At the end of February, Guangdong suddenly ushered in the cold spring, along with a rework boom inside and outside the industry, Guangdong Zhuhai Sunrise Group (the brand will be called by the brand name later), but also ushered in its spring season.
At the beginning of the construction, the industry was swiped by the news of White Rabbit Tiles: the staff meeting was successfully held, the "three bricks and harmony" strategy was effective, the new production line of the Hunan base was about to be put into operation, and the new headquarters exhibition hall and the world mosaic art museum were beginning to ......
At the same time, as a strategic achievement of "three bricks and harmony", the new product "small floor tile" is about to debut, and "as soon as the new sample brick comes out, it will be 'matched' by dealers and directly ordered", which not only injects firm confidence into the transformation of the enterprise, but also releases a positive signal for the industry at the beginning of the new year.
This brand, which has reached the pinnacle in the field of exterior wall tiles and has no rivals, has faced the real estate explosion, experienced the downturn of the epidemic, and gone through the shrinking market, after down-to-earth, drastic reform measures and a decade-long transformation road. In 2023, with the number of markets covering nearly 1,000 across the country, as well as the return to the sales growth rate before the epidemic, White Rabbit Ceramic Tile has submitted a satisfactory answer to the success of the transformation stage. At the beginning of the spring of 2024, with a positive and optimistic attitude, he confidently made full preparations for crossing the economic cycle, just like a flower that has quietly bloomed in the cold spring, and is ushering in another season of spring that belongs to it.
Focusing on the creation of "small floor tiles" IP products, as one of the distinctive achievements in the field of wall and floor tiles on the road of "three bricks and harmony" transformation of White Rabbit Ceramic Tiles for ten years, what does it mean for White Rabbit Tiles? How will the "three-brick integration" strategy that it relies on recreate a "glory of the 'White Rabbit'"? The strategic transformation of White Rabbit ceramic tiles, what inspiration does it bring to our industry?
The author was fortunate to interview Mr. Huang Yingming, chairman of Glorious Sun Group, and his new generation of team executives at the headquarters of Zhuhai White Rabbit Tiles: Zhou Haojing, deputy general manager of the group and general manager of the sales operation center; Huang Zhilin, deputy general manager of the group, general manager of the brand strategy empowerment center, and chairman of Shanghai Jingzhitao Building Materials Technology Co., Ltd., and other core members were quite inspired.
no.1
From "three-brick integration" to "three-brick integration", the essence is cognitive upgrading
What is "Three Bricks Harmony"?
When it comes to the strategy of White Rabbit tiles, it is impossible to avoid the "harmony of three bricks", so what kind of strategy is this? Mr. Huang Yingming, chairman of the Rising Sun Group, the proposer of the strategy, spoke in a calm and steady tone as always, and he gave a detailed elaboration in combination with the background of the strategy and the mental process he thought about at that time.
"Three brick fusion" was originally called "three brick fusion", which was first proposed in 2013, which means that White Rabbit Tile should build a strategy of integrated development of three major product systems with "exterior wall tiles (Seiko exterior wall tiles + art exterior wall tiles)", "art mosaic" and "wall and floor tiles" as the core. Among them, "exterior wall tiles" are the foundation, "art mosaics" are the soul, and "wall and floor tiles" are the core of development.
From "harmony" to "harmony", has the connotation changed dramatically?
In this regard, Huang Yingming said: With the rise of cultural self-confidence, the new generation of groups has higher demands for cultural and spiritual pursuits, and they must take into account the artistic sense, cultural heritage, beauty and harmony of the space. Then, after the "harmony of the three bricks", White Rabbit needs to pay more attention to the harmony of the overall presentation of the space, convey the sense of beauty, bloom and convey the cultural heritage.
"Three-brick integration", first of all, covers the basic meaning of the previous "three-brick integration", that is, the three series of products empower each other, make up for each other's product lines, and jointly contribute to the shaping of user space.
