Intern journalist | Wei Xianghui
Edit | Ya Han Xiang
Perhaps many people did not expect that it was "coconut" that saved luckin coffee's reputation. Luckin's recently launched "raw coconut latte" has become popular on social networks and continues to be out of stock, which has made Luckin have a lot of positive popularity for a while. Many people began to imitate the production of raw coconut milk drinks at home, and put "raw coconut milk, yyds" (Internet buzzword, "eternal god" pinyin abbreviation) on the public screen.
In fact, raw coconut milk has been red for a season. At the end of 2020, when Heytea released its annual report, it included the "raw coconut coconut" series as an annual hot product. Naixue's tea launched the "domineering good coconut" of coconut milk fusion dragon juice, and sold more than 100,000 cups within 3 days of listing.
This year, coconut flavor does not seem to have faded like other popular flavors, but has become a trend of big items. Tea Hundred Dao's new products osmanthus longan ice, raw coconut Grand Slam; Yihetang's longan coconut coconut, Yi cup qing tonic cool, poplar manna, Ahuatian golden coconut coconut, watermelon coconut coconut five kinds of "containing coconut" products. In many cities, there have also been brands based on coconut drinks and desserts, such as cococean coconut water, whole coconut and tea coconut.
In the Chinese market, coconut flavor has always existed, but it is difficult to make a hit before that. The largest market share in the field of plant protein beverages is Hainan Coconut Coconut Juice, which has given the coconut flavor products a certain impetus to innovation after Reignwood Group introduced coconut water brand Vita Coco in 2014 and then Coca-Cola introduced Zico coconut water in China.
But coconut water has not yet developed into the mainstream, and Coca-Cola has also announced the suspension of Zico coconut water. On the one hand, its unit price is higher, and the common bottle of coconut water of about 330 ml usually fluctuates around 10 yuan; on the other hand, its flavor seems to be accepted by most Chinese consumers who are sweet-loving.
But when new tea brands began to use coconuts as a theme, they told a new story.
Similar to the milk upgrade version of the "Ice Blog", coconut milk has another innovative process and produces "raw coconut milk". Raw beaten coconut milk is a mixture of raw coconut water and raw coconut meat, produced by cold pressing, and frozen at low temperatures, which can maximize the fresh taste of natural coconuts. At present, most of the popular coconut tea products on the market are based on "raw coconut milk" as the selling point, such as Heytea's "raw coconut coconut" and Luckin's "raw coconut latte".
The product iteration and innovation of the tea brand is its main competitiveness in attracting customers. It is not difficult to find that the industrial research and development logic of the head brand will be carried out around two aspects, seasonal fruits or substrates.
For example, this year's hot lime tea and citrus drinks we have discussed are innovations in fruit ingredients. And the innovation of the base, in addition to tea, is more around the milk - oat milk, ice blog and raw coconut, are different protagonists.
Raw coconut milk also has its own advantages. Coconut is a fruit that is more familiar to the public, its own unique smell, it is more versatile like milk, more adaptable, can be paired with fruits, small ingredients, coffee and tea. And as a plant-based drink, it also meets the needs of healthy consumption to some extent.
Raw coconut milk is mainly a mixture of coconut milk and coconut water, so in terms of visual effect, it is also thicker than coconut water, and there is a desire to stimulate taste buds. Based on coconut, it can be derived from a series of products such as coconut milk jelly and coconut cream, or made into coconut meat ingredients.
Compared with milk or oat milk, raw coconut milk also has more seasonal attributes and scene attributes, which can make those tea brands that are good at marketing play better.
Heytea launched the "Raw Coconut Coconut" series last year, and the word "raw" highlights the natural gas breath of the product; the word "play" creates a sense of scene of opening coconuts. Combined with the promotional articles of the public account to interact with consumers, as well as the promotional video of Station B highlights the tropical style of the beach. In some independent stores featuring coconut drinks, you can also see the action of the clerk opening the coconut now, forming the attraction of selling characteristics and eye-catching.
Coconut tea has also brought fire to many coconut-themed dessert shops and allowed the retail food industry to learn from each other. Coconut Health Light Food Brand BOON BOON COCONUT MAN MAN ANNOUNCED THE COMPLETION OF MILLIONS OF ANGEL ROUND FINANCING, LED BY NEW VENTURE CAPITAL. According to public information, BOONBOON Coconut Man was established in 2016, and its current products include coconut oil, coconut snacks, coconut jam, coconut baking raw materials and other coconut products.
However, in order to ensure the fresh taste of coconuts, these brands have to bear greater supply chain costs. Although cryopreserved raw coconut milk products ensure the quality of the product to the consumer audience, its high cost does cause pressure on the operation. According to the self-media "Coffee Gate" report, the amount of coconut milk used in a drink is much higher than that of milk, and the products added with coconut milk drinks are priced at more than 15 yuan to meet the profits.
Compared with canned coconut water, consumers will be more tolerant of the price of coconut tea. However, at present, the new brand focusing on coconut is still in the early stage of construction, although coconut wild can make more gimmicks in product research and development, but the tea brand based on large single products can continue to grow, and form a scale advantage, which tests its research and development and marketing capabilities, because the change of popular taste is too rapid, and it is not an easy thing to run out of the head brand in a single flavor rather than a category division.