Today we go a step further: after all preparations such as target market selection and pilot launch are in place, how do we integrate online and offline thinking for concrete implementation? What other important matters are there?
Different Logics of Online and Offline Operations
Example: When the soy sauce at home is almost used up, how do you buy it? There are two ways.
The first is called online.
After dinner, I lie in bed and open my phone to shop on a shopping website. I type "soy sauce" and many brands appear. I compare price, quality, brand, reviews, sales, and other factors, choose one, and place an order. This is called "search e-commerce."
A while later, I start browsing Douyin (TikTok China), and a live stream selling soy sauce pops up. The host explains convincingly, and the braised pork they make makes my mouth water, so I order another bottle since it's a household staple. This is called "interest or content e-commerce."
Suddenly, a friend in a group chat says a certain "soy sauce" brand is having a promotion. They bought a bottle, felt it was good, plan to buy again, and share it with everyone. So I buy another bottle through the link. This is called "social e-commerce."
Online shopping is basically like this: searching via search box, consuming content, social consumption, etc. All consumption motives are based on hearing and sight. For online new consumer products to sell well, they must focus on consumers' "sight" and "hearing," enhanced by internet algorithm recommendations. I bought three bottles all called "soy sauce," which is the biggest limitation of online: the limitation of the "field" in the people-goods-field framework.
The second is called offline.
It's when I go to the supermarket or a convenience store near home on my way back from work or during a stroll.
I arrive at the supermarket, go to the condiment section, see a dazzling array of soy sauce products, compare ingredient lists, brands, prices, packaging, specifications, and other factors, and buy soy sauce.
After buying, I see a mushroom sauce tasting event nearby. The promoter introduces the product, I smell it (it's fragrant), taste it (it's good), and there's a promotion, so I buy two bottles. Further ahead, I see a floor display piled with soy sauce bottles, porcelain bowls, chopsticks, and other household items. I pick them up, they feel good, so I buy a soy sauce dispenser and a set of chopsticks.
Offline shopping is like this: I planned to buy soy sauce, but ended up buying mushroom sauce, an oil dispenser, and chopsticks. At this point, consumption motives are not only based on hearing and sight, but also touch, taste, and smell. All senses are purchase factors.
Through seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and other factors, I bought different related categories. This is the difficulty of offline marketing: how to meet the five-dimensional sensory needs of consumers requires continuous exploration by enterprises, and it is also the expansion requirement of the "field" in people-goods-field.
Both methods have a basic starting point: the soy sauce at home is almost used up, which is a planned need. If the soy sauce is already used up and I need it immediately for cooking, that's an urgent need. At this time, online is like "distant water can't quench near thirst," so I can only choose offline.
Summary: For internet-famous brands to go offline, the first thing to consider is how to meet consumers' five senses, namely:
Satisfy hearing through consumer communication, satisfy sight through vivid product displays, satisfy touch through zero-distance product contact, and satisfy taste and smell through tasting and sampling activities. If these five points are not clearly thought through, don't rush to go offline.
Offline Layout Also Needs Content Dissemination
Regarding product content, online content focuses on consumer needs, called "content seeding." Offline content focuses more on terminal store owners, to get them to stock the product, give it a good position, and recommend it to surrounding consumers.
What should offline content dissemination talk about? It's best to tell stories that produce immediate results.
1. Product Story
Nongfu Spring's product story is simple: one sentence: "We don't produce water; we are nature's porters, never using city tap water." A good product story expresses your product's differentiation in a direct way, resonates with store owners, and makes them proactively recommend your product.
2. Profit Story
Terminal store owners care most about profit, but they are not good at calculating their own profits. You need to calculate the profit thoroughly for them.
Terminal store profit = profit rate * sales volume + fees - losses. That is, fast-moving products are not necessarily the most profitable (maybe low profit rate), and high-profit products are not necessarily the most profitable (maybe slow turnover). Plus display fees support, after-sales guarantees, etc. Compare with core competitors to clearly show the store owner the profit.
3. Brand Story
Here, explain the brand's overall strength, development history, glorious achievements, etc.
