Introduction This article should give you a three-dimensional understanding of LePurun yogurt. In the middle and late stages of the mobile internet era, internet-famous products appear in various industries like clockwork, but few can deeply settle and develop. These internet-famous products did not rely on hiring scalpers to queue, but they have genuinely accumulated tens of thousands of fans, with high stickiness, high activity, and high repurchase rates in their fan communities. LePurun yogurt, a high-priced product (a combo pack of 6 boxes costs 95 yuan), achieves a monthly repurchase rate of 25%. Last Christmas, it set a new record by selling 30,000 boxes within 8 hours. LePurun's success as an internet-famous product is closely related to its strong word-of-mouth among fans. Looking at many current internet-famous consumer brands like Original Wheat Hill (原麦山丘) and Futang (伏牛堂), they all engage deeply with users and have strong fan influence. LePurun started as a 35-square-meter yogurt shop in Sanlitun producing 500 boxes a day, and now produces 100,000 boxes a day. It has entered Michelin-starred restaurants, world-class five-star hotels, and high-end imported supermarkets, gaining recognition from high-end offline channels. There have been many analyses of LePurun before, but today I think the analysis is not enough. I analyze LePurun again, hoping to present a more complete picture from three aspects: product, visual design, and operations. This article is divided into three parts:

  1. How does LePurun make products?

  2. How does LePurun impress users through visual design?

  3. LePurun's online and offline play. Now let me analyze each in detail:

1. How does LePurun make products? We look at this from three levels:

Level 1: Product opportunities in the industry There are many versions of the origin of yogurt. The most widely spread is that yogurt originated in Bulgaria. At the beginning of the 20th century, Russian scientist Ilya Mechnikov, while studying human longevity, went to Bulgaria to investigate and found that 4 out of every 1,000 deceased were over 100 years old, and these elderly people loved drinking yogurt. He concluded that drinking yogurt is an important factor for longevity. Later research discovered a bacillus that can effectively eliminate putrefactive bacteria in the large intestine, named it "Bulgarian lactobacillus." From a market demand perspective, yogurt became popular because it meets consumers' needs for intestinal health.

There are three common types of yogurt in the market: First: Lactic acid/fermented milk yogurt. Ingredients: These are "proper yogurt" made only from pure milk or milk powder, without other additives, fermented with bacterial cultures. Similar to the 5-yuan glass-jar old Beijing yogurt. Second: Flavored lactic acid/fermented milk yogurt. This is yogurt with added "ingredients" to make it tastier and more diverse in texture. This is the most common type in the market, such as yogurts with fruits and grains. Third: Lactic acid/lactic acid bacteria drinks. These are actually "drinks" disguised as yogurt, like Yakult.

From the above, we can see that old yogurt meets consumers' basic health needs. Once basic needs are satisfied, deeper needs are awakened, such as the need for taste variety. Flavored fermented milk meets the demand for diverse tastes, but at the same time, due to the addition of food additives, "natural health" is reduced. LePurun keenly seized this point. Let's look at an ingredient list of a LePurun product: No additives - meets consumers' health needs Various fresh grains/fruits added - meets consumers' taste needs In recent years, some brands have launched yogurts meeting these two points, but basically no one has emphasized them; they focus more on taste and texture. LePurun adheres to the principle of "I have what others don't; I have better what others have," continuously focusing on product development that combines "natural health + rich taste." But these two points make up for the shortcomings of market products but are not enough to create product differentiation. LePurun used the more concrete concept of "triple-three times" filtered whey yogurt to open the yogurt market. Using three times the fresh milk and three times the lactic acid bacteria for fermentation, and then using patented technology to remove 2/3 of the water weight, leaving only three times the pure nutrition. This awakens and upgrades consumers' original needs for health and taste to a desire for quality. It transforms the traditional two-dimensional needs of health + taste into a three-dimensional need of health + taste + quality. By meeting all three needs, it not only completes consumption upgrade in the yogurt category but also successfully upgrades from product differentiation to brand differentiation.

