Olympic Marketing Strategy for Tea Products
The 2008 Olympic Games are approaching us quickly. How can Chinese tea companies maximize their strengths and avoid weaknesses, seize Olympic business opportunities, and market tea products well? The following four aspects deserve serious consideration, overall coordination, and active operation.
1. Those who are qualified to work hard, but those who are not qualified to work skillfully
To sell Olympic products, you must first obtain strategic partners, sponsors, exclusive suppliers, and suppliers from the Olympic Games Organizing Committee One of four identities. Moreover, specific products to be sold must be reported to the Olympic Organizing Committee in advance and undergo strict review and approval.
Judging from the actual situation, our country's tea companies are more suitable to strive to be the exclusive supplier and supplier of the Olympic Games. As of the end of August 2006, in terms of tea and beverages, Coca-Cola Company has taken the lead; in terms of tea sets, four Chinese companies including Jiangsu Fangyuan Zisha Group have obtained admission tickets. However, "West Lake Longjing" failed to become a designated product of the 2008 Olympic Games due to lack of funds, which made the majority of Chinese tea drinkers and tea lovers very regretful.
Despite this, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is still a once-in-a-lifetime historical opportunity and a platform for displaying brands and strengths. It should especially become a large exhibition stand for Chinese tea products and tea culture. Therefore, famous tea companies such as China Tea Import and Export Corporation, Tianfu Group, Haili Group, Wu Yutai Tea Company, Zhang Yiyuan Tea Company, etc. should actively create conditions and strive to obtain the exclusive supplier qualification for the Olympic Games, or it is worthwhile to obtain supplier qualification. .
Of course, the vast majority of Chinese tea companies, like companies in other fields, cannot obtain exclusive supplier and supplier qualifications for the Olympic Games, but they can still make a difference. In addition to striving to become a designated consumption venue for the Olympic Games, the market space for marketing and service of non-Olympic logo products is very large. For example, Beijing Lao She Tea House took the initiative to cooperate with a supplier related to the Olympic Games, setting up an Olympic product counter in the store to sell Olympic logo products on a consignment basis. It worked hard and skillfully, and the results were good. Other famous tea companies, such as Gengxiang, Royal Tea Garden, Tea Pillow Workshop, Green Snow Ya, Biluxuan, Wufu, Bishuidanshan, Sentosa, Minghui Tea Garden, Mingdu, Mingxiang, Qingxianglin, etc. are also available Learn from it appropriately.
Since 2006, the author has seen illegally printed Olympic logos on some purple clay pots and Pu'er tea packages at the Maliandao Tea Street in Beijing and at the first Lanzhou Tea Expo. This should attract attention. Enterprises that have not obtained the qualification to sell Olympic products, or although they have the qualification to sell Olympic products, but some of their own products have not been approved by the Olympic Organizing Committee, they must not print the Olympic logo on the product. Because this is a serious infringement, it will affect the market order and the credibility of the illegal enterprises.
At the same time, tea companies that have obtained Olympic product sales qualifications must pay attention to cracking down on counterfeiting when selling tea products approved by the Olympic Organizing Committee. According to the analysis of "China's "Humanistic Olympics" Tourism Souvenir Survey and Research", 30% of urban consumers have the intention to purchase counterfeit Olympic products. The main reason is its cheap price. Therefore, authentic or genuine Olympic products should have anti-counterfeiting labels and try to be of high quality and low price.
2. Pay attention to packaging
Good tea products need good packaging. In order to adapt to international consumption habits, in addition to small packaging, bags and gift packaging, the following points should also be paid attention to when packaging Olympic tea products:
(1) Form of tea gifts. Usually, Olympic products are mostly represented as Olympic travel souvenirs, and Olympic travel souvenirs are mainly commemorative collectibles and sports and leisure clothing and accessories. Therefore, Olympic tea products, especially Olympic tea gifts, should appropriately add famous tea, brand tea, purple clay pots, tea stamps, tea music CDs, tea calligraphy and painting, tea paper-cutting and other elements.
