Amazon founder Jeff Bezos once said: "I am often asked, 'What will change in the next ten years?' But I am rarely asked: 'What will not change in the next ten years?' I think the second question is more important than the first, because you need to build your strategy on the things that do not change. All in on the things that do not change—what an exciting principle." For the FMCG industry, this "unchanging thing" is precisely the deep cultivation of C-end user value—no matter how difficult it is to advance now, it is urgent to deploy on the C-end. The future industry competition is essentially a battle for C-end users. The root of all problems is that the C-end doesn't pay.**** The current collective anxiety in the industry can be attributed to the chain of difficulties in three major areas: product, communication, and channel. The underlying cause of these dilemmas is none other than the inevitable result of "being detached from the C-end." 1. Product side: R&D lacks C-end thinking, drifting away from consumer needs.**** Product strength is insufficient; packaging and aesthetic style do not match consumer preferences; product innovation is lacking, failing to hit consumer pain points (such as health demands); sensitivity to changes in current consumer lifestyles is low, and products do not meet current lifestyles. 2. Communication side: Inability to effectively insight into media changes, and inability to effectively express in C-end language.**** Communication methods are single, unable to effectively build a communication system in the new environment, and communication content remains at the one-way indoctrination stage of "selling one's own goods." Content is hollow, language is stiff, and it is difficult to resonate with users; the application of new media is even more half-understood, either treating Douyin and Xiaohongshu as traditional advertising slots, or following the trend of live streaming without understanding traffic logic. In short, they only know how to spend money on broadcasting, not how to create content. 3. Channel fragmentation, yet deeply trapped in excessive deep distribution, with imbalanced input-output ratio.**** Distribution is easy, cash is hard; stocking is hard, sell-through is harder; channels are fragmented, online and offline channels impact each other; channels are indifferent to promotional policies, entering as needed; large stores are difficult to enter with high thresholds, small stores have density but no sales. Business team management is also in a dilemma: too strict control lacks vitality, laissez-faire degenerates into "clock-in photographers," with low efficiency. No transformation is unsolvable now, but transformation is risky. Evolution cannot keep up with change, old logic is hard to break new ground.**** These problems all stem from the chain reaction caused by not being C-end oriented. All problems ultimately point to "the C-end doesn't pay." As long as the C-end exit is smooth, all operational difficulties will be solved. Yesterday's sun cannot dry today's wet clothes. Drucker's classic assertion hits the nail on the head: "The greatest risk in turbulent times is not the turbulence itself, but acting with yesterday's logic." Many companies' fatal problem is not fear of future risks, but arrogance about the known present. Drucker also said: "The only purpose of a business is to create customers." Whether brand owners, distributors, or retailers, they must break the shackles of the "manufacturer's perspective," shift to C-end user thinking, align cognition and form consensus across all employees, use C-end needs to force the reshaping of all business elements, and build a C-end-oriented business system. Anchor on C-end needs, create a real "money printer" Good products are the premise of all strategies and the core productivity of an enterprise. A C-end-oriented product R&D system must be built on precise insight into consumption trends. 1. Six major shifts in consumer lifestyles.**** From "pleasing others" consumption to "pleasing oneself" consumption, the public no longer blindly worships big brands, and consumption confidence is gradually awakening; From "worshipping foreign things" to "national confidence," the national trend sweeps across two major tracks, and cultural identity becomes an important basis for consumption decisions; From "high sugar, high calorie, heavy taste" to "low fat, low sugar, low calorie," health and wellness concepts are deeply rooted, and low-alcohol baijiu and sugar-free FMCG become new trends; From "functional consumption" to "emotional value consumption," a bottle of wine or drink is no longer just to satisfy physiological needs, but also a carrier for stress relief, socializing, and self-satisfaction; From "blind conformity" to "rational judgment," consumers begin to carefully read ingredient lists and pay for quality and safety; From "pragmatism" to "appearanceism," the aesthetic value and cultural connotation of packaging become key levers to stimulate purchase desire. 2. Seven core characteristics of best-selling products.