---
title: "Top 10 Most Frustrating FMCG Companies of 2016"
description: "As 2016 comes to a close, FMCG professionals who have endured a year of frustration are ready to vent. Let's leave all the grievances of 2016 behind and welcome 2017 with joy. The article lists ten companies that faced major troubles, including Unification (sued over the 'Xiaoming' character), Shuanghui (criticized for importing pork), Blue Moon (fluorescent agent controversy), and others."
author: "纳兰醉天"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
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published: "2016-12-23"
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# Top 10 Most Frustrating FMCG Companies of 2016

> As 2016 comes to a close, FMCG professionals who have endured a year of frustration are ready to vent. Let's leave all the grievances of 2016 behind and welcome 2017 with joy. The article lists ten companies that faced major troubles, including Unification (sued over the 'Xiaoming' character), Shuanghui (criticized for importing pork), Blue Moon (fluorescent agent controversy), and others.

As 2016 comes to a close, FMCG professionals who have endured a year of frustration are ready to vent. Let's leave all the grievances of 2016 behind and welcome 2017 with joy.

> **Frustrating Company 1: Unification**
> **Reason: 'Xiaoming' sues 'Xiaoming'**

In 2015, Unification launched the cold-brewed tea "Xiaoming Classmate," leveraging the massive online IP "Xiaoming Classmate" jokes and Unification's strong product innovation capabilities. Upon launch, it caused a sensation, seemingly poised to become one of the "Five Internet Celebrities" alongside "Lao Gan Ma," "Latiao," "Wuling Automobiles," and "Lanxiang Technical School." However, as the saying goes, "fame brings trouble." Soon, Beijing Zhuomu Century Network Technology Co., Ltd. discovered that Unification's "Xiaoming Classmate" image was similar to the "Xiaoming Classmate" character they had created, and sued Unification in court.

Although any normal person who has seen Doraemon would think "Xiaoming Classmate" looks a lot like Nobita Nobi (called Kangfu in our childhood), and Unification's product packaging designs in recent years have mostly been done by Japanese design companies, this did not prevent the lawsuit or the Chinese court from ruling that Unification infringed.

In 2016, Unification compensated the plaintiff, Beijing Xiaoming Culture Development Co., Ltd., 500,000 yuan in economic losses and ceased the infringing activities.

If it were just a simple compensation of 500,000 yuan, it would be manageable, but the main issue is the cessation of infringing activities. That means Unification either has to stop producing Xiaoming Classmate and change the packaging, or choose to obtain authorization from Xiaoming Culture Development Co., Ltd. to use the image, which is a bottomless pit.

(Identical round face, two hair strands—who copied whom?)

Old Na says: When you create jokes, others use them to make money. Before seeing the design of Xiaoming Classmate, we had already heard all the jokes about Xiaoming. But it wasn't until Beijing Zhuomu sued Unification that I learned there was such a Xiaoming Classmate that looked like Nobita. And looking at Zhuomu's Xiaoming Classmate jokes, they are all creations of netizens; they just took them, drew them, and claimed them as their own. If Unification has to compensate you, who will compensate the vast number of netizens for their creative rights? Similarly, the well-known public account "Cold Rabbit" basically lists jokes from Qiushi Baike, UC Headlines, etc.

Guo Degang said: Being too popular in crosstalk is also bad; a bunch of people come to sue you. Similarly, Unification's Xiaoming Classmate was sued for being too popular, but the lawsuit was inexplicable. This judgment reminds me of Judge Wang Hao's ruling in the "Peng Yu case" in Nanjing, and it has made "fake injury scams" in China "legalized."

> **Frustrating Company 2: Shuanghui**
> **Reason: Don't let Shuanghui run away**

At the beginning of the year, pork and garlic made a comeback, easily surpassing historical highs and setting new records daily, to the point that eating garlic became a status symbol and eating pork was a sign of wealth.

Shuanghui, as China's largest meat producer, got caught in a huge war of words amid this pork price surge. The reason was that Shuanghui announced its 2015 results, which included importing about 2.1 billion yuan worth of foreign pork, and profits increased rather than decreased. At the same time, Chairman Wan Long lamented that Chinese pork was already "the most expensive in the world," and Shuanghui President You Mu predicted that Chinese pork prices would drop in the very short term.

