If imitation is not good, why has Dongpeng Special Drink still managed to achieve a reputation second only to Red Bull? "Tired and sleepy, drink Red Bull" or "Sleepy and tired, drink Dongpeng Special Drink"? When it comes to functional drinks, everyone probably thinks of Red Bull first. Because when you think of being sleepy or tired, a drink comes to mind—that's Red Bull! Red Bull's slogan is catchy and unforgettable, but I want to ask everyone: is it "Tired and sleepy, drink Red Bull" or "Sleepy and tired, drink Red Bull"? Everyone will say, whether it's sleepy and tired or tired and sleepy, it's still Red Bull. That said, there is another functional drink that has also taken a liking to this phrase. It says: "Sleepy and tired, more young people drink Dongpeng Special Drink." Yes, this drink is called Dongpeng Special Drink. Recently, there have been many articles about Dongpeng Special Drink, almost flooding the screen. I noticed that these news stories are all based on a survey report released by a media outlet, called the Online Reputation Report for Functional Drinks. The report says that Dongpeng Special Drink has a good online reputation, second only to Red Bull, ranking second. As a result, a series of articles praised Dongpeng Special Drink, saying that although its sales still lag far behind Red Bull, as the industry's second player, Dongpeng Special Drink has been able to match Red Bull in brand heat and brand reputation. Is Dongpeng Special Drink's current performance due to imitation? With such intense competition in the beverage market, is imitation really that effective? Dongpeng Special Drink's direct imitation of Red Bull is not wise Dongpeng Special Drink's advertising directly imitates Red Bull. According to industry insiders, this is intentionally done to create confusion, making people unsure whether to drink Red Bull or Dongpeng Special Drink when tired or sleepy. This explanation is interesting, but I think for Dongpeng Special Drink, this is not the best strategy. Red Bull has been using this slogan for a long time, deeply rooted in people's minds and unshakable. In consumers' minds, Red Bull occupies the position of the number one functional drink brand. Although Dongpeng Special Drink has adjusted the word order, hoping to enter consumers'视野 through this slogan and become their first choice, relying solely on this is definitely not feasible. Unless the competitor makes a major irreparable mistake, there might be a chance. Interestingly, not only the advertising slogan, but Dongpeng Special Drink's packaging also directly confronts Red Bull. That is, the gold can, with a specification of 250ml per can, targeting young people. You know, since Red Bull entered China in 1995, its unique short, sturdy gold can packaging has never changed. This can has long been a representative of Red Bull. Seeing the gold can reminds you of Red Bull, and thinking of Red Bull naturally brings the gold can to mind. This is Red Bull's visual hammer, its label. As early as two years ago, Red Bull's sales in China exceeded 23 billion yuan. Dongpeng Special Drink's borrowing from Red Bull is understandable, but it is not wise. Why? Because when consumers see the advertisement and packaging, they will think of Red Bull and feel that Dongpeng Special Drink is a knockoff of Red Bull. The more aggressive Dongpeng Special Drink's advertising, the more it reinforces Red Bull's recognition in consumers' minds. Only when the leading brand makes mistakes do other brands have a chance Since imitation is not good, why has Dongpeng Special Drink still achieved a reputation second only to Red Bull? In my view, this has a lot to do with the competitive environment. Red Bull, as the leading brand in functional drinks, has encountered trademark issues in China and has been unable to attend to other matters. The producer of China Red Bull, Huabin Group, has had its trademark license for Red Bull expire, and the trademark owner is Thai Red Bull. The two sides have not reached an agreement on renewal, which has led to Red Bull's operations in China being basically stagnant for over a year. In addition, to prevent the failure of contract renewal, Huabin Group, the producer of China Red Bull, has introduced brands such as Vita Coco, Capri-Sun, and VOSS over the past few years, and recently launched a new product called "War Horse" with increased advertising investment. Here we also see that even with the same Red Bull team, launching new brands has not been easy to achieve results. Previously, Red Bull had been conducting large-scale marketing campaigns in the sports field, sponsoring various sports events and sports brands, carrying out saturation attacks, and firmly occupying the recognition of "sports" and "energy," which is the original market for functional drinks. That is to say, when Red Bull is firing on all cylinders, it is difficult for other functional drink brands to rise. So, if Dongpeng Special Drink is showing an upward trend, it is definitely not due to the success of imitation, but because the leading brand is making mistakes and leaving opportunities for competitors. As the saying goes, even a lion takes a nap. In addition, many of Dongpeng Special Drink's other competitors were also basically in a fog during the same period, with unclear positioning, and failed to seize the gap left by the leader. Actually, setting aside imitation, Dongpeng Special Drink's other marketing moves are also commendable. Dongpeng Special Drink has launched film and entertainment marketing, cooperating with hit dramas such as "The Mystic Nine," "Love O2O," and "Eternal Love," successfully establishing recognition among young consumer groups. This strategy is exactly differentiated from Red Bull's actions in the sports field. Red Bull focuses on the concept of sports, while Dongpeng Special Drink has virtually established a non-sports concept corresponding to Red Bull, suitable for application in non-sports scenarios, such as overtime work and staying up late. Therefore, becoming the second-best functional drink in terms of reputation is indeed gratifying, but this is definitely not achieved through imitation, but because the opponent is still sleeping. Just like when JDB and Wong Lo Kat engage in a big battle, other herbal tea brands suffer as a result. In the functional drink market, besides Red Bull, there are also brands like Mizone, Jianlibao, Qili, and Heika. The alarm for commercial war is about to sound. Finding the right positioning and seeking favorable mental terrain is the best strategy. Source: Toutiao account "Lin Jianhong's Positioning Circle" The 3rd (CFIC) China FMCG + Internet Conference will be held in Chongqing in November 2017. The conference will closely focus on the theme "New Forces, New Ecology," inviting 1000+ distributors, 500+ brand owners, founders of 200+ B2B platforms, and 100+ investment and financing institutions to jointly explore a new chapter of cross-border integration! Core topics of this conference:
How can the FMCG industry achieve new growth opportunities through B2B
How to build the new supply chain behind new retail
How can intra-city logistics help B2B achieve leapfrog development
Highlights of this conference:
The industry's first "2017 China FMCG B2B Industry Competitiveness White Paper"
Case sharing of excellent distributors in transformation and upgrading
Conference + exhibition upgrade, Hall 6 Internet Technology Exhibition strengthens docking
Alibaba Retail Link, GL Capital, EASIA Supply Chain, Best Store Plus, 1919, Hdwell, and other most well-known business leaders in various fields will give speeches on-site to express pioneering views.
November 8-9, 2017 Xinyue Hall, Chongqing Yuelai International Convention Center Registration is now open. Long press the QR code below or click "Read Original" to register. Add friend and note "Conference Registration" Click the link below to review the highlights of the 1st and 2nd FMCG + Internet Conferences: 2016 "FMCG + Internet" Summit Forum -END-