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1. Diaoye Niunan: Internet Thinking Diaoye Niunan is a "light luxury" restaurant with a distinctive name. Just three months after opening, it attracts crowds daily, with long queues for meals. The founder, Meng Xing, known as "Diaoye," is not a professional in the catering industry. Many, including Diaoye himself, view this venture as a high-risk experiment filled with internet-style operations. What does internet-style mean? In terms of dishes, Diaoye pursues simplicity, offering only 12 dishes with a focus on perfection. In online marketing, he uses Weibo for traffic and customer service, and WeChat for CRM. In fan culture, Diaoye has cultivated a loyal fan base where criticism only strengthens their devotion. For product improvement, a dedicated team monitors public opinion daily and continuously optimizes based on feedback. Comment: Regardless of whether Diaoye Niunan's food is delicious, it perfectly exemplifies internet product thinking—centering on users, delivering an ultimate experience, and promoting through internet channels.
2. Qingfeng Baozi Qingfeng Baozi Shop was virtually invisible before, never a focal point. But President Xi's visit ignited a fervor in the winter of 2013. Founded in 1948, it remained obscure until December 28, 2013, when it became the hottest dining choice, with a 21-yuan set meal as its standard offering. After the surge, the shop received numerous franchise inquiries. According to its official website, franchisees must pay 320,000 yuan upfront, including a one-time franchise fee of 100,000 yuan, a deposit of 160,000 yuan, and a first-year royalty of 60,000 yuan, with annual fees of 60,000 yuan thereafter. The high threshold hasn't deterred investors; from 9 AM on December 30, 2013, the franchise hotline was constantly busy. Comment: This is a case of serendipity. After becoming famous, Qingfeng Baozi turned into a "tourist attraction," and the brand seized the opportunity to promote franchising. They also provided a cost breakdown: for a 220-square-meter store, renovation costs about 200,000 yuan, equipment and utensils about 150,000 yuan, and total initial investment (excluding rent) around 700,000-800,000 yuan. Franchisees must see the real business opportunity beyond the hype.
3. Huang Taiji Jianbing: O2O For Beijing foodies, not knowing "Huang Taiji" is outdated. It's not a person but a jianbing (Chinese crepe) shop of just over 10 square meters, with over 30,000 Weibo followers and a valuation of 40 million yuan by venture capitalists. Why is it so popular? Its jianbing is safe and hygienic, but the taste isn't exceptional; one netizen on Dianping wrote, "Honestly, the taste is average." Another commented on service: "The shop is small, the environment poor, and the air conditioning not cool." So why is it a hit? Netizen "Purple Lupin" hit the nail: "The owner's marketing is impressive!" The key is that the owner is young, understands young people's needs, knows their communication styles, and skillfully uses social media for promotion—this is the root of their rapid online success. Comment: Regardless of promotional methods, restaurants must prioritize "deliciousness" and "quality." Hopefully, these young entrepreneurs can combine traditional models with new promotional forms, as their slogan "Small business, big ambition" suggests, and find their own business model.
4. Dad, Where Are We Going? Social Media The highly acclaimed show "Dad, Where Are We Going?" also brought unexpected benefits to advertisers like Infiniti and 999 Cold Medicine. This celebrity parent-child reality show's explosive popularity surprised even Hunan TV. Before airing, few knew about it, but after, social media discussions skyrocketed. Viewers praised it across platforms, influencing others to search and watch. Celebrities like Jimmy Lin, Tian Liang, and Zhang Liang interacted on social media, driving fan discussions—a classic case of word-of-mouth marketing. Comment: The success of "Dad, Where Are We Going?" proves that in the social media era, content is still king, and word-of-mouth driven by good content remains the best marketing.
5. Tiny Times: Fan Economy Another film that ignited social networks was Guo Jingming's "Tiny Times." Unlike "Dad," its reputation was poor, with a Douban score below 5. However, the celebrity effect of Guo Jingming, Yang Mi, and others attracted a large young fan base. DATATOPIA analysis showed the average viewer age was 20.3, typical post-90s, who were the biggest contributors to box office and social media buzz. Comment: From its first day, the film was mired in controversy, with haters and supporters engaging in prolonged online battles, which only increased its visibility. With an investment of over 20 million yuan and box office revenue of nearly 500 million, Guo Jingming demonstrated the power of the fan economy.