So people said Shuanghui was talking down Chinese pork, calling it traitorous behavior and lacking social responsibility. Some even criticized Shuanghui for not having the sense of responsibility of a big enterprise: when pig farmers lost money in previous years, Shuanghui didn't step up to help raise prices, and now that pig farmers are making money, Shuanghui imports cheap pork from the US. Isn't that treason?

Fortunately, there wasn't a "Don't let so-and-so run away" campaign at the time, or Wan Long would have been ahead of Cao Dewang, and a bunch of articles like "Wan Long ran away, will Zong Qinghou run too?" would have been written. And someone would have dug up the clenbuterol incident again. Eating Shuanghui's meat while cursing Shuanghui's mother.

Old Na says: In recent years, the trend of "prefer socialist weeds to capitalist seedlings" has been rising, and "patriotism" has become a big knife in the hands of PR, slashing at any company that doesn't obey. No one cares that a company's goal is to maximize profits; as long as you invest in the US or import cheap meat, you are a traitor, and I will call on everyone to boycott you.

Thus, under this wave of patriotism, our officials say, "Don't use foreign market economies to measure China's market economy; there is no market economy in the world." Environmental officials say, "Don't use foreign air quality to measure China's air quality." We would rather breathe smog than waver in our pure patriotism. We pay the highest taxes in the world and still sing praises of happiness and pride.

Why do you import American pork? Just because it's cheap? Have you forgotten your Chinese identity? Why do you invest in the US? Just because their taxes are lower? The investments you make in the US now will become bullets for the US to attack China in the future.

To this, I say: Screw you. With so many idiots, paying taxes won't fix your stupid brains.

> **Frustrating Company 3: Blue Moon**
> **Reason: Blue Moon fluorescent agent incident**

At the beginning of 2016, a video spread virally online: a middle-aged woman washed her hands with Blue Moon laundry detergent, then turned off the lights and shone a UV lamp, revealing a ghostly hand.

Regarding fluorescent agents, China's famous professional fake-fighter Wang Hai had already sued Blue Moon over this in 2011. The court ultimately ruled that it could not be determined that fluorescent agents cause cancer. Subsequently, Blue Moon sued Wang Hai twice for damage to reputation and won both times.

However, five years later, a bunch of clowns brought this up again. Yes, a WeChat business selling "Quan Lifang" laundry sheets. If you were a legitimate manufacturer, I might believe you, but you're a "three-no" WeChat business using such tactics to show your product is better? This reminds me of the undeserved disasters Wahaha has suffered over the years, like the claim that Nutrition Express causes cancer and kindergarten teachers not allowing kids to drink it.

When Zong Qinghou sued that WeChat business, he put on a pitiful face, begging for mercy, saying he didn't mean it, that he saw it online and couldn't tell right from wrong.

In China, big companies are in danger. You never know who will jump out and bite you. If you sue them, the enthusiastic, righteous netizens say you're bullying the weak. But do you have any idea how much damage these bastards' crap-talking does to a company? They profit from irresponsible rumors, and when you sue them, it's called bullying the weak. That's what they call justice.

The key is that when you're bitten, you don't even know who your enemy is. It's like Wei Xiaobao being betrayed by Feng Jizhong; Kangxi only gave Feng a seventh-rank military officer, while Wei Xiaobao was a first-rank duke. Yet such a small person can destroy all your happiness.

Old Na says: Chinese companies fear two big weapons: online rumors and patriotic campaigns. You never know when you'll offend these people. The cost of crime is too low. Remember Wang Jianlin suing the "Top Entrepreneurs" public account, and Jay Chou suing the "Weixiu Life" public account? Since public accounts became popular, these online rumors have been endless. When you sue them, they put on a show: how much I admire you, how much I love you, I'm ignorant, I'm uneducated, just let me go. Their groveling is a stark contrast to their arrogance online.

The key is you don't even know what grudge they hold against you; it's just that you're doing better than them, so they spread rumors. And netizens uniformly sympathize with the so-called weak, using the big stick of justice to beat you.

