30+ industry experts, 100+ B2B platform founders, 800+ manufacturer and distributor friends, gathered in Fuzhou to jointly discuss the internet transformation path of the FMCG industry. Special Forces Fresh Coconut Juice was developed at the end of 2011 and began promotion with Jiangsu Province as the key market in 2012. By 2016, within five years, it achieved great success in Jiangsu and surrounding markets, becoming a leading brand in the foodservice beverage market in Jiangsu, with the slogan "No banquet is complete without Special Forces" in many markets. 1Why choose the foodservice channel as the first market for launch? When Special Forces was launched, the product specifications included 245ml cans and 1L and 1.25L large bottles for sharing. After detailed research by the company's senior management, it was decided to focus on the foodservice market with the 1L and 1.25L large sharing bottles. There were three reasons:

  1. Jiangsu Province has a highly developed banquet culture, including wedding banquets, birthday banquets, longevity banquets, full-moon banquets, graduation banquets, teacher appreciation banquets, and family gatherings during festivals, creating a huge demand for banquet beverages.
  2. The foodservice beverage market is at a historic opportunity for upgrade and replacement. The traditional banquet beverages that have been popular since the 1990s—cola, Sprite, and fruit juice—are no longer meeting consumer needs due to increased health awareness and taste requirements. Coconut juice, with its natural health benefits, refreshing taste, and suitability for all ages, has become the top choice for the new generation of consumers.
  3. Traditional channels such as KA (key accounts) and convenience stores have huge overall sales volumes, but as a new brand, the expansion costs for Special Forces in these channels are relatively high. In contrast, the foodservice channel combines sales and experience in one scenario, influencing hundreds or even thousands of consumers at a time, making it the best channel for acquiring new users at low cost. 2Why choose tobacco and alcohol stores as the first battleground in the foodservice channel? In fact, the foodservice market can be further segmented, such as A-class star-rated hotels, B-class large hotels, C-class medium-sized restaurants, and D-class small restaurants and fast-food outlets. After deciding to focus on the foodservice market, Special Forces chose tobacco and alcohol stores as the first battleground to enter the banquet market. When people hold banquets, after booking dishes at a hotel, they often go to nearby tobacco and alcohol stores to buy beverages and alcohol by the case. This consumer behavior provided Special Forces with an entry point into the foodservice market. Compared to directly entering foodservice outlets, starting from tobacco and alcohol stores requires lower investment in manpower, materials, and finances. The focus of market work can be concentrated on the owners of these stores, and they radiate to many foodservice outlets, making it particularly suitable for the early stages of a new product launch. Starting from small tobacco and alcohol stores, Special Forces embarked on a fast track of development. 3Three-dimensional marketing mix to quickly open up the banquet market Brand positioning: Created the new category of "fresh coconut juice," clearly differentiating it from traditional coconut juice and even fruit juice, and promoted the concept of "fresh and naturally squeezed," making freshness and health the primary driver of consumer demand. Target audience positioning: At banquets, men drink alcohol while women and children drink beverages. Therefore, women and children became the core consumers targeted by Special Forces Fresh Coconut Juice, while also considering the elderly and men. This strategy ensured strong consumer loyalty to the brand and fostered continuous consumption behavior. Channel positioning: With tobacco and alcohol stores as the main focus, supplemented by wholesale markets and retail convenience stores, Special Forces Fresh Coconut Juice became ubiquitous in Jiangsu, making it more convenient for consumers to purchase the product. Product positioning: With 1L and 1.25L large sharing bottles as the main products, offering consumers different choices based on the scale of the banquet. Price positioning: In the banquet market, when a table costs several hundred or even a thousand yuan, the proportion of beverage cost is very low, so consumers are not highly price-sensitive. In fact, the vast majority of consumers actively request more expensive brands among similar beverages. Therefore, Special Forces Fresh Coconut Juice chose a price positioning higher than similar products, and this pricing strategy proved to be correct and successful. Distribution policy: As a new brand, it was necessary to pass on benefits to the channel. Higher quality led to repeat purchases by consumers, and higher profit margins made channel partners more willing to distribute Special Forces, creating a virtuous sales cycle. Promotion strategy: Focused on ground-level promotions such as displays and posters at terminals, supplemented by local TV commercials in various regions of Jiangsu, concentrating communication resources to maximize effectiveness. Starting in 2016, multiple roadshow vehicles toured markets in Jiangsu, achieving good results in "promotion implementation + sales improvement." 