---
title: "Reflections on Internet Transformation Cases in the FMCG Industry"
description: "As times move forward, it doesn't necessarily mean civilization progresses. We stand in the gap between past and future; creativity isn't only found by being at the forefront. If we look far enough, behind us may also lie sources of creation. Recently, many FMCG companies have started going online with million-fan plans, but many are unclear about how to convert fans into value. The key is to return to the product itself, solve user problems, and integrate design philosophy into every aspect."
author: "赵波"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2015-03-09"
language: "en"
canonical: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/reflections-on-internet-transformation-cases-in-the-fmcg-industry-d6d5f81c/"
markdown: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/reflections-on-internet-transformation-cases-in-the-fmcg-industry-d6d5f81c.md"
original_source: "https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/SgzVTx8O348EUriwXss0ZQ"
translation: "https://xinjignxiao.com/zh/articles/%E4%BB%8E%E5%BF%AB%E6%B6%88%E5%93%81%E8%A1%8C%E4%B8%9A%E7%9A%84%E4%BA%92%E8%81%94%E7%BD%91%E8%BD%AC%E5%9E%8B%E6%A1%88%E4%BE%8B%E5%BC%95%E5%8F%91%E7%9A%84%E4%B8%80%E4%BA%9B%E6%80%9D%E8%80%83-d6d5f81c.md"
attribution: "New Distribution — https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/reflections-on-internet-transformation-cases-in-the-fmcg-industry-d6d5f81c/"
usage_policy: "https://xinjignxiao.com/ai-policy.txt"
---

# Reflections on Internet Transformation Cases in the FMCG Industry

> As times move forward, it doesn't necessarily mean civilization progresses. We stand in the gap between past and future; creativity isn't only found by being at the forefront. If we look far enough, behind us may also lie sources of creation. Recently, many FMCG companies have started going online with million-fan plans, but many are unclear about how to convert fans into value. The key is to return to the product itself, solve user problems, and integrate design philosophy into every aspect.