4. Success Story
Describe successful cases in detail, but be concise.
Summary: Offline layout also needs content dissemination. As grassroots staff, use these as daily communication scripts with terminal store owners, gradually influence them, and then through them influence the surrounding people.
Dissemination forms should also change, such as vivid materials, flyers, product displays, etc. How to use a POP, a price tag, or a product display to spread your product content is something brand owners should think deeply about.
Dissemination Layout Suggestions: KOL and KOC Implementation
1. Offline KOLs
There is a logic here: for internet-famous products just entering offline markets, the big-budget top KOLs have little significance and minimal effect.
For example, for an internet-famous soy sauce going offline, inviting a well-known local restaurant chef as a KOL is far more effective than inviting Li Jiaqi or Viya. For bottled water in campus channels, inviting a teacher who is good at organizing campus activities as a KOL is more effective than a drinking water expert.
Top KOLs talk about coverage breadth, while regional market KOLs talk about coverage depth. There is an essential difference. You need to find your own KOLs in the offline market based on your product characteristics.
2. Offline KOCs
More than ten years ago, when Nongfu Spring was doing consumer product awareness work, grassroots salespeople had a daily task called "route water testing." The purpose was to first make terminal store owners loyal fans of the product, and then through them influence consumers in their stores. This was the earliest form of KOC.
First, my personal feeling is that the best KOCs are terminal store owners, for three reasons:
First, terminal stores usually do business with acquaintances. Consumers are neighbors or people who frequently move around the area, providing a certain trust endorsement.
Second, alignment of interests. If the product & profit logic is clearly explained, store owners will proactively cooperate, with unique advantages in enthusiasm.
Third, word-of-mouth effect. If your product is truly good, terminal store owners are very willing to recommend a product they consider good value for money to neighbors and others. This recommendation not only happens at the moment of purchase but more often during casual chats.
Second is the density of KOCs. Only terminal store owners can achieve the density of consumer dissemination needed, and it also facilitates unified management. Grassroots operators can continuously infiltrate product information during daily visits.
Finally, plan KOC density based on route planning. A salesperson generally has 6 routes in their area, dividing the market into 6 blocks.
Based on the population of each block, the number of terminal outlets, the number of quality & fortress customers, etc., plan the KOL demand. In addition to making these stores model stores and image stores, also make store owners "talk endlessly" about your product.
Closed-Loop Execution Offline
What is a closed-loop execution offline? The team management logic online and offline is different. If offline operations cannot achieve a closed loop, the consequences are severe. Many times, it can cause enterprises to die gradually like a frog in warm water.
1. Execution Closed Loop
Around the four tasks of grassroots operators: outlets, displays, visits, and sell-through. If this level cannot close the loop, it directly leads to products not being distributed, not selling through after distribution, and no repurchase after sell-through.
2. Management Closed Loop
Around the four tasks of grassroots managers: standards, truthfulness, inspection, and incentives. If this level cannot close the loop, it directly leads to inconsistent market actions, low efficiency, bad money driving out good, poor team atmosphere, and lack of passion.
3. Business Closed Loop
Around the four tasks of distributor bosses and middle-to-senior managers: products, tools, methods, and willingness. If this level cannot close the loop, it directly leads to salespeople selling products without tools, having tools but no methods, having methods but no willingness—it's a mess.
Summary: Offline competition is more intense than online due to the geographical constraints of the "field." Limited shelves cannot satisfy unlimited products. There are only a few good display positions, only one or two freezers, only one checkout counter, etc. Terminal store owners are "picky" about products. If the closed loop in execution cannot be achieved, the consequences are disastrous.
Final Thoughts:
For innovative brands to successfully land offline, they must first be down-to-earth, empathize with the difficulties of terminal store owners, experience the work of grassroots salespeople, and understand the daily operations of distributors.
It is not advisable to rush into offline layout when everything is ready except the east wind. What we discussed today is only the market-level implementation, which is the end of the supply chain.
Later, we need to deeply understand the middle of the supply chain: production-sales coordination and factory warehousing and logistics. Both supply shortage and oversupply are difficulties for innovative brands to land. We will discuss these points next time.