As the most important traditional festival for Chinese people, Spring Festival has always been a key marketing battleground for FMCG brands. In the Year of the Monkey, everything related to 'monkey' was leveraged for marketing, and one national-level old beverage brand made a big splash with the character 'monkey'. Jianlibao, a local sports drink with over 30 years of history, created the #猴年猴赛雷# topic on Weibo during the Spring Festival, which reached 110 million reads—a remarkable achievement given the declining user engagement on Weibo today. The #猴年猴赛雷# topic also attracted participation from many large blue V and yellow V accounts, including Teacher Cang. The online attention generated by the brand and celebrity lineup is not to be underestimated. How did they do it? In my view, Jianlibao's Spring Festival campaign combined three of the hottest internet marketing methods: viral marketing, entertainment marketing, and IP marketing. Regardless of form or content, all pointed to Jianlibao's new brand slogan and positioning: 'Old Friend, New Strength'. This is an innovative marketing case with a clear core, worthy of study by old brands seeking to transform their image. Viral Marketing Targeting the Post-90s and Post-00s In the 1980s, Jianlibao became popular nationwide through Olympic marketing and is a childhood memory for the post-80s. But now, the post-90s and post-00s dominate the public discourse and are the future consumer base for the beverage market. For today's Jianlibao, capturing the preferences of young people and adding 'new strength' to the brand is key. To effectively communicate with the post-90s during a traditional festival, it's essential to grasp the communication style of digital natives. The topic '猴年猴赛雷' directly borrows internet slang, ensuring seamless communication with young people. At the same time, Jianlibao packaged Spring Festival greetings in a viral way, creating a series of cheeky posters and animated images that hit the pain points and humor of young people, sparking sharing among the post-90s and post-00s. △Jianlibao's monkey-style series posters, combined with the new 'Fortune, Wealth, Treasure, Happiness' product cans. Incorporating traditional Spring Festival elements, Jianlibao 'recreated' images of various deities, and even expressed New Year wishes in a highly internet-savvy way. Jianlibao seems to be finding ways to communicate with the 'new strength'. Point-and-Surface Combined, Targeted Entertainment Marketing Using celebrities' powerful influence and appeal is the most basic marketing tactic, but in the internet age, a simple headshot of a popular star is no longer enough to attract fans to pay for products. Fans are willing to spend for their idols, but they are not easily fooled by brands. However, celebrities can serve as a medium for brands to find the right audience and say the right things. First, Jianlibao chose Wong Cho-lam, the most popular comedian among current domestic comedians and the funniest among popular stars. Wong, from Hong Kong, resonates with consumers in Cantonese-speaking regions. In recent years, he has also become a household name in Mandarin-speaking areas, a national star. His comedic nature is loved by young people and aligns perfectly with the positive energy image Jianlibao aims to build. △Wong Cho-lam speaks out for #猴年猴赛雷#, attracting massive fan attention △Behind-the-scenes footage also became a highlight, showing Wong's high popularity In addition to traditional celebrities, Jianlibao also invited several popular debaters from 'Qipa Shuo' (U Can U Bib). The show is extremely popular among young people, especially post-90s in first- and second-tier cities, and its participants have each gathered a group of die-hard fans. Xiao Xiao, Fan Tiantian, and Fan Ye—eccentric, sharp-tongued, and independent—are not mainstream idols, but their labels attract people with similar traits. These young people are Jianlibao's key communication targets, the 'new strength' they seek. Finding the right people, saying the right things, and achieving circle-based communication makes marketing more efficient. The combination of Wong Cho-lam and the 'Qipa debaters' in a point-and-surface strategy allowed Jianlibao's Spring Festival campaign to be targeted, covering both general consumers and key target groups. Jianlibao's youthful new image is gradually being established through celebrities. IP Marketing with Perfect Combination of Classic and Product In 2015, from the internet industry to the marketing circle, everyone was talking about IP. In the Year of the Monkey, the classic IP 'Journey to the West' could not be forgotten, but how to use it was a question. Jianlibao leveraged Wong Cho-lam's well-known imitation skills, having him play multiple roles in the 'Housailai' H5 game, packaging the game as a big movie with very viral visuals and strong spreadability. The classic plot of 'Journey to the West' was turned into interactive scenes, softly embedding the latest product's image and features, allowing players to relive the classic while interacting and having fun, deepening their impression of the product and brand. △Partial screenshots of the Housailai game H5 To effectively leverage the influence of an IP, the key is the integration of brand, product, and content itself. Jianlibao's Housailai game H5 reinterprets the classic story with viral design that appeals to young tastes; in gameplay, it incorporates consumer incentives and audience interests; in collaboration, it works with non-sports celebrities for the first time to generate buzz. Old story, new gameplay, closely tied to the brand slogan 'Old Friend, New Strength'. In the Social Era, Old Brands Must Build a Youthful Image There's no need to argue how much brands value social media marketing, and how important the social battlefield is for old brands to build a new image among young consumers. Finding the right communication point with consumers, knowing 'who to say it to, what to say, and how to say it' is the first challenge for old brands to establish a fresh, youthful image. △Jianlibao's 'Monkey Year Monkey Sai Lei' campaign attracted attention from young consumers on social platforms, and Jianlibao understands the importance of interaction, communicating with consumers. Clearly, at the start of 2016, Jianlibao delivered a commendable performance. Using celebrities and IP, targeting the right audience, and using appropriate expression, Jianlibao conveyed its new concept of 'Old Friend, New Strength', beginning to build a richer label and image beyond 'sports' and 'local'. Combining its accumulated classic impression with a youthful, vibrant new face to re-enter consumers' sight, a brand's history can be old, but its appearance must stay fresh. Jianlibao's experience is worth learning from for many old brands. -END- The best learning platform for FMCG distributors in China Focusing on providing professional, practical, and actionable tutorials for enterprises and distributors Committed to helping Chinese FMCG distributors grow rapidly The most professional and practical knowledge base in the FMCG industry Reply with the red number below to get the corresponding content Reply with number 1 to view the complete knowledge base | 001 Excellent article selection | 002 Distributor market operations | 003 Terminal visit management | 004 Sales supervisor skills | 005 Sales improvement techniques | 006 Channel expansion | 007 Managing distributors | 008 Distributor development | 009 Distributor internal operations management | 010 Team management | 011 Efficient distribution techniques | 012 Sales manager's eighteen skills | 013 KA operation methods and strategies | 014 First lesson for new salespeople | 015 Internet, brands | [Long press QR code to follow] To join QQ/WeChat groups, click: Read the original text