Compared to meal replacements, main meals, and side dishes that provide satiety, there is a category of food that is eaten for fun, to occupy the mouth, and to pass the time—this is my definition of snack foods. From this, two seemingly contradictory extended viewpoints emerge: one is eating anytime, anywhere, and the other is that it's optional. The intersection of the former scenario and the latter behavior is the sweet spot for snack marketing. Who is the main consumer group of snacks? This is a pseudo-question with no answer, because snacks are a broad industry concept, not a specific category. There are many ways to classify snacks; my classification is two major camps: meat-based and vegetarian-based, plus a fusion camp, such as fish tofu. It seems this product was specifically invented to challenge Master Ries's category positioning theory, and it sells well.

Of course, based on consumer eating habits, cooked snacks can be divided into those with bones and those without. Northerners really like eating meat without spitting out bones, while Southerners feel it's right to spit out bones while eating at leisure. Therefore, whether in long or short packages, bone-in duck necks, chicken wings, fish tails, etc., have higher penetration in the Southern market. Here I must mention the Hunan Army phenomenon: they turned Hainan's native betel nut into China's Wrigley, and made South Sea fish roe into easy-tear soft packs, each creating industrial clusters worth hundreds of billions. Of course, Sichuan's dried tofu, Fujian's pastries, Anhui's melon seeds (nuts), and Henan's red dates are even more common. There's a funny category called latiao (spicy strips), which became incredibly popular through self-deprecating and mutual teasing. Even elementary school students test friendship by giving each other latiao. Often at the entrance of school corner stores, you see this marketing scene: two red-scarfed kids pushing and pulling, "Your latiao, no, it's your latiao!"

The biggest characteristic of snack consumption is eating for fun, and the behavior is playing while eating. Compared to satiating foods and thirst-quenching drinks, consumer demand is less rigid. How to solve this? Here, we introduce an alternative concept called travel snack food, indicating that consumers have strong mobility characteristics. First, set consumption scenarios, such as going to school, working overtime, entertainment, travel, shopping, tea parties, meetings, private boards, etc., all can be frozen in time. By strengthening scenarios, lead more people to break through time and space consumption on a larger scale. Second, use heavy demonstrators to activate full participation. Choosing brand ambassadors like Wang Luodan for Xiaoyang and Yang Mi for Liumei is spot on. Often, if the two companies shout together: "It's like this, Da Mi Mi!"

Let's start with the decline of the instant noodle industry. It's not about which of the four major brands—Uni-President, Master Kong, Hualong, or Baixiang—is better, but that the entire industry lost to social trends. High-speed rail gets you there in a day, Meituan delivers food with one click, and the occasions for eating instant noodles to satisfy hunger have decreased. No matter how they adjust flavors, it's useless.

In the foodie world, foods that satisfy the stomach are declining, while foods that satisfy the tongue and teeth are rising. This is the ultimate reason for the continued boom in snacks. Those that can grind teeth beat those that fill the stomach; this is industry iteration. Moreover, snack subcategories, whether pastries, nuts, or cooked foods, have always been driven by supply-side industry progress. From soft bread to croissants, from fruit cake to white chocolate cake, from drunk peanuts to crab-flavored beans, from beef sticks to beef jerky bits, new concept foods emerge endlessly and brilliantly. And a new category is collectively promoted without announcement, with manufacturers and channels sharing industry dividends. This is rare in other segments of the food industry.

Characteristics of snack consumption demand:

  1. Consumption timing is more important than consumer group. Liumei's target consumer group is clear, while duck neck's target group is broad. Therefore, when (timing) to eat is more important than who eats.
  2. First purchase depends on packaging; repeat purchase depends on taste. Therefore, no matter how much you emphasize product visuals, specifications, styles, and appeals, it's not too much. If you can't even seize the opportunity to be selected, what brand are you building?
  3. After the first trial purchase, taste and flavor determine product life or death. 99% of new products die between "not bad" and "really delicious."
  4. With increased health awareness and stricter regulations, food safety has become paramount. Companies with a bottom line of "won't kill you" are close to closing.
  5. Snacks are for leisure; don't forget the original intention. Unlike instant noodles, unlike beverages, unlike beer. I am what I am, different fireworks!

Selling products by price is called promotion; selling price through products is called marketing—as Professor Jin Huanmin said. This is perfect for analyzing snack price bands. Retail five-cent Q-tang and one-yuan latiao both elevate pricing strategy to top-level strategic design, building a price system based on consumer purchase cost. This is an outside-in user mindset.

Who are the heavy consumers of five-cent and one-yuan products? Needless to say, elementary school students. Manufacturers target the pocket money available to elementary school students. The later introduction of larger packages is just an upgrade in transaction size. Often, there's a purchase scenario: single pack one yuan, six-pack large size five yuan (usually bagged). Look how cost-effective! Therefore, the老板娘 (shopkeeper) at the school corner store is the most qualified math teacher in the world.

We know why consumers buy snacks and how much they are willing to pay. The next question is where consumers habitually buy snacks.

From the manufacturer's perspective, this is a channel/terminal issue. Snacks are non-planned, impulse purchases, which clearly requires convenience as the primary factor. From the retail format perspective, community convenience stores (CVS) are the most indispensable. Traditional snack channels are broad, diversified, and high-penetration, achieving seamless coverage to solve the problem of consumers being able to buy. Clarifying the distinction between volume channels, promotion channels, and image channels tests the operator's internal skills.

Of course, with the strong rise of the post-85/90 consumer group, online shopping has elevated from a supplementary role to a mainstream channel. Focusing on emerging channels is the success gene of Three Squirrels. Everyone likes to hear "win at the terminal," but not "die at the terminal." The same applies to snacks.

Terminal (channel) construction only solves the problem of consumers being able to buy; it's just one link in the marketing system and a prerequisite for product sell-through! But once the jade body is laid out, will ecstasy be far behind?

After understanding consumer needs (willing to buy), purchase cost (can afford), and purchase occasions (can buy), the next is communication, solving the problem of consumers being happy to buy. This is the barbarian's context; everyone can translate it to "happy to buy"! Everything else is conditions, means, and foreplay (caressing). Only when consumers are happy to buy is the ultimate goal of product sell-through.

From the manufacturer's perspective, throw two rugby balls: one called promotion, the other called marketing. The former can be understood as exerting force at the sales point, the latter as exerting force in the consumer's mind. In short, use every means to make consumers see it, taste it, buy it, and happily buy it again. Marketing is through other media (paid) and self-media tightly combined, spreading the word—"There's a girl so beautiful you'd die if you don't see her"; promotion is a bed scene: distribution is like a beautiful woman coming gracefully, array is like posing to show off chest, waist, and legs, and tasting is like the sister with good skills getting into bed first to feel the "mua" feeling.

After hearing, seeing, and tasting, you (consumer) still don't buy? Are you a clown sent by a monkey? This scene seems not only for snacks but for all FMCG!

[Author] Chen Haichao ※ Founder of Guangzhou Benbang Marketing Consulting Agency ※ FMCG Marketing Competitive Strategy Expert [Services or Participated Cases] Tongwei Fish Products, Jinyi Egg Products, Six Walnuts, Ximai Oatmeal, Fuwa Brown Rice Rolls, Puwan Tomato Sauce, Sanchu Sauce Crispy Radish, Anqi Mooncake/Pastry, Dingji Beverage, Yishu Pharmaceutical Zhihua Instant Powder, Milanxi Skincare, Haoran Hotel Supplies -END- The best FMCG distributor learning platform 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 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, Brand | 016 Distributor B2B Transformation | [Long press QR code to follow]