(2) Moderate packaging. In the past, many tea companies in our country did not pay attention to the packaging of their tea products. The phenomenon of "first-class tea, third-class packaging" and "rustic" was quite common. Since the successful bid for the Olympic Games, the situation of good tea and inferior packaging has improved to some extent.
However, some "overcorrected" and over-packaging problems such as "showy goods and fake goods" also appeared, which also affected consumers' interest in purchasing and should be resolved as soon as possible. Usually, it is appropriate for tea product packaging costs to account for 5-15% of the sales price. Too high or too low will affect product sales.
(3) The tone of tea product packaging should be simple, elegant and bright, and the base color should be green and brown. With the development of the times, consumers' aesthetic tastes are also changing and improving. Tea product packaging with pictures such as freehand brushwork, landscapes, tea garden scenery, calligraphy and paintings is becoming more and more popular.
(4) There are two new development trends in tea product packaging. First, tea products using innocent-looking spokespersons are popular, such as tea gift bags from Shaanxi Wuzi Green Tea Company and calendar films from the Beijing Seven Sisters Tea Group. Second, tea packaging or tea company logos will become more and more simple, but "simple but not simple." For example, the promotional pictures of Shengtang Ancient Inn on the "Beijing Characteristic Teahouse Map" are only black and white, but they are elegant and "eye-catching".
(5) Gift tea is particularly suitable for small packaging. Since the reform and opening up nearly 30 years ago, people's consumption power has improved, and their consumption concepts have also changed greatly. They are increasingly paying attention to the consumption concept of "less but better". Teas in 50g, 100g and 150g packages (especially gift tea) are becoming more and more popular. Olympic gift tea will be even more so.
(6) Practical elements should be added to tea packaging. According to international practice, the beneficial ingredients of the product, shelf life, usage and storage common sense, etc. must be included. This must be achieved for tea products bearing the Olympic logo. Moreover, it is best to have explanations in foreign languages.
A few years ago, the author saw a bag of Indian tea. There was a round transparent white plastic "window" on the colorful plastic packaging bag. My first impression was "a living advertisement! The quality of this tea is guaranteed." Thinking of my country's Olympic tea products, can we learn from them appropriately?
3. Improve the price
How to price Olympic tea products well?
According to a survey by the Tea Industry Development Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing consumers’ gift-giving expenditures are relatively concentrated in four price ranges: 100 yuan-150 yuan, 350 yuan-400 yuan, and 850 yuan-900 yuan. , 1950-2000 yuan. In this regard, seasonal factors and relationship factors have a certain impact; there is not much difference between personal consumption and gift-giving expenditures, personal gifts and workplace gifts; the price level of foreigners' habitual gift-giving expenditures and the trend of gift price changes in 2008 need to be strengthened investigation research and forecast analysis .
Based on the current situation analysis, consumers’ enthusiasm and support for Olympic tea products must be fully taken into account when pricing. The average pricing level should be acceptable to middle- and low-income people. A more appropriate price strategy is to focus on medium and low prices, supplemented by high-end tea gifts. The specific suggestions are:
(1) Ordinary packaged tea and loose tea. This type of tea product should be a single product; the price should be mainly 50 yuan - 100 yuan; the tea amount should be 100 grams or 250 grams.
(2) Gift tea. Gift tea should be a comprehensive tea product; the price should be 100 yuan - 150 yuan, 350 yuan - 400 yuan (including non-tea fashion gifts); the amount of tea is mainly 50 grams, 100 grams, and 150 grams. The price of high-end tea gifts should be mainly 850 yuan to 900 yuan.
(3) Price elasticity. Usually, the psychological endurance of consumers who are more sensitive to prices is relatively low. As far as the Beijing area is concerned, areas with high sensitivity to tea product prices include Shunyi, Changping, Shijingshan, Xuanwu, Chongwen, etc., and tea product prices can be relatively low; conversely, tea product prices can be relatively low in Xicheng, Dongcheng, Chaoyang, Haidian and other districts. It can be relatively high.