**** The industry has entered the "quality-price era"—consumers demand both excellent quality and reasonable prices, with unprecedented pickiness. Products that can quickly ignite the market often have seven characteristics: Simple but not simplistic packaging: Baijiu like Zhenjiu·Dazhen's atmospheric texture, FMCG like Genki Forest's minimalist bottle, conveying brand core through design; Healthy taste without compromise: Baijiu like Jingjiu's herbal formula, FMCG like Yanjin Shop's low-fat konjac snacks, finding a balance between flavor and health; Diverse scenarios without limitation: Baijiu like Jiangxiaobai's Fruit Cube suitable for small gatherings and solo drinking, FMCG like Nongfu Spring's Tea π suitable for office and travel, covering all scenario needs; Emotional value not absent: Baijiu like small bottle versions satisfying "tipsy stress relief" needs, FMCG like Pop Mart co-branded drinks satisfying "collection and check-in" psychology; National trend attributes distinct: Beer like金星 Chinese craft beer, FMCG like霸王茶姬, deeply integrating traditional culture with modern aesthetics; Social attributes prominent: Baijiu like Jingjiu's "Aunt Flo wine" fun label, FMCG like Mixue Ice City's theme song viral spread, naturally topic-worthy; Experience perception direct: 金星 tea beer's differentiated expression of "tea aroma into wine," FMCG like Mingren soda water's "activity test" visual experience. 3. Three practical methods for building a C-end-oriented product R&D system.**** Find trends domestically.**** Those who observe trends are wise, those who ride trends win. Through big data analysis on e-commerce platforms like Tmall, JD.com, and Xiaohongshu, uncover growth points in consumer demand; delve into platform comment sections, capture the most authentic pain points and itch points from users' complaints, likes, and suggestions. Find benchmarks abroad.**** Learn from product forms in markets with similar consumption evolution, such as Japan and South Korea, and innovate based on local needs. Many popular domestic products are copies and improvements of Japanese and Korean product forms, such as Japan's small-capacity sake packaging and Korea's fruit-flavored beverage ideas, which can provide references for low-alcohol baijiu and scenario-based FMCG. Co-create with consumers.**** Through topic solicitation, rewards for old customers, user research, etc., invite consumers to participate in the entire product R&D process, from taste testing to packaging design, making products truly fit user needs. After all, good products are never "slapped together" by the boss, but voted for by customers with their feet—the company's technical advantages, patent barriers, and raw material endowments only make sense when transformed into user-perceivable value. From "advertising bombardment" to "narrative resonance," Building a C-end communication system The hardest thing in branding today is building social consensus and collective cognition. The essence of a brand is the mental position of "you know, I know, everyone knows." In the past, branding was easy because of the scarcity of media. In the era of centralized media, when CCTV prime-time ads aired, it was like "shouting" to all Chinese consumers—a company could become famous with one ad and occupy user minds. "CCTV rings, gold pours in," "Enter as an Alto, exit as an Audi," was the true portrayal of that era. But now, with media fragmentation and scattered user attention, the effectiveness of traditional advertising has greatly diminished. Consumers are segmented into countless interest circles, with increasing immunity to hard ads, even developing resistance—you shout hoarsely in this "room," people in other "rooms" can't hear you, and even if they do, they immediately cover their ears. Traditional media audiences continue to decline, and the algorithm recommendation mechanisms of new media platforms make it difficult for brands to break through circles. The key to breaking the deadlock lies in shifting from "brand communication" to "brand narrative," building a C-end-oriented communication system, with the core being "move users with stories, retain users with experiences." Specifically, it can be broken down into three major strategies: brand activities + brand advertising + UGC content dissemination, which complement each other and are indispensable. Brand activities: The dual engine of "breadth + depth" connecting users.**** Brand activities are divided into "event marketing activities" and "scenario experience activities": event marketing focuses on breadth, creating awareness, topics, and heat, such as baijiu concerts and sealing ceremonies, FMCG cross-border co-branding and charity challenges; scenario experience focuses on depth, building strong user relationships, such as baijiu tasting sessions and factory tours, FMCG community tastings and scenario promotions (like Mingren soda water's "before and after drinking" activity). Four keys to scenario experience activities:

  1. High-energy scenario positioning, characterized by the ability to lead and influence;