Secondly, it adds the connotation of "quality beauty and harmony". White Rabbit Ceramic Tiles strengthens the artistic and cultural value of products, empowers products from the artistic and cultural levels, and reaches the realm of "quality beauty" in the product shaping space.
Third, and more importantly, it conveys a mission to disseminate the connotation of traditional Chinese culture and promote the exchange of Chinese culture and world culture and art. White Rabbit Tile has always kept in mind that its past achievements are inseparable from China's economic and policy environment, deeply grateful to the country and the nation, and is willing to integrate the profound cultural heritage of the Chinese nation into it through high-quality and more artistic products, and reach global users through the transmission of culture and brand.
Through the artistic way of breaking the boundary, through the villa exterior wall tiles, art mosaics, that is, the more artistic "small floor tiles" category in the wall and floor tiles, to promote the exchange and integration of art and culture at home and abroad.
In essence, it is the ascending dimension of enterprise cognition
Behind the difference between "three bricks integration" and "three bricks integration" is the ideological transformation of the strategy to keep pace with the times.
The "harmony of three bricks", the superimposed meaning of "quality beauty and harmony", is rich in an enterprise's concern for product quality and market integration, and extends to the part that meets the spiritual, cultural and aesthetic demands of users.
The difference between one word and one word is the cognitive improvement of different dimensions. It means that the White Rabbit tile's satisfaction of the user's "physical needs" is upgraded to the satisfaction of the user's "spiritual appeal". In other words, it means that a traditional manufacturing enterprise has risen from the essence of creating "physical value" to "creating spiritual value".
As Huang Zhilin, vice president of Glorious Sun Group and general manager of the Brand Strategy Empowerment Center, said, the most difficult and core part of the transformation and upgrading of a brand lies in the transformation of thinking and the upgrading of cognition. From "three-brick fusion" to "three-brick integration", it marks the completion of this cognitive transformation.
no.2
The strategy is based on the macro market, business environment and the company's own advantages
The proposal of the "three-brick integration" strategy is a prudent decision based on the international and domestic macroeconomic forms, the industry policy environment, the market environment and the company's own situation. Huang Yingming said that it is in line with the characteristics of the historical stage of the country's development, as well as the development of the industry and the company's own vision.
Based on the sober thinking of the enterprise itself
White Rabbit is a brand that started with exterior wall tiles, which was initially restructured from a bankrupt enterprise and developed into a first-class brand of exterior wall tiles in China and even in the world. However, its achievements in the field of exterior wall tiles do not rely on a single scale of success, but meet the good era of reform and opening up and China's economic development, and develop with the support of the times. Referring to the past of White Rabbit Tiles, Mr. Huang Yingming has always held a deep gratitude to the times and national policies; On the other hand, it also maintains a sense of awe for the market and maintains a vigilance in times of peace.
In recent years, with the change of supply and demand, the economic development has slowed down, and after the special period of the epidemic, White Rabbit, like all enterprises, has experienced the 'surge' brought about by rapid growth and the 'sharp decline' brought about by market contraction and stagnation. In the face of the grim situation, make deep thinking and self-reflection. In the end, we believe that the current market is an inevitable trend, according to the law of market development, 'there is a rise and a fall', so survival is the basis for development. What are the conditions for the survival and development of white rabbits? What is the basis of the core competitiveness of the enterprise? Around these points, we have been thinking hard. Speaking of this, Mr. Huang Yingming's eyes were a little distant, and he entered a certain deep memory and slowly narrated.
In the 21 years from 1998 to 2019, White Rabbit Ceramic Tiles insisted on winning the market and brand reputation with quality manufacturing, and the company has laid a solid foundation. White Rabbit is down-to-earth, hard work, and leads product development and market with talent and technology. In recent years, the business environment has changed, and involution, product war, and homogenization have been serious.
