A mellow pearl full of national pride - Shuijingfang
The shocking and disappointing news of 2006 shook the hearts of every consumer who was keen on national liquor like a bombshell -- Shuijingfang, the "first liquor shop in China", has quietly transformed into a small chess piece in the hands of foreign-funded enterprises! Since then, the world has slowly realized that this well-known liquor company, which once shined in the hearts of the nation, has been out of our control.
At first, the huge stake in Shuijingfang was gradually seized by foreigners. It is understood that the first to control the fate of Shuijingfang was the powerful Hennessy Group from France. However, this foreign dominance lasted only a few years, and shortly thereafter, Shuijingfang changed hands again and was taken over by the British company Diageo.
In 2009, Diageo was successfully promoted to the second largest shareholder of Shuijingfang. So far, a local liquor company with a long history and deep love of the people has become a foreign-funded company's "inheritance".
This kind of transformation has undoubtedly deeply pierced the hearts of consumers. They were puzzled, what kind of powerful force had made this national liquor brand, which was once regarded as the pride of the nation, become "fat" in the eyes of the capitalists? In the face of such a cruel reality, they could only helplessly lament the fall of domestic products, and at the same time lost confidence in the future development.
What is even more puzzling is that Shuijingfang, a foreign-funded enterprise, has also been severely investigated by the China Securities Regulatory Commission for suspected securities violations. This has undoubtedly raised deeper questions about the public's management of its operations.
What are the reasons that prompted Shuijingfang to embark on this road of no return? How will it evolve in the future under the control of foreign companies? These questions have undoubtedly cast a heavy shadow over the hearts of the majority of consumers.
All in all, from a well-known brand known as "China's No. 1 Baijiu Fang" to now a "vassal" of a foreign-funded company, Shuijingfang's journey has undoubtedly made all consumers who love Chinese liquor feel sad.
After all, a local enterprise that was once regarded as the pride of the nation has become a "bargaining chip" for capital operation, which is undoubtedly a heavy blow to our national pride.
The national concern caused by the hygiene problem - Tsingtao Beer
It is not a case that Shuijingfang has become a foreign-funded enterprise, and even Tsingtao Beer, which was once talked about by people all over the country, has recently suffered from hidden health hazards, which has aroused widespread concern and questions from all walks of life.
A few months ago, a shocking image went viral on the Internet: the suspected mishandling of Tsingtao beer's raw materials and even urine contamination did have a great impact on the Tsingtao beer brand, which has always been known for its excellent quality, and its brand image was instantly questioned.
However, in the face of this sudden crisis, Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd. reacted quickly and immediately activated the emergency response mechanism. They directly sealed all the "victimized" raw malt and applied to the public security department to intervene and carry out a comprehensive and in-depth investigation.
After an in-depth investigation, we found that the worker involved in the case was not from Tsingtao Brewery's internal staff, but a stevedore affiliated with an outsourcing partner. As for the mysterious photographer, the specific identity and motive of the person who took the picture are still to be revealed, perhaps it is just the result of some unfair commercial competition.
However, regardless of the facts, this serious health accident has undoubtedly had a huge negative impact on the Tsingtao Beer brand, which has long been known for its quality and image.
The majority of consumers will inevitably have doubts about the quality of their products, and are worried that they will fall into a food safety storm like "Laotan Sauerkraut" again.
This is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the domestic beer brand that has always been highly praised.
There are many reasons why Tsingtao Beer is suffering from such a predicament. However, this health accident has undoubtedly cast a shadow over the brand, which is known as the "shining pearl of China's beer industry".
Consumers' worries about the quality of its products make people worry about whether it will follow in the footsteps of "Laotan sauerkraut" and eventually face widespread resistance. This is undoubtedly a major blow to the domestic beer brand that has always been proud.
Moutai's innovative attempt
At a time when Shuijingfang and Tsingtao Beer are in deep trouble, Moutai, a leader in China's liquor field, has also begun to actively explore new development paths.
A few months ago, Moutai Group boldly teamed up with the well-known coffee brand Luckin to jointly launch a new product - Sauce Latte. Subsequently, it collaborated with the world-renowned chocolate brand Dove to create a unique chocolate with a unique liquor.
For Moutai, which has always shown its traditional image, these cross-border attempts are undoubtedly surprising.
However, after careful consideration, we can find that these measures of Moutai are not unfounded. After all, with the rapid development of e-commerce, the real industry is facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities.
Even a top liquor brand like Moutai must adapt to the changes in the market and constantly seek innovative breakthroughs.
There is no doubt that these brave attempts of Mao Tai are undoubtedly of great reference value for other domestic liquor manufacturers! Perhaps to meet the growing needs of the younger generation of consumers, or to tap a new market space, but in any case, Mao Tai's cross-border exploration shows its courage and wisdom in fearless challenges and wise responses.
At the same time, this spirit of innovation has also brought great inspiration to local brands in distress, making them understand that only by having the courage to break through and dare to innovate can they stand tall in the fierce market competition.
Compared with Shuijingfang and Tsingtao Beer, although these bold innovations of Mao Tai are unexpected, they embody a unique charm of coexistence of a sense of crisis and resilience.
This fully shows that even the leaders in the national liquor industry must follow the trend of the times and actively look for new development paths. This undoubtedly provides valuable lessons for other domestic brands, and only by having the courage to innovate can they stay ahead of the curve in this rapidly changing market environment.
The status of foreign investment as a "domestic product".
