Introduction: Consumer trends in the food and beverage sector are constantly evolving. As is well known, Kangshifu has long held a dominant position in the tea beverage market. However, after nearly a decade of rapid growth, the market has become fiercely competitive due to the proliferation of similar products and the emergence of more innovative drinks. The 2017 summer tea beverage battle is imminent – how are the major players preparing?

This summer, is Kangshifu monopolizing half of the entertainment industry?

Kangshifu Jasmine Tea released a micro-film titled "Mo Deng Hua Kai" (Waiting for the Flowers to Bloom) starring Yang Yang and Zheng Shuang (2016 Jasmine Tea series spokespersons) ahead of May 20, 2016. The star power generated significant buzz for Kangshifu Jasmine Tea.

On February 14, 2017, Kangshifu officially announced a change of spokespersons. The "romantic" Jasmine Tea invited popular idols Yang Yang and Zhao Liying as a CP (couple) to precisely target young consumers seeking romance.

Following popular idol Li Yifeng, national fresh meat Wu Lei joined as a spokesperson for Kangshifu Green Tea; on Valentine's Day, Zhao Liying was announced as the spokesperson for Kangshifu Jasmine Tea; recently, Li Yuchun transformed into the "Leader of the Burning Stars" and joined the Kangshifu family, becoming a spokesperson for Ice Black Tea alongside Zhang Yixing. Add to that national goddess Liu Tao endorsing Kangshifu Youyue, and it's clear Kangshifu has really gone all out this summer!

In the era of fan economy 3.0, fans have increasing influence. By leveraging the high commercial value of several popular stars, Kangshifu Beverages is expanding its fan base, attracting purchasing power, and consolidating the brand's position in consumers' minds. With the peak sales season approaching, Kangshifu's powerful spokesperson "boy band," combined with a series of marketing promotions, will effectively boost sales performance. This summer, Kangshifu Beverages is set to be a force to be reckoned with!

Nongfu Spring's tea π New Flavor: Creating a New Miracle in 2017

In 2016, the standout product in the market was undoubtedly tea π. Launched in April, it surpassed 1 billion yuan in sales in just three quarters. In May, the packaging was updated with BIGBANG, and a joint launch was held with JD.com. tea π uses tea leaves from Oriental Leaf, adds fruit juice, and continues its signature illustration style with a strong artistic flair, targeting young consumers born in the 90s and 00s, achieving a major market victory.

In 2017, tea π released a new commercial featuring BIGBANG, leveraging its massive fan base for promotion. To sustain the product's momentum, the marketing strategy includes last year's "Lid-Pull Gift Activity," which not only gives away tickets to BIGBANG's Asian concerts but also adds a 10 million yuan cash prize to reward consumers.

To further expand its beverage market presence and enrich product flavors, tea π introduced a new flavor in 2017 – Rose Lychee Black Tea. Extracting rose essence and blending it with sweet lychee, the rich floral and fresh fruity aromas combine with the unique mellow aroma of black tea, offering a distinctive taste experience.

Xiao Ming Classmate Teams Up with QQfamily: 500 Million Comic Bottles on the Horizon

Xiao Ming Classmate is a well-known tea beverage under Uni-President and also an IP. Its attitude of "facing the world positively with dry humor" is popular among young people. In the first half of 2015, sales reached 200 million yuan; combined with Hai Zhi Yan, annual sales totaled 2.5 billion yuan, and 2016 also saw good results.

On Valentine's Day, February 14, 2017, Xiao Ming Classmate used a series of fresh comic posters, combined with live streams by internet celebrities, to announce an upgrade in humor and lead young consumers down the path of innovative comedy. The new packaging of Xiao Ming Classmate became popular even before its official release.

Many consumers noticed that the new funny bottle designs in the comic posters could interact with each other across different flavors, sparking speculation about a possible CP (couple) route.

New Packaging of Xiao Ming Classmate

On April 12, Uni-President and Tencent jointly announced a collaboration between their respective well-known IPs – Uni-President's "Xiao Ming Classmate" and Tencent's "QQfamily." They emphasized that this cooperation goes beyond the product level. The two IPs, Xiao Ming Classmate and QQfamily, will not only be printed in comic form on 500 million bottles of Xiao Ming Classmate, but will also be deeply integrated with Tencent's products and channels, including Qzone, Meitu P (Tiantian P Tu), and Tencent Video.

By launching a funny comic series in collaboration with QQfamily, Xiao Ming Classmate is not only attempting to upgrade marketing for both parties but also capitalizing on the rising trend of young people's interest in two-dimensional culture. Through comics and fun content like lid-scanning to win red packets, the personalities of both IPs will be more vividly showcased.

The Tea Beverage Market Is Poised for Change

Consumer trends in the food and beverage sector are constantly evolving. As is well known, based on annual reports and third-party data, Kangshifu has long held a dominant position in the tea beverage market. However, after nearly a decade of rapid growth, the market share of tea beverages has shrunk due to intensified competition from similar products and the emergence of more innovative drinks. Moreover, low profit margins have dampened channel enthusiasm, and unchanging product packaging and appeals make it harder to capture the minds of mainstream consumers. Therefore, Uni-President and Nongfu have successively introduced products combining juice and tea with new marketing strategies, achieving impressive results in the market.

As the pioneer and promoter of the tea beverage market, Kangshifu's Green Tea, Ice Black Tea, and Jasmine Green Tea have long occupied half of the market. However, Kangshifu, which had not made new moves in the beverage sector for a long time, couldn't hold back and launched a new product, "Nong Nong Lemon Tea," at the end of April 2016. But after a year of development, it seems not to have achieved the same success as tea π.

It is foreseeable that in the future, products will place greater emphasis on health and fashion value, and companies will increasingly cater to young consumer groups. With the combined efforts of several major brands, the summer tea beverage market is set for another bloody battle.

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