I once saw a comment from a friend in the food industry: A Shanghai TV station made alarming claims that beef on the market was glued together with glue. Just like the "paper bun" incident back then, it was for attention. Most of the food Chinese people eat daily contains additives. Similarly, we blindly believe that foreign food has no additives, but the truth is, after making ice cream, he found that foreign food also has many additives, just strictly controlled in usage.

Similarly, the use of fluorescent brighteners has its own standards. At least Blue Moon's boss Luo Qiuping is a chemistry PhD who knows industry standards. But you, a "three-no" WeChat business, what's your background? How much technology do you have? How many patents?

As I wrote at the beginning: When reading this article, ensure your mind is pure, don't be led by others' opinions. A brain is a good thing, but you need to have one.

> **Frustrating Company 4: Daliyuan**
> **Reason: Bacterial超标 in small bread**

On November 25, 2016, the Yunnan Provincial Food and Drug Administration published food safety supervision sampling information. Among biscuits and beverages, 265 batches were tested, with 32 batches unqualified. Among them, Daliyuan French soft bread produced by Yunnan Dali Foods Co., Ltd. had a total bacterial count exceeding the national standard by 186 times.

In response, on November 30, Daliyuan issued a response on its official Weibo, stating that Yunnan Dali Foods Co., Ltd. had immediately recalled all products of that batch in the local market and, under the supervision of the Yuxi City Food and Drug Administration, had destroyed them all in a harmless manner after unpacking. Currently, the batch has stopped production and sales, and measures such as identifying the cause, recall, and rectification have all been implemented under the supervision of the Hongta District Food and Drug Administration in Yuxi.

Old Na says: I can't judge this incident; after all, it is what it is. There's no need for conspiracy theories about being suppressed. This is a path every company must take.

I don't have a good impression of Fujian companies. I've always felt they have well-known brands but not great brands. They have good imitation abilities but nothing to be respected. Basically, they sell whatever is popular in the market, and they copy whatever is hot. Hiring spokespersons, advertising, and imitation are their three survival tactics. And they can sell imitated products better than the originals—that's a skill.

Although I have criticisms about Fujian companies' marketing, I still trust the quality of their products. Although many Fujian companies are village or town factories, they have strict quality requirements. After all, making an imitated product nationally famous is no small feat.

Daliyuan's Heqizheng, although it didn't last, was once all the rage, and to this day, bottled herbal tea leader is still Heqizheng. In recent years, Lehu has continued where Qili didn't, with sales increasing year by year.

Fujian companies have their own survival rules. They support so many product lines and know well that product quality is paramount.

> **Frustrating Company 5: Arawana**
> **Reason: Former spokesperson's affair**

Lin Dan had an affair. This was originally a sports or entertainment matter, but it somehow entered the FMCG circle. Just because he once endorsed Arawana.

The public account "Hushuo Youli" (Talking Nonsense with Reason), upon learning of Lin Dan's affair, didn't first dig into how Lin Dan was a scumbag, but thought of Arawana, which he had endorsed.

At that moment, Arawana was dumbfounded. What does Lin Dan's affair have to do with our brand? We already switched to Huang Xiaoming's family as spokespersons a long time ago, didn't we? Now it's 2016, and you're bringing up the endorsement from 2012. Are you trying to flog a dead horse?

Previously, we only heard that a celebrity's affair or drug use affects the brands they currently endorse. Now we know that for some people, I can affect whichever brand you endorsed, regardless of when. If you hate cheating celebrities so much, Lin Dan also wears clothes—are you going to stop wearing clothes? Lin Dan breathes air—are you going to stop breathing? It's not really about Lin Dan's affair; it's about using it to smear certain brands.

Looking back at Arawana's turbulent 2016: first, someone dug up an article written by a PR company ten years ago titled "Arawana, a Crocodile That Harms the Country and the People" (the director was sentenced to one year in prison). Even with Arawana offering a reward, the storm didn't stop. Now the former spokesperson's affair has people boycotting Arawana.

Actually, no matter what you say, when someone wants to attack you, nothing you say helps. Isn't that how the literary inquisition came about? As the saying goes, "Those who talk about right and wrong are the ones who cause it." Over the years, the issue of Arawana's genetically modified soybean oil has been a thorn in the side of journalists represented by Cui Yongyuan. Especially after Cui Yongyuan joined a non-GMO food company, the enmity became irreconcilable.