4****How will Special Forces deepen its foodservice market presence next? Special Forces' initial strategy of entering the foodservice market through tobacco and alcohol stores was very effective, but it had a low ceiling and faced competition from other brands. Therefore, starting in 2016, Special Forces introduced a strategy of "brand upgrade and channel deepening." Brand upgrade: Taking the opportunity of the commissioning of the Susha Group's Taizhou production base in Jiangsu in October 2016, Special Forces deepened cooperation with Xinshi Xiangcheng Advertising to fully introduce a new brand visual system, transitioning from a "personality brand" to a "symbolic brand." At the same time, the packaging of the Special Forces Fresh Coconut Juice series was comprehensively upgraded to better meet the aesthetic needs of young consumers. In terms of communication, the focus will be on emotional connection and scenario experience, building a "charming brand" and comprehensively enhancing brand preference and loyalty. Channel deepening: Achieve full coverage of the foodservice channel with more precise product series. Large sharing bottles target banquets and A, B, and C-class foodservice outlets; glass bottles target D-class foodservice and fast-food channels; cans and 420ml portable bottles target the convenience store immediate consumption market; and 125ml children's bottles target the children's market. In five years, the explosive product strategy of Special Forces Fresh Coconut Juice has created past glory. In the next five years, with the promotion of new image, new products, and new channels, Special Forces is poised to become a new pole in China's beverage market! Source: Shi Ye Jia New Food Era · New Distribution —— 2016 China "FMCG + Internet" Summit Forum —— This is a grand event focused on how the FMCG industry channels will transform under the trend of internet + transformation Conference Agenda 08:00-09:00 Registration 09:00-09:05 Host opening 09:05-09:35 2016 China FMCG Industry Trend Analysis Report - Zhao Bo 09:35-10:05 Transformation Strategy and Path for FMCG Enterprises - Liu Chunxiong 10:05-10:35 Opportunities and Challenges Brought by FMCG Channel Reform - Liu Zhao, CEO of Waiqin 365 10:35-11:05 Reconstructing the Distribution Channel System to Promote Urban Retail Upgrade - Tian Yuan, General Manager of Alibaba Retail Connect Backend 11:05-11:25 Channel Efficiency in the Internet Era - Fu Xiaoyun, Vice President of Benlai Holding 11:25-12:00 Roundtable Forum - Brand Transformation: Improvement vs. Reconstruction? Guests: Liu Zhao, Liu Chunxiong, Fang Gang, Chen Feng, Shi Zhengchuan, Deng Xia 12:00-13:30 Lunch 13:30-13:50 Trends in Urban Distribution for Distributor Transformation - Wang Qi, CEO of Weijie City Distribution 13:50-14:20 Roundtable Forum - Why Distributors Should Do Logistics in Transformation Guests: Zhao Bo, Wang Qi, Liu Zhongmin, Tang Guangliang, Wang Cheng, Sheng Yan 14:20-14:40 How FMCG Enterprises Can Leverage the Internet to Take Off - Wang Hui, E-commerce Operations Director of Xijiu 14:40-15:00 Detailed Explanation of Zhongshang Huimin's One Machine, Two Wings Strategy - Su Xiaoxin, Vice President of Zhongshang Huimin 15:00-15:20 Category Value and B2B E-commerce Development Strategy - Wang Chaocheng, CEO of Yijiupi 15:20-15:40 Supply Chain Finance as a Lubricant for B2B to Drive Traditional Business - Chen Xian, CEO of 51 Order 15:40-16:00 Zhanghe Cloud Factory Assists FMCG Supply Chain Upgrade - Yang Lixiang, CEO of Zhanghe Tianxia 16:00-16:30 Integrating Small and Micro Retail to Reconstruct Business Ecology - Miao Dong, Vice President of Quanshi 16:30-16:50 B2B Investment Principles and Approaches - Zhao Mingwei, Vice President of Junlian Capital 17:00-17:30 Roundtable Forum - Who is the King of FMCG B2B Models? Guests: Fu Xiaoyun, Zhuang Jianzhong, Jiang Tao, Zeng Weiqin 17:30-19:30 Dinner For manufacturers and distributors interested in transformation, this is an event you cannot miss. Interested friends can long-press the QR code below or click "Read Original" to register. Registration method: Long-press the QR code below or click "Read Original" ↓↓↓ Click "Read Original" [Register]