Level 2: LePurun's product development theory LePurun founder Denny once stated a user-driven product development theory: The underlying driving force of a brand and product is innovation, which is completed by 1% of people. After innovation, you need people to interact with you continuously and help promote, which is done by 9% of people. The remaining 90% are the general public, the true service targets of the brand.

How to understand LePurun's product development theory? The 1% core seed users participate in the initial product development to create an ultimate product. First, LePurun spent a lot of effort on the original formula. The best ingredients, layered and lingering taste. They referenced many Michelin chefs' methods of layering ingredients for taste, creating a layered texture in the yogurt. Of course, to consumers, this layering is more about product differentiation: the taste is different from other yogurts. This is the basic formula. On this basis, the product needs to be optimized with market feedback. Especially in terms of taste, they selected many rare flavors not available in the market, which also need market feedback. During the product preparation period, Liu Danni first told everyone what they wanted to do. Through content, they attracted the initial batch of seed users, whose task was to taste LePurun yogurt every day. At that time, Liu Danni made 100 boxes of yogurt daily, invited fans to taste, and based on feedback, they immediately improved and adjusted the next day's 100 boxes. In this way, the first batch of fans became LePurun's seed users, participating in the initial production, development, taste iteration, and adjustment. Now, in users' eyes, the rich, novel, and delicious product contents are the result of continuous attempts and iterations with LePurun's core seed users. Under the large yogurt category, they created innovative, differentiated, and flavor-rich products. The 9% sub-core seed users participate in product interaction and promotion, building a core community with content and stickiness. When developing durian-flavored yogurt, LePurun used Weibo and Zhihu to find a large number of durian lovers to taste and select the best durian yogurt flavor formula. These people are also KOLs with some fame and fan traffic on Weibo and Zhihu. Through their durian tasting and participation, they naturally began to promote. When LePurun sold 200,000 boxes, they turned the back of the product packaging into a magazine where anyone could contribute. They invited everyone to participate in packaging design and creativity, then selected 30 designs for voting on WeChat, finally deciding the product packaging prototype. Now, the "good-looking, high-end, fun and interactive product packaging" in users' eyes is the content developed with the participation of the 10% core and sub-core seed users. These packages are the product of LePurun's subculture community, establishing the product values presented to the 90% consumers.

Turning the 90% users into sticky fans. The 1% and 9% seed users are limited. To continuously enjoy the dividends of user-driven development, it is necessary to have close contact with a wide range of users. Therefore, offline experience stores become "fan pilgrimage sites" to cultivate users from "consumers" to "fans." LePurun has a flagship store in Sanlitun, Beijing. In addition to displaying and selling all products, it also has a dining area. Besides the full product line, it also sells nuts and snacks to pair with yogurt.

Level 3: Product creation itself Let's divide the product itself into two parts:

1. Product connotation and core presentation Product connotation can be understood as the indispensable inner essence of the product. For example, for a mobile phone, the operating system is the connotation. For food, the connotation is nutrition and health, the benefits to the human body. LePurun adopts a strategy of focusing on product connotation, continuously strengthening the core of health + nutrition, and on this basis, proposes the concept of filtered whey yogurt.

Only "100% raw milk" is used for fermentation. Many yogurts contain raw milk, whey protein powder, and skim milk powder, which greatly reduces freshness and nutrition. Using only 100% raw milk emphasizes freshness and nutrition.

Yogurt protein content is 9.0g. Protein content in milk is one of the important indicators for dairy experts to measure milk quality. Generally, 100g of fresh milk has 3g protein, and good fresh milk has 3.4g per 100g. So commercial pure yogurt has protein between 2.9g and 3.3g. LePurun uses three times the raw milk to make one box of yogurt, with protein content reaching 9.0g. This strengthens the good milk source and highlights nutrition three times higher than the market.

Proposing the new concept of filtered whey yogurt, using patented technology to remove 2/3 of the water weight, giving flavored yogurt the same rich texture as pure yogurt. This distinguishes it from other flavored yogurts in texture. The core presentation of the yogurt itself, due to the triple-three filtered whey yogurt process, makes the overall quality thicker and richer than market yogurts, like ice cream or cream. The moment it enters the mouth is different from other yogurts, and with good taste, it leaves a deep impression.