We know that the more severe the market, the more we must not be pessimistic, but more proactive, brave and enterprising. When the industry market is negative, it is necessary to return to rationality and build a "high-precision, special and new" enterprise that produces "high-quality" products from the "value". Then, the 'three-brick integration' is in line with the characteristics and advantages of White Rabbit enterprises, as well as the historical law and market demand. ”
Find out the precise positioning of the enterprise in the market
After more than 40 years of rapid development, China has entered a new economic development environment, from the lack of material life to the abundance of material life, it is already a moderately developed country economy. The market has shifted from incremental to stock competition.
At the same time, the rich material foundation of life has derived the people's desire for "high-quality, high-taste life". With the advent of the new generation of consumer groups, the market demand for "high-quality life" is becoming more and more intense. Then, the transformation of the manufacturing industry from "quality manufacturing" to "taste art manufacturing" is inevitable.
As a White Rabbit tile that has always insisted on producing "high-quality" products and insisting on quality manufacturing, it essentially has a quality foundation for the improvement of artistic taste. Therefore, White Rabbit Ceramic Tile proposes to adjust the strategy from "three-brick integration" to "three-brick integration", which is in line with the historical law and the demand for the market environment.
From the perspective of the company's own situation, the "three-brick integration" is in line with the company's own advantages and reform demands.
The strategic vision stems from the layout ten years ago
The success of White Rabbit Tile in the field of exterior wall tiles has accumulated quite a solid comprehensive strength for it. These strengths are not only reflected in strong economic strength, but also in strategic vision, experience accumulation and decision-making, engineering channel coverage, brand awareness, execution, manufacturing and team building.
As early as 2013, Chairman Huang Yingming proposed the "three-brick integration" (the predecessor of the "three-brick integration"). Out of the instinct of being prepared for danger in times of peace, which he cultivated after years of leading the enterprise, he was driven to think deeply about the market where the supply of exterior wall tiles was in short supply at that time: the law of the market, there must be a high and a low, and the apex of the growth curve must also be an inflection point. In order to maintain the growth support of the enterprise and seek the second growth curve, he actively opened up new ideas and proposed a strategic sketch for the expansion to the "mosaic" market and the "wall and floor tile" market.
At that time, White Rabbit had rushed to the pinnacle of the world brand field of exterior wall tiles. With the high brand awareness of White Rabbit and the coverage of mature engineering channels, coupled with the experience of producing and manufacturing part of the process of exterior wall tiles can be used for mosaics, the development of mosaic of White Rabbit tiles is relatively smooth.
By 2020, after the original exterior wall tile market was superimposed with the expanded market of new mosaic products, despite the huge impact of the epidemic, White Rabbit Tile still maintained steady growth and expansion of market potential and market share.
If the layout development of the mosaic field is relatively smooth, then the intervention in the field of wall and floor tiles is obviously more challenging, and it can also better demonstrate the advantages brought by the comprehensive strength of White Rabbit tiles.
As we all know, although wall and floor tiles and exterior wall tiles are ceramic tiles, they are almost completely different from their production and manufacturing end to sales channels, market coverage and service system. In order to promote the strategy of "harmony of three bricks", White Rabbit Tile has invested heavily in the field of wall and floor tiles, demonstrating its amazing execution.
no.3.
The execution of change after ten years of grinding a sword comes from the comprehensive strength of more than 20 years of precipitation
Almost rebuilt a white rabbit! When Zhou Haojing, deputy general manager of the group and general manager of the sales operation center, said this, his feelings were complicated, including an obvious heavy pride, mixed with a touch of sadness after overcoming difficulties and obstacles.
White Rabbit Tile's investment in the field of wall and floor tiles has been close to one billion so far, only the part of hardware construction has been calculated. This includes the construction of new production bases, new exhibition halls, new terminal stores, and so on. As for the investment in the construction of the whole system through various channels, the construction of sales channels, marketing and product development, etc., have not been included.