4. Expand sales channels
In the sales of Olympic tea products, there must be a sense of worry and active promotion awareness of "the emperor's daughter is also worried about getting married". On this basis, sales channel expansion and sales method optimization are most important.
(1) Sales channels.
The sales of Olympic tea products must not only rely on existing wholesale and retail channels, but also strive to develop new marketing channels.
First, sales in chain stores of famous tea companies. Famous tea companies have high visibility and reputation, and have many stores. They are particularly suitable to use these advantages to promote Olympic tea products. As of August 31, 2006, there were more than 568 Tianfu teahouses (nationwide), Wu Yutai had 129 teahouses, Zhang Yiyuan had 93 teahouses; Mingren had 6 teahouses, Mingdu and Mingxiang each had 5 teahouses, and Biluxuan There are 4 of them, and there are 3 of them in Bishuidanshan. If they can obtain Olympic product sales qualifications, these good tea houses and teahouses will become the main sales channels for Olympic tea products.
The second is counter sales. Counter sales are one of the main sales methods for famous brand products, and should also become one of the main sales methods for Olympic tea products. Priority can be given to large and well-known commercial enterprises for setting up counters, such as shopping malls such as Beijing Lufthansa, Scitech, Department Store, Xindong'an, Urban and Rural, and supermarkets such as Wumart, Carrefour, Wal-Mart, and IKEA. At the same time, you can also cooperate with famous teahouses. For example, ten good teahouses were selected, simple and bright counters or display cabinets were uniformly customized, and LG, spotlights, rotation and other means were comprehensively used to actively display and sell Olympic tea products.
The third is industry sales. In the past, the most successful sales in the industry were summer tea, and the better times were the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. Judging from the sales of Olympic tea products, finance, real estate, IT, tourism, foreign trade, petroleum, coal, civil aviation, railways and other industries are the first choices. The offices of various provinces, cities and counties in Beijing and the offices of large foreign companies in Beijing also have great purchasing power and can promote Olympic tea products by analogy with key industries.
The fourth is online sales. In the era of knowledge economy, online sales are an important marketing method. Its development speed is fast and its space is large. Although there are still some issues that need to be improved in terms of settlement methods, physical samples, logistics and distribution, etc., its low cost, high efficiency, internationalization and other advantages have gradually attracted more and more tea companies. For example, since 2004, the growth rate of products sold by Shaanxi Wuzi Green Tea Co., Ltd. through the Internet has exceeded 50%. Among them, more than 90% of international trade is realized through online sales.
The fifth is pre-dinner tea sales. Around 2000, Guangzhou tea people were the first to seize the business opportunity of pre-dinner tea. Over the years, pre-dinner tea has developed rapidly in Guangdong, Shanghai, Shandong, Beijing and other places. Experience shows that medium and low-priced green tea, scented tea, oolong tea, Kuding tea, etc. are more suitable for pre-dinner tea. Currently, 112 three-star or above hotels and a certain number of restaurants in Beijing are qualified to provide accommodation and catering for Olympic participants. This can become the main channel for selling Olympic pre-dinner tea (including tea bags).
Sixth is holiday sales. Before the Olympic Games is held in August 2008, there will be many good sales opportunities such as May Day, National Day, Mid-Autumn Festival, New Year's Day, and Spring Festival. Among them, the sales achieved by Beijing Maliandao tea merchants during New Year's Day and Spring Festival can account for 30-40% of the annual sales. The significance of Olympic tea product holiday sales can be seen from this. Moreover, the Olympic Games itself contains huge business opportunities, and the high gold content of Olympic tea products can give Olympic tea products better prospects for holiday sales.
Seventh is conference sales. Conference sales are an important way of group purchase sales of tea products, and can also become an important sales channel for Olympic tea products. Work meetings of large units at the beginning and end of each year, academic conferences hosted by large hotels during the Beijing tourist season, business travel conferences, etc. are all suitable for selling Olympic tea products, especially Olympic tea gifts.
Related to this are the numerous tea culture festivals and tea expos held in Beijing every spring and autumn, which is also a good time to sell Olympic tea products. Such as Badachu Garden Tea Culture Festival, International Tea Expo, Zhang Yiyuan Tea Culture Festival, etc.