2. Product extensibility Self product line extension: The depth and breadth of product line extension are important factors determining product life cycle. LePurun, focusing on "triple-three" filtered whey yogurt, developed many flavors to enrich the product line. Based on market demand and response, they launched unique flavors not available in the market: coconut rose, durian, refreshing lemon, rum raisin, etc. There are also limited-edition flavors for holidays: for example, white peach rose for Qixi Festival, and apple cinnamon for Christmas. Extension with user life elements: This can be seen in LePurun's marketing activities, such as the 365-day non-repeating breakfast activity, recipes where LePurun can be eaten hot, turning yogurt from a snack into a recipe ingredient that can be redeveloped and paired. When the product is delivered to consumers, opening the box reveals a warm reminder and the recipe for making LePurun yogurt, like a food magazine. This makes consumers remember it when unboxing. Each flavor prominently highlights its characteristics, making it clear at a glance, with fresh and natural color matching, as if smelling the ingredients. What users see, feel, and taste all constitute their overall understanding of the "product." On the basis of strengthening the core connotation, continuously giving consumers freshness can maintain loyalty and repurchase rates.

After studying 10 high-end brands, I found a common point: they all have high aesthetics. This aesthetics does not mean exaggerated and cool design, but just the right simplicity and freshness, in line with people's new aesthetics.

2. How does LePurun impress users through visual design? LePurun, as a representative of this batch of consumption upgrade brands, reflects a current aesthetic trend of refinement and simplification. From fresh and clean to sexless cold to minimalism, it actually shows that the public's aesthetics are becoming simpler. Good packaging is not just beautiful and cool; it must meet consumer needs and also convey brand philosophy and values. Solving problems is the essence of packaging. *New aesthetics: Compared to old aesthetics (middle-aged and elderly emoji style), new aesthetics refers to the ever-changing aesthetic methods popular among young people during internet development, such as MUJI's sexless cold style. In today's era of scarce consumer attention, how to make consumers remember you at first glance? In the step where consumers discover the brand, the importance of visual design is self-evident.

Below, we analyze from 5 angles how LePurun, the internet-famous yogurt brand, became a clear stream in the yogurt industry.

1. Product packaging like a magazine (lateral thinking) Many people say our product is good, but marketing is not good... However, the first P in the 4P marketing theory is Product. LePurun knows this well, so they spent a lot of effort polishing the product, from material to design, creating great differentiation from traditional yogurt products. LePurun did not limit itself to traditional thinking that food packaging should enlarge the logo, or for strawberry flavor, enlarge a big strawberry. Instead, they rethought what packaging is. LePurun believes the essence of packaging is a piece of paper that conveys product and brand value. Paper can be designed in various shapes to convey the designer's ideas, so LePurun designed the packaging as a magazine.

a. Transparent cup enhances the healthy, natural impression. b. Front of packaging: flavors are shown in illustration style, not real photos. c. Back of packaging: illustrations combined with text, telling the product story like a story, communicating with consumers. Compared to rigid product descriptions, consumers naturally prefer this. This is lateral thinking: swapping the attributes of two parallel, unrelated things in packaging design, generating innovation in the process. For example, flowers in a cake box. LePurun did not treat packaging as food packaging (listing selling points, formula, origin), but as a paper medium for communicating with consumers. Following this thought, they considered which paper media in life give people a special reading experience, and naturally thought of magazines. Lateral thinking is an important method for packaging innovation.

2. Logistics packaging that is remembered at a glance LePurun's logistics packaging is a yellow canvas bag. Apart from the logo, there is no extra information. When consumers receive it, they have a strong desire to share it on their social circles, successfully promoting secondary dissemination.

3. Pure decoration style of physical stores LePurun's store decoration also maintains a simple style, mainly white, supplemented by wood materials, giving a pure, natural, healthy, and environmentally friendly perception, strengthening the "pure" and "healthy" cognition of LePurun yogurt for every customer.