In this process, the running-in, trying, introspection, and re-enactment of each link, White Rabbit Tile has never wavered in its initial strategic adherence.
Therefore, it is not so much that White Rabbit is spreading to the field of wall and floor tiles, but that this is to rebuild a White Rabbit tile brand in the field of wall and floor tiles. After all, there are too many fundamental differences between exterior wall tiles and interior wall tiles.
Sometimes, if we put aside the strong strength of more than 20 years of precipitation, it may be easier to rebuild from scratch than to change and grow on the old system. After all, the genes are fundamentally different, and it would have been a huge pain of change to transform and grow on the old tree and graft different varieties – but we did it. ”
In fact, in recent years, the author has heard many comments from people in the industry on the reform of White Rabbit tiles, these evaluations from the initial doubts to the later appreciation, almost all said: "Thanks to the White Rabbit can become, thanks to them have such a deep strength support, there is such a courage to overcome all difficulties to achieve the goal, and there is such a sober cognition and strategic vision." ”
It is more like a belief that must be reached, which runs through the entire process of advancing the implementation. "After all, the White Rabbit is to arrive, and in the process of arriving, if you encounter any difficulties, find a way to solve them. If there is a shortage of talents, we will introduce them, if we lack channels, we will open up them, and if we lack a base, we will build a base.
In this regard, Huang Yingming said that the formulation of the strategy is not a whim, and at the beginning of the formulation of the strategy, it was expected that there would be many difficulties, so from the ideological and psychological point of view, it was prepared from the beginning.
The biggest challenge comes from ideological cognition. For the "three bricks and harmony" strategy of ten years of grinding a sword, Huang Zhilin, deputy general manager of Glorious Sun Group, general manager of the brand strategy empowerment center, and chairman of Shanghai Jingzhitao Building Materials Technology Co., Ltd., said that people's cognition, just like genes, to change is the most difficult point of change.
no.4
Create a new IP product of "small floor tiles", and go to the vision of "a century-old enterprise" on the new track
From 2013 to 2023, the "three-brick harmony" of White Rabbit Tiles has gone through ten years of cold and summer.
At the end of 2023, with the change of "three-brick integration" to "three-brick integration", and the decision to focus on building "small floor tiles" IP product series in the field of wall and floor tiles, this huge change has achieved another phased effect.
"Small floor tiles" is the core product breakthrough of White Rabbit Tile's "three brick fusion" in the field of wall and floor tiles that is consistent with its own positioning and advantages.
First of all, "small floor tile" as a representative of a classic decorative decoration product, it is closer to the white rabbit tile to carry the appeal of art and culture from the artistic aesthetics and cultural connotation; Secondly, in terms of specifications, it is also closer to the rich experience accumulated by White Rabbit Tiles in the past operation of small-sized products such as "exterior wall tiles and mosaics"; Third, in line with the vision of White Rabbit Ceramic Tile to be a century-old enterprise, "a century-old enterprise, not by scale to win, but by relying on" high quality, boutique "based on the market".
White Rabbit Tile regards "small floor tiles" as its core IP product in the field of wall and floor tiles, and carries out product development, production and sales operations with a full category, full specification, high-end and exquisite artistic and cultural tonality.
At the same time, through the "small floor tile" products, White Rabbit Tile has found its own unique track, avoided the fierce competition and involution of homogeneous wall and floor tile markets, and firmly exerted its core advantages to the extreme on its own track, and once again prepared to build its own splendid future step by step.
In this regard, Huang Yingming and Zhou Haojing both said, "A century-old enterprise does not win by scale, especially at the expense of quality to develop scale, but continues to adhere to the White Rabbit Tile has always been to provide 'high quality', 'high taste' products and services to win." ”
In the future, White Rabbit Tile will continue to be based on "art exterior wall tiles", "art mosaic" as the soul, and "wall and floor tiles" as the core of the development of the "three bricks integration" strategy. Among them, the field of wall and floor tiles will focus on the "small floor tile" IP products as the focus of development, empower the whole line of high-quality products with art and culture, and go to the macro vision of a century-old enterprise.