The journalist from that public account even said bluntly: "Arawana's impact on consumers won't stop just because he no longer endorses it." Meaning, I'm going to pin this label on you no matter what.

Some even commented on the public account that Yihai Kerry made its fortune from GM soybeans. I just laugh. Do you only know Arawana and not that Robert Kuok is known as the "Sugar King of the World"? Why doesn't anyone talk about Yihai Kerry's GM sugar? Because Yihai has no competitors in sugar.

Old Na has repeatedly explained the oil industry: Yihai is a shareholder of COFCO and Luhua, and the main refining technology is also in Yihai's hands. Others also have non-GMO soybean oil, but it's more expensive. Would you buy it? Well, the current trend in China is that the domestic food industry is traitorous, and the foreign food industry wants to exterminate China.

Monsanto, which produces GM seeds and fertilizers, is seen by Chinese as the biggest manufacturer of world destruction. Unfortunately, this company that destroys the earth and humanity was acquired by Germany's Bayer for $63 billion. Yes, the company that produces aspirin, and also the world's most famous drug, heroin, was invented by Bayer. Heroin means "hero" in German. Heh.

This is the "patriotic kill" among the two killer moves. When you think Cui Yongyuan is the last defender of justice, exposing GM without regard for profit, he joins a non-GMO food company, revealing that he's playing a big game, and your patriotism is just a pawn.

This world is not black and white; it's all about interests. Only by making you believe GM is harmful can non-GMO sell at a high price. Stop with the nonsense!

> **Frustrating Company 6: JDB**
> **Reason: Snow in June**

Companies are attacked with two killer moves: rumor kill and patriotic kill. Only JDB has faced both in a single year.

Unlike Arawana being hit by Lin Dan's "hit-and-run," at least there's debate over whether Lin Dan eats GM soybean oil. JDB's patriotic kill is even more inexplicable. This is the famous Qiu Shaoyun case. In 2013, a Weibo influencer joked about martyr Qiu Shaoyun. At the time, it caused a small stir but wasn't big. It wasn't until 2015 when JDB interacted with this influencer that the whole public opinion boiled over. The feeling was "Finally, I've waited for you, and I didn't give up." Qiu Shaoyun's younger brother, after two years of silence, decided to sue the influencer and JDB. "Zhuang Zhou's sword dance is aimed at Pei Gong." Suing the influencer wasn't the goal; JDB was the main target. Of course, it wasn't mainly Qiu Shaoyun's brother's effort, but the forces behind him. Otherwise, why bring up something from two years ago now?

Chinese netizens are basically divided into two groups: public intellectuals and little red fans, plus a bunch of brainless trolls venting their dissatisfaction about not making money or being valued. They either blame the government for injustice (public intellectual fans) or say foreigners are undermining domestic unity (little red fans). Either way, these two groups alternate in dominance.

JDB, since the Wanglaoji days, never used spokespersons for fear of any issues. They were extremely careful, yet still fell into a trap. Dumbfounded, they realized the world is too cruel. What does this have to do with us? This person posted a Weibo a few years ago. What does it have to do with the JDB brand? You just went and said something to him. Does that mean you support his views from two years ago? Ha, the Qing Dynasty's "Wei Min Zhi Zhi" and "Qing Feng Bu Shi Zi, He Bi Luan Fan Shu" were no different.

How to handle this? Have the person responsible for the event resign and apologize directly? Sorry, Chen Hongdao couldn't do that. After all, this was really a trap dug by the enemy to bury you. But as the brand manager and mainland CEO, the two main leaders felt they had let down JDB's brand image over the years and expressed their willingness to resign to take responsibility, to appease the public. But Chen Hongdao knew well the contributions these two had made to the company's development. This time, it was purely the enemy's cunning. Making these two take the blame would be unfair to those who work hard for the company. The final solution was for JDB to publish an apology in the newspaper and transfer the brand manager and mainland CEO to Hong Kong to handle other business. Since the state had already made its judgment, struggling was useless, and they couldn't let their employees feel disheartened by pushing problems onto them.

However, Chen Hongdao and JDB's people thought too simply. The other side's goal was to bankrupt JDB, and this handling clearly didn't achieve their effect. Since they had dug one pit, how could there be no follow-up? Soon, news about JDB's CEO leaving and "JDB no zuo no die" was hyped up. JDB was dumbfounded. This pit was layered. Once you fall in, you can't escape.