The eighth is hotel sales. In the past, some of the free teabags provided in guest rooms of Beijing's star hotels were "high broken" or "high end". In recent years, things have started to improve. Many hotels provide bar-shaped green tea and black tea bags for free. Some place better green tea, Tieguanyin tea, and Pu'er tea in the guest rooms for guests to consume for a fee, and some also provide special tea sets for free.
Importantly, the current practice has been recognized by both hotel operators and consumers, which has laid a good foundation for the sales of Olympic tea products.
Of course, competition will be fierce when selling Olympic tea products in hotels. Moreover, most foreign athletes and coaches have adapted to the fast-paced life and are familiar with canned drinks; those who like to drink tea mainly drink black tea; those who are willing to try Pu'er tea may not use Pu'er knives; they are interested in tea products, but Don’t know Chinese; etc. Therefore, Olympic tea product suppliers must be fully prepared and strive to be more detailed and better in terms of quality, price, service and other aspects.
Ninth is sales in schools and surrounding areas. The students’ consumption power is obvious and highly sustainable. In recent years, tea drinks such as Master Kong, Tongyi, and Wahaha have become more popular among students. In addition, Olympic tea products such as tea ice cream, tea fragrant plum, tea chocolate, tea biscuits, etc. are more suitable for students as the main consumer groups, and are mainly sold in schools and surrounding areas.
Tenth is bundling sales with related companies. In recent years, with the support of the People's Government of Xuanwu District, Beijing, Tongrentang Pharmacy and Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant have gone abroad, and Zhang Yiyuan Tea Company has gone wherever they go. Several well-known Chinese brand products are sold in the same store, complementing each other's advantages and developing together. Zhang Yiyuan's experience in low-cost expansion and the related practices of Lao She Teahouse mentioned earlier in this article can serve as reference for the sales of Olympic tea products.
The eleventh day is overseas sales. More than 80% of consumers in the world like to drink black tea, and tea bags are more popular. In recent years, overseas sales of China’s famous green tea, oolong tea, Pu’er tea, etc. have also increased. On this basis, the export sales of Olympic tea products should be mainly bagged black tea, and appropriately increase the sales of Gongfu black tea. At the same time, we actively arrange for the export of combined tea gifts (such as Qihong tea bags and tea stamps), and strive to expand the share of Olympic tea products in mainstream sales channels such as overseas supermarkets, large shopping malls, star hotels, and high-end residential areas.
(2) Promotional methods. There are many promotion methods and precautions for Olympic tea products. This article only puts forward the following five points for reference.
First, promote Chinese tea as a whole and launch the main promotional slogan for Olympic tea products. The person in charge of the Beijing Tourist Hotel Golden Key Organization told the author that more and more foreign friends are asking them about where to buy tea. This is undoubtedly a positive factor for Olympic tea products. The problem is that our country does not yet have an international tea brand like "Lipton". How can we help foreign friends remember Chinese tea? In the process of establishing a famous Chinese tea brand, you can first vigorously promote "Hua Tea" or "Chinese Tea". Then, gradually integrate tea industry resources to create a famous brand of Chinese tea.
As we all know, the 2008 Beijing Olympics is a once-in-a-lifetime historical opportunity to build the Chinese tea brand. In the overall promotion of Chinese tea and Chinese tea brand building, the main slogan is very important. China's tea industry does not yet have classic advertising slogans such as "20 this year, 18 next year" and "Where there are mountains, there must be roads, and where there are roads, there must be Toyota cars", but there are already "Chinese tea, Zhang Yiyuan" (Zhang Yiyuan Tea Company), "Across three centuries, good tea remains the same" (Wu Yutai Tea Company) and other better corporate slogans. Now, we need to brainstorm and launch an advertising slogan that has the characteristics of the times and the industry and represents the entire Olympic tea product.
To this end, the author put forward two sentences: "Tea brings you health and beauty" and "Beijing Olympics, tea art adds glory", hoping to be selected.