  2. Differentiated theme anchoring (closely tied to brand positioning, avoiding homogenization);
  3. Four-sense activity design (participation, ritual, entertainment, and photo-worthiness are indispensable);
  4. High-frequency activities for continuous penetration (talking about efficacy without dosage is hooliganism). Brand advertising: The "ballast stone + booster" balancing traditional and new media.**** Traditional media such as TV, airport, and high-speed rail ads have the advantages of stability and high credibility, serving as the "ballast stone" of brand image; new media ads such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu short videos can more precisely reach target audiences, serving as the "booster" for brand circle-breaking. Communication cannot go to extremes; the black-and-white logic of favoring one over the other is not advisable. Well-performing brands lay out on both fronts, just with different investment ratios. The core of brand advertising lies in content creativity and expression—no longer one-way indoctrination, but telling stories users are willing to hear and believe. UGC content dissemination: The "low-cost, high-value" weapon to ignite word-of-mouth.**** This is the least expensive and most effective way to spread, especially explosive in the FMCG field. Advertising is "broadcasting," UGC is "transmitting"; the former is one-way output from the brand, the latter is spontaneous diffusion by users. The core of UGC content is "touching user pain points and satisfying participation needs," and it must have the qualities of being interesting, heartfelt, meme-worthy, and social currency—in the baijiu field, topics like "Jingjiu's fancy mixing methods," and in FMCG, "Mixue Ice City theme song remix contest," are models of UGC dissemination. Four practical points to leverage UGC dissemination:
  5. The brand initiates topics, inspired by user feedback, giving users something to say;
  6. Lower participation barriers, set simple and easy tasks (like photo check-ins, short sentence sharing);
  7. Timely "add fuel to the fire," after discovering potential content, boost it to become a hit through official account reposts, rewards, and incentives;
  8. Build a KOL matrix, linking KOLs to lead topics, KOCs to deeply plant seeds, and ordinary users to participate widely, forming a dissemination synergy. bC integration: Factory, store, and C-end working together.**** bC integration is not a new concept, and it has become a trend in the baijiu and FMCG industries—companies that have successfully implemented the bC integration model have achieved counter-trend growth. Its core logic is to treat the b-end and the C-end behind the b-end as an independent business unit, connecting and reaching the C-end through the b-end, then activating the b-end through C-end sell-through, ultimately achieving the goal of "b-end first recommendation, C-end first choice." Many FMCG companies have a cognitive bias: they think their products have low value and thin margins, and large-scale C-end reach is too costly and not worth it. In fact, the core of bC integration is the b-end; the purpose of operating the C-end is to activate b-end sell-through, not to deeply operate the C-end. For FMCG, often one or two scenario promotion activities can activate consumers around the b-end, with lower execution difficulty and faster results—after all, FMCG has low involvement in purchase decisions and high randomness, and the cost of cognitive education is much lower than baijiu. Baijiu's bC integration, on the other hand, focuses more on deeply serving terminal operating users through tasting sessions, factory tours, and circle-themed activities, deepening single stores, increasing users, and understanding the customer's customer better than the customer does. To implement bC integration, four core steps must be followed: Step 1: Transform three major cognitions, bid farewell to traditional distribution models.**** First, shift from channel thinking to user thinking, transferring marketing expenses from channel promotions to consumer building, while ensuring reasonable profits for channel partners; Second, shift from stocking thinking to sell-through thinking, abandoning the "only birth, no raising" model, focusing on sell-through around terminals, solving the "exit" problem first, then the "entry" problem; Third, shift from control thinking to empowerment thinking, changing from the "Party A" bargaining with terminals to the terminal's "business advisor," creating value with terminals by providing sell-through plans, user data, and marketing tools. Step 2: Lock in effective terminals, advance in an orderly and classified manner.**** Offline channel terminal differentiation is intensifying, and "good stores get better, bad stores get worse" is the norm. First, draw a portrait of effective outlets, take inventory and list terminals, and classify them by sales, traffic, and cooperation into super b-ends (leading), core b-ends (hub), and ordinary b-ends (supplementary coverage). Lock in matching terminals based on product price points, and implement the "TOP100 Plan" (quantity can be adjusted as needed). Three points to note when developing outlets:
  9. Outlet effectiveness: filter terminals that match product price points, aim before shooting, choosing the right store is key;
  10. Orderly advancement: follow the rhythm of "30% pilot, 30% replication, 40% expansion," making each one successful before moving on, avoiding full-scale bloom;
  11. Support the strong: prioritize terminals with good business, high cooperation, and good reputation, leveraging demonstration effects. Step 3: Deepen single stores, develop in a rolling manner, and achieve full coverage of point, line, surface, and body.**** "Do one store thoroughly, influence a wide area," this is the core tactic of bC integration. The operation paths for baijiu and FMCG are slightly different. The key to deepening a single store for baijiu is to drive the terminal to complete three rounds of stocking: The first round relies on relationships, policies, and models to solve the b-end's "dare to sell, know how to sell, willing to sell"; The second round of restocking relies on converting regular customers, making the cigarette shop owner's private traffic the first batch of consumers; The third round of restocking relies on regular customer fission and repurchase, bringing the terminal into normal operation. FMCG, on the other hand, focuses more on "high-frequency activities, rapid fission," by conducting scenario experience activities (like tastings, QR code coupons) in convenience stores to quickly activate surrounding community users, achieving "single store ignition, one street linkage." Note: The baijiu industry needs to establish trust mechanisms, co-build user membership systems with the b-end, share data and profits, and dispel concerns about "users being poached"; FMCG needs to build efficient scenario promotion teams to ensure rapid activity implementation. Step 4: Organizational reform support to ensure model implementation.**** The difficulty in implementing bC integration is never the theoretical logic, but organizational reshaping and management upgrading. Baijiu companies need to establish a dedicated user operations department, equipped with experience officers, communication officers, and activity specialists, dedicated to maintaining core users and empowering sales teams to deeply connect with C-end users. FMCG companies should form mobile scenario promotion activity teams, coordinating with sales teams to quickly carry out activities in regional markets and create buzz. Assessment mechanisms should be upgraded simultaneously: from assessing "outlet visits, distribution outlet numbers, stocking volume" to assessing "single store sell-through rate, user repurchase rate, activity participation rate," of course, there are differences by industry, and specific adjustments will be made based on the industry, but the underlying logic is to assess C-end actions; from "dividing responsibility fields by region" to "matching resources based on terminal contribution and personnel capability." Organizational change also needs to grasp four key points:
  12. Division of labor and collaboration: b-end and C-end teams each perform their duties and cooperate closely, avoiding "one person with multiple roles";
  13. Repeated correction: prevent action deformation and "wearing new shoes on old roads," until the new method becomes muscle memory;
  14. First battle must win: concentrate resources to win the first three battles, quickly build confidence;
  15. Talent incubation: cultivate backbone through concentrated campaigns, "take a city, leave a county magistrate," reserving talent for model replication. Conclusion: Peter Drucker said: "Strategy is not studying what we will do in the future, but studying what we do today to have a future." Doing C-end is doing strategy; deeply cultivating C-end is the only way to have a future. This is exactly the core focus of our "11th China FMCG Conference and 6th China FMCG Distribution and Retail Conference"—Advance toward the C-end! Time: March 16-18, 2026 Location: Chengdu • Century City International Convention Center During the three-day conference, we will focus on the theme "Advance toward the C-end," hosting the 11th China FMCG Conference + the 6th China FMCG Distribution and Retail Conference + the 2nd Instant Retail Supply Summit + 4 channel matchmaking dinners + 5 in-depth summits + several closed-door private sharing sessions... Gathering 200+ brand experts, 300+ supermarket and convenience store systems, 70+ instant retail flash warehouse systems, 100+ flash warehouse professional distributors, 50+ overseas channels, 80+ regional B2b platforms, 800+ excellent major distributors, and other 1000+ incremental channels, as well as 3000 FMCG brand owners, distributors, retail transformers, and industry service providers from across the country, all meeting in Chengdu for continuous brainstorming! In the era of surplus, empty talk will eventually lose to practice. In March, let's meet in Chengdu. No longer confused about "why," but fully focused on solving "how," jointly drawing our own C-end survival roadmap!