Kunpeng Plan This Japanese beverage giant earns 104.6 billion yuan a year in China, but it is often mistaken for a domestic product, it is Suntory! He once surpassed the well-known domestic brands.
1. Nongfu Spring has become the leader of the tea beverage market. 
Suntory's story began in 1981 when the company decided to enter the tea beverage field with the launch of Suntory Oolong Tea. In order to gain a foothold in the Japanese domestic market, Suntory advertised that its products were made with "Chinese tea, the emperor's favorite". Subsequently, Suntory turned its attention to the populous Chinese market, and Suntory adopted a series of localization strategies to quickly gain a foothold in the Chinese market.
The essence of Suntory's localization strategy lies in its deep exploration and close integration of Chinese culture and consumer preferences. First, by shooting a TV commercial in China, Suntory is not just showcasing its products, it's telling a story, one that is closely related to the lives of Chinese consumers. These advertisements are often filled with strong Chinese elements, such as classical gardens, Peking Opera masks, tea ceremonies, etc., so that consumers feel familiar and intimate visually and emotionally, thus reducing the psychological distance from the brand's foreign background.
At the same time, Suntory uses traditional Chinese cultural elements for marketing, and skillfully combines its products with China's long-standing cultural traditions. For example, by sponsoring an opera show or introducing special packaging for an important Chinese festival, Suntory not only demonstrates respect and understanding of Chinese culture to consumers, but also uses this cultural resonance to deepen the brand's impression and enhance the brand's status in the hearts of consumers.
In terms of product strategy, Suntory accurately grasped the growing health awareness of contemporary Chinese consumers, adjusted its product structure in a timely manner, and launched low-sugar and sugar-free series. This move not only caters to the trend of healthy consumption, but also demonstrates Suntory's sensitivity and ability to respond quickly to market demands. In this way, Suntory has succeeded in shaping the brand image of "Chinese-style health tea" and making its products the first choice for consumers who pursue a healthy lifestyle.
Suntory's success story proves that the key to winning in the global competition is not only the strength of technology or capital, but also the deep understanding and respect for the culture of the target market. Through a well-designed localization strategy, Suntory has not only achieved great success in the Chinese market, but also provided an important case study for other foreign brands of how brands can transcend cultural and national barriers through cultural marketing and precise market positioning.
In addition, the Suntory case also shows Chinese companies the importance of brand building. In today's information** era, where consumers are becoming more and more selective, a strong brand story and clear brand positioning can help businesses stand out from the crowd of competitors and build consumer loyalty. While pursuing technological innovation and quality improvement, Chinese enterprises should also pay attention to the cultural connotation and market communication strategy of the brand, so as to create a unique brand image and improve competitiveness.
Xiao Nan believes that today, when foreign brands increase their efforts to develop the Chinese market, Chinese enterprises cannot relax their vigilance, and must face challenges, continue to innovate, and strive to build first-class brands. At the same time, consumers should also maintain national self-confidence, rational consumption, support domestic products, and work together for the great rejuvenation of Chinese brands.
In the face of international competition, how do we view the localization strategy of foreign brands? How should Chinese enterprises learn from and surpass to create more internationally competitive national brands? Feel free to leave your views in the comment section.