4. Healing online visuals Whether it's the WeChat official account or e-commerce product detail pages, LePurun insists on outputting high-level visuals, allowing consumers to feel the brand's care and thus establish an emotional connection with the brand. In fact, LePurun learned from Michelin chefs on how to present food visually: To make food look delicious and appetizing, Michelin chefs layer different natural ingredients and magnify details, so even small food has a three-dimensional feel.

5. Redefining brand mascots We often see brands launching various mascots, thinking it makes the brand cuter and more interesting, but those poorly designed, soulless mascots really don't move people. See how LePurun does it: LePurun believes the essence of a mascot is to "personify" a brand. What is the essence of a person? Having one's own personality, family background, work background, social relationships, and psychological activities. Without these, a mascot is at most a doll. So LePurun personifies products into different "people" and gives them personalities, occupations, backgrounds, and life stories. The otaku coconut and his rose girlfriend. The cute and silly yellow lemon brother and green lemon brother. The funny vanilla and chestnut gentleman spy. The Greek yogurt baby and his pet bee. LePurun serializes these mascot stories on product packaging. Many users, to collect them, start repurchasing various flavors. Just like buying McDonald's Happy Meal toys, these mascot stories directly boost yogurt sales. To this end, LePurun internally created "LePurun Design Seven Questions," clearly showing how LePurun practices user-driven design in this process.

  1. Describe the user groups this design targets. Which is the primary group?
  2. In what scenarios will this design appear?
  3. Think about what purposes this design should achieve.
  4. What strategies do you suggest designers use to achieve the above purposes?
  5. Combining answers 1-3, describe the "user story" this design completes in one sentence ("XX user, in XX scenario, sees/contacts XX design, because of the strategy, the user achieves the purpose")
  6. Are there any constraints designers need to know?
  7. How much time do you suggest designers invest in this design? At the same time, in the user participation phase, they extract detailed details from the experience after purchase and during tasting. In the era of consumption upgrade, especially in the FMCG field, making products with user-driven as the link is key for internet-famous brands to gather users.

3. LePurun's online and offline operations 1. Offline activity operations On November 11, 2017, the Sanlitun store in Beijing, which witnessed the birth and growth of the LePurun brand, closed due to contract expiration. To this end, LePurun specially planned a #Pure Action# on November 4, lighting up the entire Sanlitun with 3,000+ red balloons with different labels, bidding farewell to the Sanlitun store in this way. From January 5, 2015, when the Sanlitun physical store started trial operation, this stage involved two-way communication with users and continuous product polishing; to August 2015, LePurun had a factory and began nationwide distribution. By early 2016, including the Peninsula Hotel, Waldorf Astoria, and other five-star hotels purchased LePurun, using secondary leverage to spread product reputation more widely. In September 2016, LePurun began entering modern convenience stores in Beijing such as 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart, and in March-April 2017, expanded offline channels to Shanghai, Chengdu, Wuhan, and other cities. Now, after three years, LePurun has over one million users, and monthly yogurt box sales reach the million level. Because of founder Liu Danni's strong marketing ability, LePurun sparked heated discussions online from the beginning, and its popularity soared. So to some extent, LePurun has internet-famous genes. LePurun has always adhered to the "user-driven" principle, which is to understand users, start from the user's perspective, and drive the brand to become more and more understanding of users. This is exactly the product of consumption upgrade. According to data, LePurun's largest user group is actually the post-95s. According to Accenture's "Global Post-95 Consumer Survey China Insights," post-95s have social genes. Besides social chatting, they also social shop, pursue quality life, have impulsive consumption, love trying new things, are enthusiastic about feedback and sharing, and have a strong sense of participation. Most importantly, these post-95s are a mix of online and offline, providing the infrastructure and user base for LePurun to combine online and offline to create an internet-famous model.

