In the consumer market, the most effective way for new players to challenge established ones is to define a new subcategory and, as the pioneer, establish themselves as the leading brand in that niche. This principle is nothing new; it's the innovation strategy from the famous positioning theory: the finer the functional segmentation, the more you sell. But does that mean old players are only on the receiving end? Can't they innovate? Not at all. In fact, old players know this well—every old player started as a new one, but after reaching a certain scale, some may lose their innovative drive, while others treat every innovation as a new venture. Today's example is a typical innovator among old players. It's no exaggeration to say that by innovating a single product, it reinvented a brand—that's Lee Kum Kee. -01- The "Old" and "New" of a Century-Old Lee Kum Kee How many century-old enterprises are there in China? Only a handful, about a dozen, and Lee Kum Kee is one of them. In 1888, Mr. Lee Kum Sheung founded Lee Kum Kee in Nan Shui Town, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. Initially, Lee Kum Kee started with oyster sauce products, which quickly opened up the market due to their delicious and unique flavor, making the brand famous. Now, after 133 years of continuous development, Lee Kum Kee has become a household name in the sauce kingdom. Oyster sauce is undoubtedly the soul and root of Lee Kum Kee, and despite the passage of time, it remains well-received in the market. However, relying on one product cannot sustain a century-old enterprise's long-term development; Lee Kum Kee sees not just immediate gains but a broader horizon. There are too many followers in the oyster sauce market, which dilutes brand value. But what Lee Kum Kee needs to challenge is not its peers, but to break through itself and set a new benchmark for the industry. It's often said that innovation is difficult for old brands, and they often face the innovator's dilemma—a problem any large organization like Lee Kum Kee must confront. Yet Lee Kum Kee, in an already saturated sauce market, has once again innovated and broken free from the traditional perception of old enterprises. In 1997, Lee Kum Kee innovatively developed "Steamed Fish Soy Sauce," which carved out a new subcategory under the soy sauce category, targeting a solution for the steamed fish scenario and creating a new incremental market. Many brands are learning from Lee Kum Kee, but the emergence of Lee Kum Kee's Steamed Fish Soy Sauce has built a new category moat for the brand. Today, Lee Kum Kee's Steamed Fish Soy Sauce has become synonymous with this subcategory, always imitated but never surpassed. -02- What's the Magic of "Steamed Fish Soy Sauce"? Looking at the condiment industry, the dietary culture inherent in traditional Chinese culture has laid a solid foundation for the development of condiments in China. Many people like to bring a bottle of sauce when traveling; why is sauce so magical? Because human taste has memory; a good sauce must have excellent and stable flavor, allowing people to taste familiar flavors even far from home. "Steamed Fish Soy Sauce" has achieved a taste that people remember after just one try. 1. Craftsmanship and Ultimate Good Taste The inspiration for developing "Steamed Fish Soy Sauce" came from a chance encounter when Mr. Lee Man Tat, Chairman of the Lee Kum Kee Group, tasted steamed fish. After repeated research and development by Lee Kum Kee's researchers, the Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce with rich soy aroma and sweet flavor was born. Due to its ultimate and stable taste, it has become an essential sauce for many chefs and quickly swept across the country. Master Li Yaoyun, known as China's God of Food, also participated in the development of Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce. Recalling his full involvement in the product development process, Master Li said: "The development of a classic condiment is not simple. For example, the sauce color was too dark, but steamed fish requires a clear broth; the flavor was too southern, too sweet, but this sauce was not just for Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Guangdong—it needed to be promoted nationwide!" The tone and direction set by Master Li became the development philosophy for Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce: reduce sweetness, natural color, but the soy aroma must not be lacking. Master Li Yaoyun is a senior registered Chinese cooking master, a national treasure-level cooking master, with 60 years of culinary experience. He has served as an international judge for the World Association of Chefs' Societies and a national first-level judge. He led the national team at the 17th World Culinary Olympics, winning seven golds, one silver, and one bronze. When discussing the advantages of Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce, Master Li proudly said: "Although this sauce is a soy sauce, its unique salty and fresh flavor can better stimulate the natural taste of ingredients, with moderate sweetness and soy aroma—these are its greatest features. It can be used as the main seasoning for steamed fish, ensuring original flavor, and it also excels in seasoning other dishes. With its mellow and gentle taste, it embraces various ingredients, giving dishes a rich layering. In my heart, Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce stands out among condiments. This is inseparable from its brewing process, which is incomparable to those blended soy sauces." Master Li added, "Simple things are not simple; the same applies to cooking and seasoning." In the eyes of many professional chefs, the status of Steamed Fish Soy Sauce is unshakable. For example, Master Chen Wei, a master of Henan cuisine, said that Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce is the standard-setter for steamed fish soy sauce; Master Pan Xiaolin, a master of Ou cuisine, believes that Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce has become the "soul" flavor for Wenzhou people's stomachs; Master Yang Lin, a master of Shandong cuisine, commented on its characteristics: enhances flavor without competing with it. Master Zhao Zhixin, a master of Sichuan cuisine, praised its inclusiveness and innovation: it shares similarities with Sichuan cuisine; Master Yan Huiqin, a master of state banquet cuisine, even said that one use made it a true love. 2. Steaming and Stir-frying, One Bottle Suffices Steamed fish is a well-known dish in Chinese households. Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce's positioning from this niche is highly targeted for both restaurants and families. After opening up the market from a niche, some chefs discovered during use that Lee Kum Kee's Steamed Fish Soy Sauce is not only for steamed fish but also works excellently in other dishes. Steamed Fish Soy Sauce gives steamed fish a clear broth and delicious taste, but you might not imagine that it can even be used in heavy-oil, heavy-spice Sichuan cuisine. Master Zhao Zhixin, a representative of Sichuan cuisine, discovered and applied it. As is well known, Sichuan cuisine tends to use doubanjiang (fermented bean paste) and chili sauce, which can be limiting for innovative dishes—this is the fundamental reason Master Zhao began using Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce. Several of his signature dishes are completed using only Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce. One is steamed Jiangtuan fish with fermented black beans, which must be drizzled with Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce after steaming to bring out the freshness of the fish and achieve better flavor layers. Another is a home-style dish of stir-fried pig throat with fresh peppers, where Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce must be added before removing from the wok to stimulate the umami of the pig throat. For seafood dishes, Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce is also more than capable. Master Pan Xiaolin, a master of Ou cuisine, has successfully maximized the use of Steamed Fish Soy Sauce for seafood. In Wenzhou, there is a home-style dish called braised catfish head, which almost every household makes. Master Pan replaced traditional soy sauce with Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce, which not only removes the fishy smell of the catfish head but also makes the seafood meat fresh and fragrant. In addition, there are many classic dishes where one bottle of Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce, in the hands of different chefs, brings out different flavors. For example, Master Chen Wei, a master of Henan cuisine, applied Steamed Fish Soy Sauce to the well-known Henan dish, Spicy Soup (Hu La Tang). During cooking, he added Lee Kum Kee's Choy Sun Oyster Sauce and Steamed Fish Soy Sauce, making the soup delicious and savory with a mellow aftertaste. The non-volatile Steamed Fish Soy Sauce adds a unique soy aroma, making the traditional soup shine. If it works for chefs, it's even easier for home cooking. For home-style dishes like "Chopped Chili Fish Head," "Stir-fried Pork with Peppers," and "Hand-Torn Cabbage," Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce truly achieves "one-step flavor." 3. Convenient and Foolproof Cooking Home cooking generally seeks simplicity and good taste, but many people don't have the precise knowledge and judgment of professional chefs; they pursue "simple and easy to use." This is where Steamed Fish Soy Sauce shines as a compound seasoning. As a standardized ingredient, it is extremely convenient to use; one product can replace three to five seasonings. The foolproof operation, combined with the final good-looking and tasty dishes, greatly solves many people's cooking troubles. 4. Unique and Never Surpassed Lee Kum Kee is not only the pioneer of the Steamed Fish Soy Sauce category but also achieves uniqueness in flavor. This means that no matter how many brands follow Lee Kum Kee in producing Steamed Fish Soy Sauce, those who have used it basically won't switch. Not only do many professional chefs recognize the taste of Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce, but the author also interviewed some distributors in the condiment industry. Whether they have handled Lee Kum Kee products or not, they all share a common point: the product's taste is unquestionable, which is the core reason other brands cannot compete. For distributors, big brand, good quality, good taste, wide popularity, and worry-free after-sales are all reasons they choose Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce. Lee Kum Kee not only gives distributors confidence in the product itself but also invests heavily in brand building and product marketing, such as continuous consumer education, strengthening consumer mindshare, and exploring new consumption scenarios. These are very practical, stable, and reassuring for distributors. -03- The Future of "Steamed Fish Soy Sauce": Promising Prospects In the new era of consumption upgrade, Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce is embracing more development opportunities. Previously, the consumer base for Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce might have been more restaurant chefs and housewives, but now it has a new potential customer group: young family consumers. During the pandemic at the beginning of this year, the home economy boomed, and semi-finished ingredients and single-serving products developed and spread rapidly. More and more young people are paying attention to healthy and convenient home dining scenarios, discovering that there may be more and better options than takeout. According to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, in 2018, China's single adult population reached 240 million, with over 77 million adults living alone, and this number is expected to rise to 92 million by 2021. As the single population grows, products suitable for single servings or family tables will become an important growth point for future dining ingredients. These new young people need simple, foolproof cooking. We find that kitchen tools are becoming foolproof and civilianized; cooking is becoming simpler, and ingredients should also become simpler. Therefore, the new era not only gives opportunities to new products but also to many excellent old products. Lee Kum Kee Steamed Fish Soy Sauce, from the moment it was developed, was aimed at the ultimate product experience; it is a very forward-looking product, leaving no chance for latecomers. From a product benefit standpoint, it is not only delicious but also combines health, standardization, and convenience. It has great growth potential in the future, with promising prospects. Tips will be paid 400-2000 yuan once adopted.