Foreword: "Dick Silk Drink" is on fire, and at the same time it is a special case in the tide of price increases
On a hot summer day, colorful drink bottles are neatly arranged in the freezer of a roadside convenience store. In the dazzling selection, many people's eyes can't help but linger for a little longer, behind those delicately printed packaging, a red label on an ordinary white square bottle: "Master Kong Iced Black Tea".
This may seem like a bit unremarkable, but it's like a magnet that keeps consumers coming back for more. Especially when they see the price - 3 yuan, 500ml, 1 yuan can buy a 330ml bottle...... This price, in today's price increase in full swing, has become a cherished anomaly.
As a result, the title of "Dick Silk Drink" came into being. It refers to beverage brands whose prices have remained stable for a long time and have not risen with the development of the times, and the most typical representative product is Master Kong iced tea series.
For the majority of civilian consumer groups, this is the "lifeline" in their mouths.
Identifying the target group, Master Kong builds consumer trust
In 1997, when the first bottle of Master Kong iced tea rolled off the production line, the Chinese people were in the process of yearning for a better life. Everyone's consumption concept is relatively simple, not paying attention to health, but simply pursuing deliciousness.
Therefore, Master Kong grasped this key point and made great efforts in product research and development, adding various natural food additives to ensure the sweet and smooth taste of iced black tea.
In contrast, consumer acceptance is significantly higher than that of healthy beverages that claim to be "zero additives". Because the latter has a single and boring taste, it does not meet their expectations of food.
It can be said that Master Kong has identified the consumption psychology of the target group and won the favor of users with product quality.
At the same time, Master Kong also noted that the spending power of ordinary people in China is limited. Therefore, in terms of pricing, he did not hesitate to choose a low-price strategy, a bottle of 500ml iced tea only sells for 3 yuan, and the price has never increased for more than ten years.
This high cost performance deeply impresses consumers, who would rather choose Master Kong, which has a stronger taste, than spend more money to try other brands.
It can be said that the success of Master Kong Iced Black Tea depends on the company's accurate grasp of the needs of the target group and the quality and price strategy of the product itself to win the favor of consumers.
This kind of depiction of the market is indeed a manifestation of understanding the industry. Up to now, Master Kong Iced Tea has grown into the overlord with the largest market share in the entire tea industry.
Plagiarism and improvement, actual combat proves that Master Kong's iced black tea is the first
In fact, before Master Kong became the number one in the industry, the originator of iced black tea was Uni-President Company. As early as 1995, Uni-President successfully developed this refreshing and thirst-quenching tea drink.
At that time, the unified iced black tea was very popular and loved by consumers.
However, the ambitious Master Kong did not have the consciousness of being willing to always be second. According to industry insiders, after his own soybean milk drink was defeated by the unification, Master Kong's high-level center was unwilling and immediately ordered to imitate iced black tea.
To this end, Master Kong has also set up a beverage business department and invested heavily in human and material resources.
In just one year, Master Kong has launched its own version of boxed and bottled iced tea. As a latecomer, it has put a lot of effort into the details of its products – sweeter recipes, more eye-catching bottle prints, and stronger advertising.
These ingenious improvements quickly took effect, and the new iced tea quickly occupied the market and successfully overtook the unification, becoming synonymous with iced black tea in the minds of consumers.
It can be said that the key to Master Kong's iced black tea standing out among similar products lies in its accurate grasp of user taste and vision, as well as the improvement of product differentiation.
It is this enterprising mentality that has made Master Kong the dominant position in the field of iced black tea today.
The involution is increased, and the winning rate is 40% crazy decision
After successfully accumulating zero to one sales of iced tea, Master Kong was not satisfied.
"It's just a send-off!" When the news came out, many people in the industry commented like this. At that time, the winning rate of the entire industry was about 17%, and even the old rivals did not exceed this number.
It can be said that Master Kong's move is a "table lifting" for the entire market.
But it turned out that this kind of "big spending" has won the favor of more consumers. The throbbing sensation in the high stakes is addictive, and the 40% winning rate is even more remarkable.
In order to fulfill his promise, Master Kong also set up a "Prize Redemption Pioneer Team" to redeem prizes for users.
This kind of customer service behavior further deepens the impression of consumers and plays a very positive role in promoting the brand image. It can be said that the seemingly crazy decision back then allowed Master Kong to dominate the competition of similar brands and established its absolute leading position in the field of iced black tea.
Singapore rated D, and Chinese netizens were excited
However, just when Master Kong was in full swing, a seemingly inconspicuous foreign movement sparked a discussion in China.
The reason for this is the Singapore government's recent introduction of a new beverage health rating system, which mainly refers to the additives such as sugar and fat in products. As a result, Master Kong iced tea, which has been criticized by some consumers for many years for too many additives, was directly rated as the lowest grade D, that is, the most unhealthy drink.
As soon as the results were announced, China's major social media outlets exploded. Surprisingly, a large number of netizens spontaneously spoke up for Master Kong, and even excitedly "theorized" with the Singapore rating agency.
Their argument is that health is not the only criterion, and affordability is also important; Moreover, the taste of Master Kong's iced black tea is incomparable to other brands.
"It's my lifeline, what's your business!" A netizen said. This kind of spontaneous maintenance behavior of the masses is really moving, and it also confirms that the brand impression of the affordability of Master Kong's products has been firmly rooted in the hearts of the majority of ordinary users.
This solid consumer base is the foundation for Master Kong to stand tall in the market storm.
Conclusion: The market is retaliatory, and Master Kong has found the correct positioning
In fact, there is often no absolute good or bad judgment in the business world. Master Kong Iced Tea is successful because it deeply understands what the actual needs of the mainstream consumer group are – taste and price, rather than the so-called concept of health.
This insistence on positioning, which dares to go against the mainstream values, is the foundation of this brand based on the market.
It can be said that Master Kong's success is a "revenge" choice of the market. It illustrates the essence of business competition, and also makes us understand that only by constantly summarizing experience and finding the correct target group and positioning, can enterprises create a blue ocean of their own.