterattack"? Can its "localization" strategy serve as a reference for other foreign brands? What are the questions we need to think about?
This dates back to 1981, when Suntory initially focused on drinking water, and later entered the milk tea industry and launched Suntory's signature tea, Suntory. In order to open up the local Japanese market, the company launched an advertisement of "Chinese tea, the emperor's favorite drink", and quickly seized the Japanese tea beverage market. However, because the Japanese market is small, Suntory set its sights on China, which has a population of 1.4 billion, and in order to quickly establish itself in China, they began a "localization" strategy.
First, Suntory spent a lot of money on a TV commercial in China with "Chinese elements", claiming that all the raw materials were produced in China. In addition, in marketing, many traditional Chinese art forms, such as opera and cross talk, are also used, highlighting the "Chinese attributes". In terms of trademarks, packaging, and marketing strategies, Suntory has been downplaying Japanese culture and strengthening Chinese culture, such as using traditional Chinese characters to promote products to create the impression of a "Chinese brand".
Second, grasp the big outlet. Now, in the face of the criticism of sugar, Suntory has made timely adjustments and launched a low-sugar, sugar-free beverage to create a new brand of "Chinese health tea". With the continuous improvement of people's concept of health care, this product is in line with China's consumption requirements.
It can be said that in the past few years, Suntory has always integrated with traditional Chinese culture, constantly catering to the Chinese market and local consumers. The "transformation technique" had an immediate effect, and was mistaken by many for a famous brand in China, and China's sales continued to rise, making it one of the world's top 10 beverage companies. The company's sales in China will reach 104.6 billion yuan, surpassing the domestic reunification and Nongfu Spring to become the hegemon of the tea market.
Looking back, it is also necessary to see some of the problems that Suntory reflected in the process of China's "playing" of a nation.
First, it proves that under the conditions of an open market economy, the country and ownership of enterprises are no longer the most important influences. The key is to understand the consumer and adapt to the market. In the wave of consumption upgrading in China, Suntory has precisely positioned the needs of the market, and has achieved today's success. This is a powerful warning for Chinese companies, as they are still conservative and do not want to do business.
Second, it plays an important role in promoting the brand building and cultural promotion of the enterprise. The main reason why Suntory has been able to "transform" into a famous brand in China is that it has put a lot of effort into establishing and publicizing it, so that customers have a strong recognition of it. In contrast, many Chinese companies still need to improve on this point. Chinese enterprises must put the focus of publicity and publicity in the first place.
Third, there is still a long way to go to reflect China's national brand. Although some Chinese domestic products have certain capabilities, due to various factors, they cannot establish a high-quality image in the minds of customers, and they still need to be improved. Chinese companies should not only focus on quality, but also be truly world-class, not just talk. Only in this way can we gain the trust and recognition of customers.
At present, due to the impact of the epidemic, foreign-funded enterprises are developing more actively in China. Under such circumstances, Chinese enterprises should not take their mistakes lightly, but must face up to the problems, find out the shortcomings, and strive to be advanced. At the same time, consumers should maintain a high degree of vigilance, and maintain the confidence of the country and consume rationally in the face of the dazzling packaging of foreign brand-name goods. The country's brand should prosper, and the country's brand should also prosper. Let's work together for the great rejuvenation of Chinese culture!