Ten years of grinding a sword, the White Rabbit Tile "Three Bricks Harmony" strategy shines out of the sheath, and the results are beginning to show.
White Rabbit, a brand with the halo of peak achievements in the field of wall tiles, with a sense of humility, and awe of the market environment and the development of the times, as well as a clear cognitive awareness of itself, has re-identified its new position in the market in the new era, and confidently rushed to the next one, the appointment of mountains and seas.
We have reason to believe that such an enterprise with strategic vision, profound comprehensive strength, great decision-making and execution will successfully pass through the economic cycle and reach its next spring.
Author's Note]:
As a first-class practitioner who has been working in the field of building ceramics for 16 years, the author has witnessed and experienced the development of this industry, from structural overcapacity to absolute overcapacity.
In the process of reform and opening up and the rise of the real estate economy, the building ceramics industry has become the industry that benefits the most dividends, at its peak, once gave birth to a large number of enterprises, they enjoyed the spring breeze and rain at that time, and grew rapidly to obtain their own achievements.
However, success is also Xiao He, and defeat is also Xiao He. When the bonus fades, the naked swimmers crowd. The pinnacle that was successfully reached by relying on the tide of the times also fell off the altar with the ebbing tide of the times. In the past decade, especially in recent years, there have been too many sad stories of heroes and brands.
The times create heroes, and when the new era comes, there are also new heroes who appear in turn.
We see that China's building ceramics industry has entered a period of comprehensive change, some excellent brands and enterprises, in a timely manner to complete their own butterfly change, with a new attitude after self-transformation to shine on the stage, not a few. Among them, the author thinks that the strategic change of White Rabbit tiles is worthy of attention and thinking.
In 2020, the author arrived at the group headquarters of White Rabbit Tile in Zhuhai as this time, and interviewed Mr. Huang Yingming, chairman of the board of directors, and the core executives at that time. Two interviews, 4 years later, I was deeply touched.
There must be a path to success, and there must be a reason for failure.
In the ten-year-long new strategy of White Rabbit tiles, to finally reach the stage of success, the author thinks that there are several capabilities that are the basis for success.
First of all, decision-makers have the strategic vision to be prepared for danger in times of peace, and the ability to maintain a clear self-awareness while still being at the peak.
Because I can clearly realize that my previous success is not only due to my own efforts, but also to meet a good era and good opportunities, I will always be grateful for the era of achievement of the enterprise, and be in awe of business and the market. Only then will we subconsciously maintain the awareness of being prepared for danger in times of peace and make precautionary arrangements.
Secondly, strong execution after the right decision.
On the road of strategic transformation and reform, it is always full of difficulties, from the strategic deployment of White Rabbit tiles, the layout of its wall and floor tiles has undoubtedly encountered great difficulties, but they have the strong execution and courage to overcome all direct goals, which is the key to success.
Third, the ability to see yourself and the essence of the market clearly, and find your own position.
White Rabbit Tile knows its own advantages and disadvantages, but also sees the fundamental demands of the market, knows to put its own advantages and disadvantages to the market demand to measure, find their own direction and their own position, combined with their own strength, to complete the strategic advancement.
Finally, adjust the thinking of core members to complete the same frequency with the times.
As mentioned in the special topic, from the strategy of "harmony of the three bricks", from the initial "integration" to "harmony", it presents a change in cognitive latitude, and this latitude change is essentially to achieve the same frequency resonance with the times.
Four years ago, the author interviewed White Rabbit Tiles, and its core executives are still mostly in the 60s and 70s. In this interview, the new generation of post-80s and 90s generations poured into the core executives, releasing an obvious signal of youthfulness.
As above, it is the author's small thinking, and the thinking itself may not be comprehensive, but I hope that these thoughts can inspire the industry.