Fortunately, they didn't let the brand manager and mainland CEO publicly apologize for the martyr. Otherwise, they would have added another charge: JDB is heartless, making employees take the blame for everything.

This year's JDB PR team must have been completely baffled: It's really hard to guard against. So, online interaction is risky; be cautious. If you must interact, check the other party's ancestors for eighteen generations.

Old Na says: Many people ask why I don't let go of Wanglaoji. It's simple: even if you want to let others go, they may not let you go. Since the split, JDB's wealth and reputation have been destroyed bit by bit. You say you're grassroots, but they say you're registered in the Virgin Islands (China has the heaviest taxes, as Cao Dewang said). You donate money for the people's welfare, so they destroy your reputation (in the Wenchuan earthquake, JDB donated 100 million, and Cao Dewang and his son donated 100 million; look at the results this year).

PR is the first weapon in business warfare. So don't say others only copy and sell cheap. They're highly skilled. One day, this should be written as a book, titled "How JDB Was Destroyed."

I heard that Wanglaoji is now clamoring for a price increase next year, meaning everyone should stock up during the Spring Festival. To this end, Wanglaoji has invited some experts to support it. For example, an expert I know, who previously supported JDB, changed his stance after Wanglaoji came to him, saying: Wanglaoji's product dates are newer than JDB's, Wanglaoji's promotional policies are smaller than JDB's, and Wanglaoji has the capital to raise prices. JDB, with tears in its eyes, looks at the expert and says: I haven't read much, don't fool me. Wanglaoji, please raise prices soon. Really, all of JDB is welcoming Wanglaoji's price increase.

Time is running out for JDB!!!

> **Frustrating Company 7: Red Bull**
> **Reason: Trademark dispute**

At the end of the year, Red Bull also joined the fray. It turned out that Red Bull's trademark license expired this year. Then news broke that four of Red Bull's five factories had stopped production, staff was cut by 40%, the sales director left with compensation, and they were pushing bottled drink Zhanma.

During CNY (Chinese New Year), the purchase of original Red Bull across all channels was only to ensure normal shelf sales. Displays were mainly for new products (Guo Beishuang, Vita Coco, VOSS, and other new products under Huabin Group). After receiving notice in mid-January 2017, regions could resume normal product sales—"This is the latest meeting content, meaning Red Bull's 'status' has been extended by the company, which is very different from previous years."

Old Na says: The final version of Red Bull's trademark authorization hasn't come out yet. Due to the leak, insiders are tight-lipped. The current rumor is that they will continue, but layoffs are inevitable, meaning Red Bull made significant concessions in the next cooperation.

Can Red Bull achieve sales of 50 billion in the future? Can Zhanma withstand the attack of Monster? Can it seize the market of Dongpeng and Lehu? All is unknown.

Many friends are paying attention to Red Bull's outcome. Currently, the PR company hasn't given a definitive answer, so I can only wait and not speculate (this is a good opportunity for companies to launch new products; I hope the PR company can seize it). Red Bull will definitely not lose its brand like JDB lost Wanglaoji. The future will be even better.

After all, I really don't want to drink Wanglaoji.

> **Frustrating Company 8: Huishan**
> **Reason: Muddy Waters short-sells Huishan**

Since the Sanlu melamine incident, China's milk powder industry has never been peaceful. One day a brand is exposed as a fake foreign brand, the next day another is exposed for excessive iodine, and the day after that another causes precocious puberty.

Over the years, the state has made great efforts to revive Chinese milk powder. First, they exposed foreign milk powder companies bribing hospitals to feed newborns their formula as the first mouthful. Then they formulated policies to crack down on cross-border e-commerce, such as the "Infant Formula Registration Management Measures" starting October 1, known as the strictest milk powder policy in history. According to the new policy, a large number of small and medium brands and OEM milk powder will fade from the market, ending the chaos of 2,000 infant formula brands.

After the new regulations, physical stores, to combat online stores, fabricated stories about expired milk powder being reprocessed and sold to consumers. In reality, these expired New Zealand milk powders were sold to bakeries for making cakes. Anyway, there are so many onlookers, and rumors have done their job again. Just as this news subsided, capital couldn't sit still. Muddy Waters, known for short-selling Chinese companies listed in the US, turned its target to Huishan Group, listed in Hong Kong.