The second is to compose and sing an anthem containing tea elements for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Olympic songs are one of the most important components of Olympic culture. They run through the entire revival process of the Olympic movement. The beautiful melodies of Olympic songs have become the most eye-catching highlights of all previous Olympic Games. The song "Hand in Hand" performed at the 1988 Seoul Olympics became very popular and became an important element in the success of the Olympic Games.
In view of this, the author composed the lyrics of "Five Rings Tea Song" for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: "The Fuwa has come to announce the good news, the Olympic Games are coming to our home. After realizing the same dream, let's taste a big bowl of tea again." After composing the music, we solicit extensive opinions and strive for excellence.
Then, children from the Children's Palace in Dongcheng District and Beijing Children's Palace in Beijing, where children's tea art activities are well developed, were invited to take the lead in singing the song and strive to popularize it.
The third is to actively cultivate and launch image spokespersons for tea products. In recent years, film and television stars such as Chen Daoming, Guan Zhilin, Stephen Chow, and Liu Xiaoqing have become image spokespersons for tea products, which is a good start. Olympic tea products must do a better job in this area.
Regarding the sources of image spokespersons for Olympic tea products, they mainly include film and television stars, students from tea science or tea art colleges, and employees of tea companies; they can also be recruited from the society as appropriate. It is understood that the better tea art professional colleges include Nanchang Women's Vocational School, Hangzhou Huayun Vocational School, Shaanxi Xixiang Secondary Tea School, Beijing Business School, Beijing Automobile Industry Technical School, Huangshan Tea School, Beijing Foreign Affairs Vocational High School, Wuyuan Tea school etc.
The fourth is tea product sales, with tea art performances taking the lead. Practice shows that many consumers start to like tea after watching tea art performances; many tea expos use tea art performances to attract consumers' attention, and tea artists make tea and promote tea at the booths, and sales are generally better. Therefore, the Olympic tea art card must be played well in the promotion of Olympic tea products.
The Olympic tea art performance form is refined on the basis of dozens of Chinese tea art performance forms. It is an artistic and standardized way of brewing tea. Among them, the most popular ones among consumers at home and abroad include Zen Tea Tea Ceremony, Tang Dynasty Tea Ceremony, Longxing Eighteen-style Long Mouth Copper Teapot Tea Ceremony, Lei Tea Tea Ceremony, Bridal Tea Tea Ceremony, Children's Respecting the Elderly Tea Tea Ceremony, etc. The Tea Industry Development Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in cooperation with relevant parties, plans to launch original tea arts such as "Confucian Tea Ceremony", "Peaceful Age (Green Tea) Tea Ceremony", and "Spring Breeze Peach and Plum Tea Ceremony" to add glory to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Fifth, mid- to high-end Olympic tea products should implement non-price reduction strategies. There are many consumers who want to buy affordable products and like to buy discounted products, including many foreign consumers. However, the author believes that in the promotion of Olympic tea products, psychological factors such as "China is the origin of tea", "cheap products are not good, good products are not cheap", "high quality and low price", "the one who dares to bid is good tea" It will affect consumers more, especially mid- to high-end consumers.
Therefore, for the affordable tea (low-end tea) among the Olympic tea products, you can "do as the Romans do" and receive appropriate discounts; while for mid-to-high-end tea products, especially tea gifts, it is better to give related physical objects and extend services and cultural rewards and other methods to encourage consumers to buy, rather than discount sales. For example, if you buy 100 yuan of tea, you will get a "Beijing Specialty Tea House Schematic" as a gift; if you buy 1,000 yuan of tea, you will get a purple clay pot as a gift; if you buy 50,000 yuan of tea, you will get a tea art training place or a calligraphy and painting as a gift.
Marketing of Olympic tea products is a big battle, and it is also a tough battle. The author believes that with the care and guidance of governments at all levels, leveraging the strength of the national tea industry, learning from international experience, and implementing marketing integration, this battle will be won. In the end, the win-win goal of "Chinese tea serves the Olympics, and the Olympics promotes the power of our tea" is achieved.