6. Chu Orange: Benlai Life Since 2012, fresh e-commerce has become a hot trend. Benlai Life, which orchestrated "Chu Orange Entering Beijing" last year, continued its "blockbuster" marketing this year with a humorous approach. During pre-sale, they offered personalized packaging with witty messages like "Mother, remember to give one to Father," "Although you work hard, your success is mainly due to talent," "Thank you for letting me earn money standing up," and "I'm fine, take care." These sold out quickly on the site. Benlai's personalized packaging not only caught attention but also showed that Chinese marketing can be humorous. In a society where life is tough, such humor is rare and appreciated. Of course, marketing alone isn't Benlai's focus; they believe quality ingredients speak for themselves, controlling every step to ensure the best products and services, relying on the value and media role of food to establish a market position. Comment: From an e-commerce brand marketing perspective, Benlai chose a product with explosive potential—a "blockbuster"—to boost the platform's influence. For brands with weak recognition, having a blockbuster product is essential for building online brand awareness, using bundled marketing to achieve results.
7. Starbucks and CITIC: 9 Points Exchange Due to some misunderstanding, many consumers see Starbucks as the "tall, rich, and handsome" of coffee, and even CCTV criticized its "exorbitant profits" as worse than real estate. After a patriotic-themed report during National Day, CCTV's criticism seemed to turn patriotism into action. The report cited Beijing Starbucks: coffee beans 1.6 yuan + milk 2 yuan + disposables 1 yuan = 4.6 yuan, with a 354ml latte costing less than 5 yuan in materials but selling for 27 yuan. In comparison, the same coffee costs 24.25 yuan in London, 19.98 yuan in Chicago, and 14.6 yuan in Mumbai. Despite frequent criticism, Starbucks remains calm and composed, backed by stable partnerships with major players like CITIC's 9 Points Exchange. With 9 points, one can get a free Starbucks, giving Starbucks confidence against "profiteering" accusations. Comment: This case isn't famous online, but offline participation has reached millions, with over 3 million rights redeemed. Since 2012, CITIC has accumulated customers, strengthened partnerships with high-end merchants, retained old customers, attracted new ones, and built brand equity for both parties, allowing Starbucks to maintain elegance even in turbulent times.
8. Coca-Cola: Personalized Bottles In the summer of 2013, following its Australian campaign, Coca-Cola launched nickname bottles in China, with labels like "Share this Coke with your ______." Nicknames included "white rich beauty," "naturally silly," "tall, rich, handsome," "girl next door," "big shot," "real man," "aspiring youth," "literary youth," "little loli," etc. These bottles catered to Chinese internet culture, delighting netizens, and soon everyone sought their own personalized Coke. Comment: The success of Coca-Cola's nickname bottles demonstrates the effectiveness of integrated online-offline marketing. The brand spread on social media, consumers bought their named bottles offline, then discussed online, creating a three-dimensional communication loop. As a Grand Prix winner at the 2013 Effie Awards, it proved that social media can be the core of a campaign, not just a supporter.
9. Xiaomi: Hunger Marketing Everyone knows Xiaomi. Founded in April 2010, its first phone was released in August 2011. Within four years, it achieved annual sales of 28 billion yuan and a valuation exceeding $10 billion. What's more puzzling is its near-zero marketing investment, using forums, Weibo, WeChat, and other social media to unite fans and build a "famous brand." Xiaomi attempts disruption at every stage of the industry chain, developing unique theories like Lei Jun's "small restaurant theory"—the most successful owners are those of small restaurants because every customer is a friend. Also, the internet seven-character formula: focus, perfection, word-of-mouth, speed. And, creating the best products regardless of cost to make users scream. Comment: Through such disruptions, Xiaomi achieved a miracle of 28 billion yuan in sales in under four years. Its model is evolving, with more disruptions likely. Fortunately, Xiaomi remains calm amid rapid growth; Li Wanqiang admits, "Our challenge is to stay clear-headed, control desires, and control pace."
10. Three Squirrels: Disrupting Tradition "Three Squirrels" is the first internet forest food brand launched by Anhui Three Squirrels E-commerce Co., Ltd. in 2012, representing natural, fresh, and minimally processed products. Within just 65 days of launch, it ranked first in the nut category on Taobao/Tmall and top ten in flower tea, a miracle in Chinese e-commerce history. During the 2012 Tmall Double 11 promotion, the four-month-old company achieved nearly 8 million yuan in sales, winning the nut snack category and shipping 100,000 orders on time, a record in Chinese internet food history. In January 2013, monthly sales exceeded 20 million yuan, easily ranking first in the nut industry online. Because the internet shortens the distance between manufacturers and consumers, Three Squirrels positions itself as "the first brand for internet customer experience." Product experience is core, and internet speed ensures freshness and faster delivery, which is why they insist on being the first and selling only online. Comment: What truly disrupts traditional enterprises? Founder Zhang Liaoyuan believes that better offline companies often score lowest online because they don't understand users—that's the reason for disruption. But don't underestimate these competitors; in 2014, traditional companies will go online collectively, posing a real challenge to pure internet brands.
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