They accused Huishan of fraud in forage supply (Huishan says they grow it themselves; Muddy Waters says they buy it), falsifying capital expenditures, and transferring assets by the board, arrogantly claiming: Huishan is worthless.

Stock market investment is risky; be cautious. A negative news caused Huishan to suspend trading temporarily. Currently, both sides are engaged in a battle of short-selling and counter-short-selling.

Old Na says: Chinese milk powder is constantly in turmoil, like pressing down one gourd while another floats up. Regarding short-selling, there's no need to turn this into an international issue or use the patriotic kill. Just quietly watch Muddy Waters show off.

Like the company's name implies, "muddy waters" means to fish in troubled waters. Their goal is to catch fish. This is similar to online rumors: stir up public sentiment, and the people behind can profit. If you don't move and quietly watch them show off, what can they do? "Let them be strong; the breeze caresses the mountain. Let them be fierce; the bright moon shines on the river."

I believe Huishan won't sit idly by. They should use facts to speak and slap these rumor-mongering bitches in the face.

In recent years, Chinese milk powder has been advancing through difficulties. First, focus on quality, then information transparency. Don't pretend to be a foreign brand. It's not the era of the Eight-Power Allied Forces. Why act like a big-tailed wolf? The current situation of your milk powder is the result of your own actions. If you hadn't been splashing dirty water on this one and exposing that one's shortcomings, would you be in this mess today?

> **Frustrating Company 9: Yili**
> **Reason: Hebi distributor**

Yili had an incident. This time, it wasn't smearing by competitors, but by Yili's own distributor. This person, who had grown together with Yili, now told the media about his unfair treatment.

A few days ago, an article titled "Hebi Yili Distributor Lost 16 Million, Exclaiming: Where Did Our Money Go!?" went viral online. It told the story of a journalist who, through interviews, learned that a distributor who had worked with Yili for 19 years not only didn't make money but lost 16 million.

This is not a story but an accident. In the article, we see Yili's tactics to pressure distributors: increasing annual tasks, not investing if targets are not met, high return rates, like shackles on distributors, eventually leading to heavy debt.

**The article also said presumptuously: This is definitely not an isolated case. Do other Yili distributors have similar problems? The journalist believes Yili's top management should investigate and think about it.**

As an FMCG professional, I know that dairy products have low profit margins, and distributors are mostly just movers. In recent years, Yili's rapid development has indeed doubled the pressure on distributors. But is it too hasty to attribute this to Yili based on one side's story?

Shouldn't a normal journalist report by sending an inquiry to the company, describing the problem, asking questions, and then waiting for the company's response? The journalist friends I know all send articles to the company's PR department. As the saying goes, "Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; listen to only one side and you will be in the dark." You should hear both sides, not act as the judge yourself.

Losing 16 million wouldn't happen in one year, right? Doesn't the distributor have an accountant to calculate? Even if you lose money for one or two years, you wouldn't reach this point.

Yili's tactics toward distributors are basically what every company uses: increasing annual performance targets and payment requirements. Even if a distributor borrows from loan sharks, they would calculate whether the sales can make money. Even if the brand is good, no one would keep losing money. Isn't there a backstory? Doesn't the manufacturer manage inventory? How could they ignore the distributor's survival just to push products?

Old Na says: This incident reflects the love-hate relationship between manufacturers and distributors. We are not participants in the event, so we can't make too many judgments, but both companies and distributors are not easy.

Usually, first-tier brands only earn a handling fee (not losing money). The reason so many distributors are willing to do first-tier brands is that they can improve cash turnover and use the first-tier brand's channels to distribute second- and third-tier brands, profiting from those. This is what's often called "star products, cash cow products, dog products, and question products."

As an FMCG professional, I've seen many distributors. In times of change, some think about how to embrace the era, follow the pace, and change their distribution systems, while others remain stuck in old ways: when the manufacturer comes to take orders, they just sit and wait, hoping the manufacturer and terminals do everything while they just deliver. When inventory pressure is high, they engage in cross-region selling.