When we are puzzled by the actions of Shuijingfang, Tsingtao Beer and Maotai, we can't help but think deeply: many of the "domestic products" we are familiar with are actually dressed in the garb of foreign-funded enterprises.
For example, the Arowana cooking oil, which is essential in your kitchen at home, is actually produced by a foreign-owned company. Its founder, Kwok Shi, was an overseas Chinese in Malaysia and once became the richest man in Malaysia.
Although Arowana is mainly sold to the Chinese market, its actual control is no longer in the hands of the Chinese people.
Another example is Shuijingfang, which you may think of as a pure national liquor, which began to become a "pawn" of a foreign-funded company as early as 2006. From the original French Hennessy Group, to the British Diageo, Shuijingfang's equity gradually flowed to foreign investors, and finally completely transformed into a foreign-funded enterprise.
This is really amazing, it turns out that the "domestic products" we identify in our daily life often hide the intricate capital operation behind them. As ordinary consumers, it is difficult for us to peek into the "mystery".
It wasn't until the truth came out that we realized that we had been kept in the dark.
However, this phenomenon is not limited to well-known brands such as Shuijingfang and Arowana - in this rapidly changing environment, we can see that many local brands that were once familiar are quietly falling into the arms of foreign-funded enterprises!
Even Moutai, which enjoys the reputation of "the king of national liquor", has to start exploring the road of cross-border innovation to cope with the pressure of increasingly fierce market competition.
For these national brands dressed in the coat of "Chinese attributes", we may not be able to control their fate. It is true that in today's society where utilitarianism is rampant, the power of capital is often omnipresent.
As ordinary people, even if our hearts are full of helplessness and regret for this kind of situation, we can only stay sober.
However, it is not possible to simply place the blame solely on the foreign-owned enterprise. Sometimes, their professional management and extensive resources can breathe new life into these brands.
Eventually, however, these changes will cause deep concern in those of us who love our homeland – and our national pride seems to be fading in the face of corporate globalization.
However, we must also recognize that in this era of rapid change, culture and goods have long since crossed borders. As consumers, we should perhaps focus more on the actual quality of the product than on its ownership.
The current situation and future prospects of Shuijingfang
Looking back on the development of Shuijingfang, it is not difficult to find that this national liquor brand, which used to attract much attention, has now become an "accessory" of foreign-funded enterprises. Since 2006, its stake has gradually passed into the hands of the French group Hennessy Group and the British Diageo Group.
Until 2009, Diageo was successfully promoted to the second largest shareholder of Shuijingfang.
What is puzzling is that at a time when Shuijingfang was deeply controlled by foreign capital, it was in-depth investigated by the China Securities Regulatory Commission for suspected securities violations. This has undoubtedly further exacerbated public doubts about its management.
Despite the many difficulties, Shuijingfang's sales performance is still outstanding. According to statistics, in 2021, its annual sales were as high as a staggering 4.6 billion yuan. This fully proves that even though it has become a "chess piece" of foreign-funded enterprises, Shuijingfang is still warmly sought after by the majority of domestic consumers.
However, in February 2022, a piece of news shook the entire liquor industry like a thunderbolt from the blue! Zhu Zhenhao, the founder and chairman of the board of directors of Shuijingfang, resolutely announced his resignation.
This sudden move undoubtedly shrouded this national liquor giant, which enjoys the reputation of "China's No. 1 liquor shop," over a thick haze; what was the reason for Zhu Zhenhao's decision to make such a major decision? What will be the future development direction of Shuijingfang? These questions have become hot topics of discussion among people and have attracted the attention of countless people.
From the former leader of national liquor to the subsidiary of a foreign-funded company, the journey of Shuijingfang undoubtedly makes every consumer of Guoguo liquor heartbroken. After all, a local enterprise carrying the pride of the nation has fallen victim to the operation of capital, which is undoubtedly a heavy blow to our national pride.
However, in today's globalized world, the boundaries between culture and commodities are gradually blurring. Perhaps, from a certain point of view, Shuijingfang's "foreign capital status" is not entirely a bad thing.
After all, with the help of a professional management team and abundant resources, it is still able to provide high-quality products to domestic consumers.
For us ordinary consumers, we should pay more attention to the quality of the product itself, rather than entangled in its ownership. After all, even products that are known as the "light of domestic products" may hide intricate capital operations behind them.
Maintaining an open and rational mind may give us a deeper understanding of the world.
Through the in-depth analysis of domestic brands such as Shuijingfang, Tsingtao Beer and Moutai, it is not difficult for us to find that in this rapidly changing era, many "domestic" brands that were once well-known to Chinese people are back
Sometimes, the introduction of a strict governance system and abundant resources from foreign companies can give these brands new vitality. However, such changes have raised concerns about the loss of identity for us local consumers.
Therefore, as consumers, we should perhaps pay more attention to the excellent quality of the product itself, rather than being overly entangled in where it is owned. Maintaining a tolerant and rational attitude may give us a deeper understanding and insight into this rapidly changing world.
After all, even behind many products that are considered to belong to "national brands", there may still be intricate capital operation phenomena.
All in all, what classic brands such as Shuijingfang, Tsingtao Beer and Moutai have experienced has undoubtedly warned all consumers who love domestic products to be cautious. However, it also reminds us to be tolerant and rational, focusing on the excellent quality of the product itself, rather than being overly entangled in where it is owned.
Only in this way can we find the most suitable way of consumption for ourselves in this surging trend of the times.