By FMCG Jun Recently, there are two thought-provoking cases in the FMCG circle: one is a company that achieved sales of one billion within a year of listing its monkey mushroom crackers, which has stirred up controversy again by suing some small companies for trademark infringement. The former industry leader, which could have achieved better sales, was defeated by imitation and low prices. It turns out that big companies also face the dilemma of "bad money driving out good." The second case is that a certain internet-famous pure milk was found to contain the flavoring "propylene glycol," making consumers who once believed that "niche" is better than "mass" realize that those "big companies" that have stood the test are more trustworthy. Kangshifu's latest launch, Gan Mian Hui, however, brings a new approach to FMCG companies: discovering new thinking, breaking out of product price competition, and seizing the consumer mindshare moat through diversified product layout.
01 Gan Mian Hui Understands the "Meme"
In the book "Marketing Warfare" by Ries and Trout, there is a saying: Tactics are a creative idea; when you look for tactics, you are looking for creativity. But the meaning of creativity is vague. What kind of creativity to look for? Where to find it? These are the primary questions that must be answered. In fact, creativity is a perspective: your target consumer group is your direction of thinking; understanding their ways and hobbies is your method of decision-making. Over the years, we often hear food industry practitioners say they want to upgrade products and make them younger. In reports, they all mention that the target consumer group is young people. But the execution results are often poor. This time, Kangshifu's Gan Mian Hui feels like a genuine attempt to create a product for young people. First, from the naming, it has a young person's "meme" psychology. "Gan Mian" can be read as "gān miàn" (dry noodles), indicating a "mixed noodle" without soup. It can also be read as "gàn miàn" (do noodles), cleverly combining with the young consumers' self-proclaimed "gan fan ren, gan fan hun, gan fan ren de yong pen" (people who eat, have the spirit of eating, and use a basin). The two characters "gan mian" have a sense of young people's own "slang." The following character "hui" is also brilliant. The simplest understanding is the literal meaning of "gathering," referring to a variety of exciting and different flavors. Another interpretation is "hui bu hui" (will you or not), asking if you understand young people's "play" and whether you can do what young people do. It vividly portrays young people's pursuit of individuality and the feeling of "you understand me." Finally, looking at the flavors of Gan Mian Hui, they are both "niche and mainstream." There are Cantonese-style teppanyaki beef fillet and Hong Kong-style XO sauce seafood chow mein, as well as Sichuan-style pepper chicken and Korean-style fire chicken mixed noodles, and Cantonese-style oyster sauce beef brisket lo mein. These authentic specialty flavors are rich and fragrant, satisfying to eat, and exactly the unique satisfaction that "gan fan ren" seek, allowing them to enjoy Hong Kong, Sichuan, Cantonese, and other flavors at home.
02 Gan Mian Hui is a Signal for Instant Noodle Upgrade
Gan Mian Hui sends another positive signal to the entire instant noodle industry: Kangshifu is leading the industry in product upgrades, introducing high-end, high-quality products to raise the overall level of the industry and achieve a larger industrial circle. Take the simplest example: in the FMCG circle, the most commonly used product is toothpaste. Once upon a time, toothpaste prices were basically between 2 and 3 yuan. But now, it is almost impossible to find toothpaste under 5 yuan. Once the toothpaste paste was only pure white, now it is colorful and has various functions. And the price has risen accordingly, with dozens or even hundreds of yuan toothpaste being common. Looking back at the instant noodle industry, when toothpaste sold for 2-3 yuan, a cup noodle was less than 5 yuan, and a bag noodle was 2-2.5 yuan; when toothpaste sells for dozens of yuan, the price of cup noodles is still around 5 yuan, and bag noodles are still 2-2.5 yuan. Prices have remained stable for decades, but how much have costs risen over the past decades? And who dares to raise prices? Basically, if one company raises prices, several others work behind the scenes, waiting for you to raise prices to grab your market. The instant noodle industry has not only failed to progress in price, but competition also relies on price wars. Obviously, this method