Recently, New Distribution visited a distributor in Guangzhou, where trucks were constantly coming and going, and dozens of employees were busy loading and unloading goods. The distributor said that among the over 1,000 mom-and-pop stores he serves, C'estbon is the best-selling drinking water brand, with consistent growth year after year. Why C'estbon? New Distribution observed that C'estbon has frequently appeared at various competitions of national team athletes in recent years, and through long-term support of the Chinese national team, it has continuously shaped the joint brand image of 'Chinese National Team × C'estbon'. This year, C'estbon updated its brand proposition to: 'Official Drinking Water of the Chinese National Team.'

Good news keeps coming. In July, C'estbon released its 2022 Sustainable Development Report and received a five-star rating for corporate social responsibility reports for the sixth consecutive year. The report noted that in the challenging year of 2022, despite the overall downturn in the beverage industry, China Resources C'estbon achieved record performance—annual profit grew 14.1% year-on-year, making it one of the few companies in the industry with double-digit growth in both packaged drinking water and beverage businesses.

Market Insight:

'Official Drinking Water of the Chinese National Team' Stands Out at the Point of Sale

As midsummer arrives as scheduled, the drinking water track is extremely crowded. Major water beverage brands are pulling out all the stops, new players are constantly entering, old brands are trying various tricks, and various 'concept waters' are being rebranded, all aiming to win the first prize this summer. From concept competition to water source competition to price competition, the number of water beverage brands on shelves is increasing. It's not hard to understand: a bottle of water business has high gross margins and high-frequency demand, and terminal merchants, distributors, and bottled water companies all come with high hopes and leave satisfied each year.

Unlike traditional ways of breaking out, C'estbon has jumped out of the competitive cycle and stands out this hot summer. Recently, on bus bodies, high-speed rail stations, airports, and outdoor billboards in major cities, the image of 'Our C'estbon—Official Drinking Water of the Chinese National Team' shuttles through every corner of the city. When New Distribution visited distributors, we also found that C'estbon water with packaging featuring Olympic champions and national team squads was being continuously transported to various terminal stores. When exploring market terminals, we also observed that in some mom-and-pop stores and supermarkets, C'estbon water displays were all adorned with promotional materials for 'Official Drinking Water of the Chinese National Team.' Several mom-and-pop store owners said: 'As the drinking water of the Chinese national team, not only has consumers' awareness of the brand been elevated, but for our small stores, being able to sell the water that the Chinese national team drinks also raises our profile.'

An industry expert once pointed out that companies doing business today must follow this rule: 'One hand holds a sword, the other holds a scripture.' What does that mean? It means truly engaging in the market, working on capillary channels, extending reach to millions of small stores, while also continuously building the brand. Undoubtedly, C'estbon's long-term support of major Chinese sports events as the 'Official Drinking Water of the Chinese National Team' not only lets C-end consumers see C'estbon's responsibility as a 'big enterprise,' but also shows consumers C'estbon's quality assurance. Adapting strategies in response to environmental changes may be the core of C'estbon's continued position in the first tier of drinking water.

Channel Feedback:

Boosting Distributor Confidence

The terminal market is full of praise, and industry insiders also say: with the consumption upgrade across the industry, consumers' awareness of product quality has greatly improved. C'estbon updated its brand proposition to 'Official Drinking Water of the Chinese National Team,' continuing to provide safe and pure drinking water services to over 70 national sports teams. How do C'estbon distributors view such brand marketing? To this end, New Distribution interviewed several distributors during market visits.

A distributor in Huadu District, Guangzhou, operating in a township market under the city, is a comprehensive platform company that distributes food, beverages, and daily necessities, serving over 1,000 mom-and-pop stores. When mentioning C'estbon, its founder Mr. Li said that C'estbon's prices are very affordable and repurchase rates are high. Among all the drinking water brands he carries, C'estbon's sales grow every year, even during the pandemic in the past three years. Regarding C'estbon's brand proposition of 'Official Drinking Water of the Chinese National Team,' Mr. Li emphasized that consumers now advocate health and have an increasingly high enthusiasm for sports. C'estbon's brand proposition demonstrates strong brand power, and C-end stickiness is increasing, so distributors will also choose C'estbon.