Product price is not necessarily the issue restricting product development; product profit is. If you just want low prices, then the company might as well choose JD.com or Alibaba. Their warehouses are big, they have money, and delivery is good. Why choose distributors? Isn't it because distributors can stabilize prices and ensure product profit, which ensures product life? If distributors lose these functions, their life is truly over.

I heard that Yili has now come forward to resolve this matter. I know this is an isolated case, not a general one. Distributors need to know that management, calculation, and sales are the true way of business. If you still use yesterday's experience to decide tomorrow's affairs, you'll be replaced by internet companies.

Also, don't always try to make a big news story. Give FMCG a way out.

> **Frustrating Company 10: C'estbon**
> **Reason: Poisoning incident**

Over the years, C'estbon, as the leader in purified water, has had many verbal battles with Nongfu Spring. To this day, the source of Nongfu Spring's "water source incident" hasn't been clarified. Li Kai, a director who came from Nongfu, also left C'estbon this year.

C'estbon currently holds the top position in purified water. While the debate over which water quality is better hasn't been resolved, a rumor broke the peaceful sky of C'estbon.

A rumor about C'estbon water being poisoned by an employee spread, in the form of an urgent notice: "Urgent notice: Be careful, don't drink C'estbon anymore. News was released on May 29: C'estbon mineral water was poisoned with rat poison by a factory employee. The factory has removed all products from shelves. Several people have died in Xiqiao. Schools have also banned selling drinks to children. Don't drink it recently. Spread the word. Forward immediately, don't wait a second. If you don't believe it, check the 'Today's First Line' broadcast on June 6 evening."

Everyone, with a "good Samaritan" attitude, forwarded this non-existent news. But in the public's eyes, "I don't care if it's true or false; I want my friends to feel my love."

In reality, on May 29, 2015, Guangdong's "Today's First Line" reported that someone had poisoned Wanglaoji. The news roughly said: Around May 28, 2015, a person surnamed Guan, dissatisfied with society, found a soft-packaged beverage in a convenience store in Dongguan, Guangdong, injected rat poison into it, causing four people to be hospitalized. Guan was arrested by police that day. Subsequently, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group issued a clarification that this had nothing to do with Wanglaoji; it just happened that the poisoner chose a carton of Wanglaoji. (Just like the recent throat-slashing of a female college student in Guangdong, the criminal acted randomly.)

However, this news first turned Wanglaoji into JDB, then into C'estbon. How were these two "baos" tied together? Citizens thought the message was "likely a rumor," but because it mentioned "the news has been broadcast" and provided a specific date and news program, some thought "better safe than sorry." This is our indiscriminate, brainless, yet righteous citizens.

Although nine years of compulsory education have eliminated some physiological illiteracy, there are still many psychological illiterates who, with their good intentions, harm companies. (For example, some believe that Six Walnuts has no nutritional value compared to soy milk, and that behind every well-known company are dirty deals, and everyone else is evil, only they are great, they are God loving the world.) This is the most famous rumor kill.

Old Na says: In this world of rumors, how many people harm others with their so-called kindness? How many opponents use the goodwill of onlookers to do their shameless deeds? Those so-called "good intentions" are actually sharp blades in the hands of the black-hearted. No snowflake feels responsible for the avalanche! No one feels their kindness is responsible for a company's downfall. No one thinks these rumors will harm the entire industry. People always think it's none of my business; my heart is kind. I say, ignorant kindness is an excuse. Your overflowing kindness is a flood to companies.

Rumors won't stop with the wise. Next year, they will come back. As long as there is competition, there will be these dirty tricks. Because in China, the cost of being a troll and spreading rumors is too low.

Final words: In the past year, FMCG professionals have suffered too much unfair treatment. There are too many unhappy things, and many I haven't listed, like Xiduoduo coconut jelly being rumored to be plastic. I write this article not on behalf of any company, but only as a frontline FMCG worker expressing my dissatisfaction. I want to vent my grievances and leave all unhappiness in 2016, and happily welcome 2017.

**After all: Time is running out for FMCG professionals!!!**

After reading this, the editor was moved to tears. Old Na (the author) has worried so much about the FMCG industry. Interested friends can follow Old Na's public account: FMCG Disciples, and give him rewards.

-END-

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