_Times move forward, but that doesn't necessarily mean civilization progresses. We stand in the gap between past and future. Creativity isn't only found by being at the forefront; if we look far enough, behind us may also lie sources of creation. If you can't squint and look far ahead, you may get lost in a part and miss the whole. ---Kenya Hara_
Recently, many FMCG companies have started going online, launching million-fan plans.
What impressed me most are Jiangxiaobai and the internet project Hejun did for Danjiu, and I myself am also managing the internet marketing for Taishan Beer.
Of course, not only these companies are going online; many others are doing it in various forms. But overall, they can be categorized as:
E-commerce: leveraging strong brand power to sell directly;
Social marketing: usually starting with public accounts and corporate Weibo;
Communication: targeted online advertising or product placement.
Today, let's discuss social marketing:
Most of these companies' first step is to attract fans, and they use various methods and activities to gain many fans.
But many companies are not clear what to do with fans or how to convert them into value.
Some say brand promotion?
I believe every operator has experienced the painful process of losing fans because of hard ads.
Posting inspirational鸡汤 or current news?
It seems that skilled joke makers and funny articles are everywhere, and they drift further from your original intention.
More advanced ones generally do:
Launch activities, build communities, do charity, play with creativity, do event marketing, and emphasize communication with users.
Those who build communities eventually become friends with a few users; those who do creativity and event marketing attract attention and do enough promotion. But besides a laugh, they don't gain much loyalty. Even if it's a close relationship, when a better product or community comes along, they will leave you.
Lin Feng proposed the 1.5 model for their internet project:
I think under the company's existing resources, with sales as the goal, building communities and enhancing communication are not wrong in themselves, and I'm doing it too. But I always feel something is missing in his 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 models' core starting point.
Of course, there's a reason: he evaluates and explores this unknown world with an existing stock perspective. As Kenya Hara said at the beginning, standing at the intersection of history, looking back and forward, if you don't squint and look far, you're only in the present, and its meaning exists only in the present.
Here we don't discuss philosophy. But excellent brands and products must have excellent design concepts and good product experiences that can transcend history. That's the foundation for a company not to be eliminated by history.
And this, I define as internet gene: What is internet gene?
Speaking of this gene, adding the word internet is itself far-fetched.
Because it existed before the internet was born.
Its design philosophy, brand value coordinates, and products all reflect the fundamental concept that distinguishes humans from other mammals:
Strong aesthetic awareness
Designs more in line with human aesthetics, values that resonate or are recognized, product experiences more suitable for humans. Returning to the basics: the internet lets people see everything visible, and they also seek the most beautiful and real things. These are what operators should think about in the internet era: truly excellent products, not just marketing gimmicks.
It may not make people scream, but it must be irreplaceable.
Either in price,
Or experience,
Or brand.
The reason most products on the market are not suitable for internet sales is that they are highly homogeneous, lack high-level value concepts and aesthetic product design, emphasize marketing importance, and channels are extremely important in this era. When someone wants to occupy channels and use price as a weapon, it leads to continuous cost reduction, and in quality, it can only produce products that meet the needs of the majority and basic guarantees. It takes the greatest common divisor of common values, which is also the lowest threshold consumers can accept and consume.
But in this era, channels are optional, and price is no longer an absolute killer. The cost of touchpoints is infinitely reduced. They are like dinosaurs in the Cretaceous period; competition made them evolve to be extremely large or specialized in one weapon, but when the weather changes and food becomes scarce, their original advantages suddenly become disadvantages, but the existing stock cannot change. They can only be ruthlessly eliminated by history.
Thoughts on how to transform:
Undeniably, O2O is the best way for FMCG in the internet era, and WeChat is currently the most effective means to carry out O2O. But I still insist that all this requires a premise: before discussing transformation, we must return to a starting point: the product itself.
Return to the product
The internet infinitely reduces the cost of connecting people and obtaining information, and it also brings all marketing back to basics. Naobaijin will no longer become a well-known brand because of ubiquitous ads, and Chu orange won't be ignored just because it's in the mountains. Let products return to their essence. Truly good products are like a warm man; naturally, girls will like them without showing off. Even if he doesn't love you, he won't hate you. Similarly, if your product doesn't sell offline, don't fantasize that going online will make it sell better; maybe on the internet, you'll die faster.
Solve user problems:
When we face transformation, I think we should think carefully: for what we want to do or have done, who are the users? What problems do users encounter when using my product? What problems have competitors not solved well? That might be an opportunity for me. What problems do I have that I don't do well but can do better?
When we do internet products, we like to talk about high-sounding things like extreme, experience, rapid iteration, and all product development and creative content revolve around these. But few people think: are your extreme products and special experiences what users are willing to accept and need? But if you ask users, they might say Yes!
In fact, users may not know if they really want that much.
We often see many liquor companies developing wedding-specific liquor because they think the wedding market is huge. XX520, XX wedding wine, etc. There's nothing wrong with that; the market is always there, but is what you do what customers really like? I once asked a couple about to get married, "Would you choose XX520 wine?" He answered bluntly, "No. If I have money, I'll choose the most expensive I can afford; if I don't, I'll choose the most popular."
All great things are intangible because to open the market, you ultimately need to move the user's heart. That's an entry point. Without finding it, all strategies are air.
When you discover the real needs in users' hearts, we need to clarify another thing: the product's coordinates.
This product may be designed and developed around user needs, but meeting needs doesn't mean actively catering to customers.
Companies should truly integrate the product design philosophy throughout into product design, development, marketing, and promotion. No longer market for sales, but truly craft and polish your product. Like a basketball player, he doesn't calculate how much profit a shot will bring on the court. Have a profound and unique aesthetic sense.
I personally like MUJI's design philosophy. Its products reflect its minimalist style everywhere, and this design comes from a perfect interpretation of its philosophy from the depths of the soul.
Tool: Social
Tools themselves are not wrong, but overly believing that advanced tools can change your destiny is impossible.
For traditional companies doing internet, fans and communities are unavoidable topics, and building communities and keeping fans cannot be solved by spending money alone.
Products should be the core of communication with users. Companies should have the ability to create fashion and lead trends for products. Within the community, the product is the opinion leader; outside the community, the product is a topic, a storm eye of opinions and viewpoints. In short, products should naturally have topic and spreadability. When users see it and use it, they will be willing to share and communicate with friends, and actively seek communities to interact. These are user-generated content around the product. The company's role is just to use tools to build platforms.
But when your community organization deviates from the product, or is not spontaneously organized because of the product, its existence itself is questionable.
Organization:
Undoubtedly, traditional marketing organizations are not suitable for new ways of operation. Traditional companies' efforts are all around sales. After the product is sold, the whole process ends. All services are about selling the product in maximum quantity and minimum cost.
But in the internet era, sales are no longer important. When the product reaches the user, the sales and marketing process just begins. This requires us to add more after-sales service personnel and improve product experience for continuous consumption.
In the internet era, the role of the individual is highlighted, boundaries between departments are increasingly blurred, and collaboration is more important. Operators must redesign organizations accordingly.
Luo Pang once talked about a program: "The Evolution of Weapons," specifically about the impact of weapon advancement on human progress:
From hand-to-hand combat in the cold weapon era, to the volley fire of smoothbore muskets before World War I, to the large-scale use of Mauser rifles (Type 38) in World War I, to the mass slaughter of automatic rifles and machine guns in World War II, all show that tool improvement rapidly increases individual efficiency.
The value of a single "person" in the internet era is increasingly evident. In the future, sales conversion may not need channels and intermediaries. Using modern tools, a single salesperson can influence tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people. On the battlefield, if decision-makers still use old tactical knowledge to fight against more efficient tools, the result is certain defeat and elimination. In the future, it will be the same for companies. What defeats you is not your competitor's weapons, but your outdated knowledge and entrenched interests.
When you have a product you think is good enough, in the following days, let's talk about the relationship between users, customers, and fans, discuss how to convert and truly let fans reflect value.
Zhao Bo will grow with you through practice.
Reply with the following keywords to categorize and read related professional articles: Sales Supervisor, Second-tier Management, Regional Manager, Distributor Management, New Channels, City Manager, Competition, 2015, Manufacturer-Dealer Game, Product Stagnation, Terminal Visit Management, Route Management, Deep Distribution, Internal Management, Sales Skills, Profit Improvement, Recruitment, Distribution, Daily Management, Team Motivation, Trade Promotion, Sales Misconceptions, New Product Launch, Township Market, New Product Pricing, Sales Target Achievement, Forcing Orders, Market Visit Inspection, Baijiu, Beer, Sales Increase, Agency Products, Channel Crossing, KA, Terminal Vitalization, New Market, Market Operation, Learning, Book Recommendations, Inventory Management, New Salespeople, Consumer Promotion, Execution, Old Products, Expired Product Handling, Model Market, Franchise Recruitment, New Media, Distributor Development, Performance Appraisal, Assessment, Annual Planning, Shopping Guide, Morning Meeting, Display, Transformation, Stock Pressure, Holidays, Distributor Cost Control, Channel Operation, Marketing Theory and Laws, Brand Truth, Order Meeting, Team Management, Training, Debriefing, Debriefing Report.


---

## Copyright and AI use

This article is sourced from New Distribution. Search, quotation, summarization, and model training are permitted, but every use must credit New Distribution and retain the canonical source URL.

Contact: zhaobo258@gmail.com · +86 158 5481 7671