When interviewing Mr. Li, a distributor in Jinan, Shandong, he mentioned that he had heard that C'estbon is a partner of the Chinese national team. This year, he has seen C'estbon support national sports events multiple times and become the official drinking water of the national team, which fully affirms the quality of C'estbon water. So I train my salespeople to emphasize this to store owners during their route visits.

Another distributor in Foshan, Guangdong, said simply: 'For over a decade, C'estbon has always been the best seller and is a 'hard currency' in the market. Moreover, the water used by national team athletes must be the most reassuring; we trust the national team's choice.'

Clearly, such a brand proposition boosts distributor confidence while also solidifying C'estbon's channel capabilities.

Brand Interpretation:

Why C'estbon?

Strong brand endorsement, distributor promotion, and consumer recognition—these three factors have established a strong barrier for C'estbon. In New Distribution's view, such accumulation is rare, and C'estbon's deep participation in major national sports events, becoming the most trusted drinking water for national team athletes during training and competition, is inseparable from C'estbon's relentless pursuit of quality.

As is well known, athletes are a group with extremely strict standards for food and beverages, and national team athletes also have strict dietary plans based on their physical conditions and training intensity. Therefore, the Chinese national team cannot allow drinking water issues to pose potential threats to athletes' health. Only water that has passed multiple selections and screenings, ensuring high quality and safety, can become the choice of the national team. With over 30 years of professional experience, C'estbon ensures the purity, health, and safety of every drop of water, continuously meeting the drinking water needs of professional athletes, providing water security in daily competitions and training scenarios, and helping them compete and maintain optimal competitive condition. This is also the fundamental reason why more and more professional athletes in top events are choosing C'estbon as their drinking water.

In addition, the state has also issued relevant policies on consumer dietary health. Since March 2023, the newly promulgated 'Interim Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Quality and Safety of Food-Related Products' has been implemented, aiming to further urge enterprises to implement their main responsibilities and enhance risk prevention and control capabilities. Meanwhile, consumers' attention to health continues to rise. Amid fierce industry competition, enterprises that choose healthy raw materials and strictly control product quality will further consolidate and leverage their competitive advantages. Clearly, C'estbon's high standards and strict requirements for drinking water have also become a forward-looking measure.

Therefore, in the first half of this year, C'estbon has accelerated its pace and raced on more sports fields. C'estbon has accompanied athletes in major events such as the 'National Volleyball Championship,' 'China Youth Football League,' and 'Chinese Super League' as the official drinking water, helping them better engage in competitions. In addition, C'estbon announced that marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge has become the C'estbon Marathon Promotion Ambassador. This year also marks the 11th year of C'estbon's partnership with marathons, having supported over 1,000 road running events, sponsored more than 10 million bottles of products, and covered 42,000 kilometers, equivalent to circling the equator once.

It is evident that with strong product and brand power, C'estbon continuously supports the Chinese national team in preparing for international comprehensive games and single-sport world events, striving and surpassing together with over 70 national teams. Looking from the past to the future, we believe that C'estbon will continue to deepen its product strength and remain a solid guardian behind the Chinese national team.

Final Thoughts

A strong sports nation makes China strong, and the rise of national fortune leads to the rise of sports. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, it was proposed that developing sports is not only an important part of realizing the Chinese Dream but also provides strong spiritual strength for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. From the Tokyo Olympics to the Beijing Winter Olympics, from the 14th National Games to various individual sports events, the outstanding achievements of Chinese sports have inspired the patriotic feelings of the people. At the same time, C'estbon's brand image as the 'Official Drinking Water of the Chinese National Team' will be deeply engraved in the minds of every channel partner and consumer, subtly influencing every purchase decision. C'estbon is striding firmly on the broad road of sports marketing. How much more energy such a C'estbon is accumulating and ready to burst forth is very much worth looking forward to.