2. LePurun's online operations Acquiring seed users We've talked a lot about the importance of user-driven, but how to acquire the earliest seed users? At the beginning of the year, LePurun did a second product line - snacks that don't make you fat, including nuts and grains. They first published an article on the official account, which received a good response, so they invited more people to join. Later, they posted this content on Zhihu, choosing a precise question: "What snacks are most suitable for eating in the office?" When posted, it had about 5,000 followers. A month later, LePurun posted an answer that looked like an advertisement on Zhihu. Not only did it get the most likes on the question, but it was also in the TOP 10 of all topics on Zhihu. Below the answer, they placed a QR code: "If you want to join, let's make this thing together." This is equivalent to quickly collecting precise user needs, converting them into products, and giving them back. By May, more than 12,000 people had signed up, and LePurun selected a group to participate in R&D. In this way, LePurun maintains close communication with users on one hand; on the other hand, starting from the user's perspective, it mobilizes other resources to empower users more. Tools including the official account, communities, and Weibo are not just for product traffic; on the contrary, they are part of the product itself. Such content that combines product development with user interaction and participation has good spontaneous dissemination among users. The community has only a few core user groups, with close relationships and frequent communication, including information synchronization and listening to opinions and turning them into actions. The official account also has multiple sections, such as LePurun Beauty Chef, which teaches how to make more delicious food with LePurun. The writing style is friendly, like a sincere friend sharing its growth journey. In addition, many activities are also based on the user's perspective. For example, to better understand users, they planned the #Subscription Collection Call# activity: upload screenshots of the official accounts you usually follow, and receive gifts. To make users feel happy in every link and every step of the user experience, they turned LePurun yogurt packaging into a magazine where anyone can contribute, adding more emotion and warmth. They even turned #Server Crash# into a happy thing: when users encounter an error page, they enter a hidden level #LePurun Squeeze Squeeze Fun# where they have a chance to win a big LePurun prize. And even the error page is carefully designed by LePurun. Creating an internet-famous brand is a routine. Because not only LePurun has become an internet-famous brand through this routine; similarly, Zhang Tianyi's Futang and Original Wheat Hill use the same routine. Futang initially found 3,000 Hunan rice noodle lovers who love spicy food on Weibo, becoming the initial seed users and participating in product development. Adhering to the principle of lean entrepreneurship, they relied on these 3,000 users to iterate the product and complete the cold start. Later, these 3,000 users became the initial small centers with the most dissemination and radiation power, continuously spreading and promoting, forming Futang's strong fan community. Original Wheat Hill has always operated its brand and cultivated its "true fans" with love and sharing. Every quarter's new product tasting, Original Wheat Hill invites true fans and food KOLs to participate. True fans even have the opportunity to name new products. Once the name is adopted, true fans get the benefit of free tasting for a whole year. Every new product tasting brings huge traffic attention and media reviews and promotions, invisibly becoming a user-participatory communication activity with its own traffic. In the context of consumption upgrade, brands and products are more segmented, the market effect of oligopoly is getting smaller, and decentralization is an inevitable trend. This is a favorable time for small enterprises to stir up big waves. In this environment, product development, channel marketing, and brand promotion are no longer unrelated independent entities, but an interconnected, interactive, and interactive whole. With users at the core, product development should listen to users, channel marketing is the natural product of users becoming fans, and brand promotion becomes the subtle value product of community subculture. That's about it for LePurun. Finally, let me give you a brief summary.

4. Final summary LePurun seized the fact in the yogurt industry that old yogurt meets consumers' health needs, but due to the addition of food additives, "natural health" is reduced. With the formation of the product upgrade environment, the post-95s have become a new generation with social genes active on social networks, and user-driven theory can be realized. The creation of this internet-famous brand has been explained to you in the following 6 points:

Differentiated product base formula R&D is the guarantee; Visual design matching high-quality products, LePurun internally created "LePurun Design Seven Questions"; Use the initial 1% seed users for initial product improvement and iteration; Use the 9% KOL seed users for product interaction and small-scale promotion; Use the above 10% seed users to establish the brand's most stable community and rapidly expand outward to influence and market to the remaining 90%; Create offline experience stores to provide a pilgrimage site for product traffic and fan stickiness. In the mobile internet era, the relationship between users and brands has become unprecedentedly close. Seize consumers, seize the market; gather users and turn them into fans, and you hold the brand's core competitiveness. Source: Marketing Flight (ID: YXHB18) -END-