is detrimental to the overall industry development. Look at the rising star, Luosifen (river snail rice noodles), which now has sales of over 5 billion. Most importantly, each pack of Luosifen is priced at around 15-20 yuan. And the audience for Luosifen is clearly not as large as the noodle category, so it is understandable that its sales are lower than the instant noodle industry, but it is worth learning how they can sell a single category at such a high price. Obviously, the instant noodle industry needs to upgrade, stop fighting price wars in the "mud," and move towards a higher-level value war, creating a "sense of value" that better fits young consumers. Looking at this Gan Mian Hui, the flavors provided have a certain "premium feel." Chow mein, mixed noodles, and lo mein are all dishes that consumers are willing to spend more on daily, and Hong Kong, Sichuan, and Cantonese flavors are also tastes that consumers easily accept at higher prices in ordering. In terms of the "noodles" themselves, Gan Mian Hui also puts effort into understanding consumer needs, matching different noodle bodies according to different "flavors," with special round noodles that are chewy and smooth, and special thin noodles that are tender and springy. Different flavors meet more consumer needs. In addition, the unique water-draining hole design allows you to quickly drain water and enjoy the mixed noodles, reflecting Kangshifu's thoughtfulness. Of course, these are not barriers for the FMCG industry. As long as it sells well, there will inevitably be many followers and imitators. But as an industry leader, there needs to be such boldness to find new breakthrough directions for the entire instant noodle industry. The consumer mindshare is there; you have the responsibility and obligation to discover it, strengthen it, and the first developer will still gain more market share due to first-mover advantage.
03 Kangshifu's Youthful Transformation Never Stops
Gan Mian Hui is another masterpiece of Kangshifu's breakthrough into Generation Z. In fact, looking at Kangshifu's history, you know it has broken into not only Gen Z but also the post-80s and post-90s generations. Who hasn't been influenced by Kangshifu? For the post-80s, Kangshifu is a "reward," a taste that was "unaffordable." In the memories of this generation, it was only when they achieved good grades at school that their parents would reward them with a pack of Kangshifu. For the post-90s, Kangshifu is the "versatile cook" and the "taste of various places in China." For Gen Z, Kangshifu is a "universal treasure box," accompanying you as you grow up, understanding what you want, and giving you everything you desire. In the lives of Gen Z young people, anime, card collecting, and music are indispensable parts. You don't have to offer discounts or free samples, but your activities must "understand me," making me feel that you are a companion who grew up with me, and your "brainstorming" should be able to build a "metaverse" with me. So Kangshifu came with the singing of Luo Tianyi. At her ninth birthday celebration, Kangshifu's Xiang Bao Cui ignited the fans of Luo Tianyi. A survey shows that 390 million people in China are paying attention to and interested in virtual idols, with a penetration rate of 64% among the 1995-2005 generation in the anime subculture. It can be seen how many Gen Z people Kangshifu's operation has influenced. Collaborating with excellent Chinese animations like "Douluo Dalu" and "Tian Guan Ci Fu," Kangshifu brings Gen Z together to ship CPs and create an immersive IP experience, giving a feeling of turning Gen Z's dreams into "reality." Embracing the trends and changes of the times and continuously promoting brand rejuvenation is an important strategy for sustainable brand development. From anime to the metaverse, from traditional platforms to emerging media, Kangshifu has never stopped. Just as Gan Mian Hui captures young people's preferences and uses popular flavors from various regions to directly hit the taste buds of "gan fan ren," brands can only stay at the forefront of the times and communicate with young people by starting from consumer preferences and continuously exploring and innovating. This is the secret to Kangshifu winning over young people of every era. In fact, from Kangshifu's path to rejuvenation, it is not difficult to see that in the new era, it is not only necessary to have good insights and innovative products, but also to know how to play and "mingle" with young people, taste delicious food, and enjoy youth. Whether it is "gan fan ren" or "anime fans," it is the most authentic youthful "flavor"...