CBN Friday Special丨Coffee with a kick takes China’s coffee wars to a whole new level

China Business Now李莹亮 2023-09-08 20:54

感受中国泛经济脉搏,畅谈最新最有趣的商业话题。

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Luckin Coffee is once again creating a stir with an unusual offering to capture the attention of Chinese coffee drinkers: lattes with a nip of Kweichow Moutai’s baijiu.

The coffee chain partnered with China’s luxury liquor maker to launch an alcohol-infused coffee drink, the so-called “sauce-flavored latte.” The “sauce” in the name is an apparent reference to the slightly savory notes of Moutai’s liquor that has been compared by some drinkers to soy sauce.

Luckin Coffee hailed the success of its new collaboration with Kweichow Moutai, with more than 5.42 million cups of its baijiu-infused latte sold in its debut and sales hitting 100 million yuan a day, setting a new sales record for the Chinese coffee chain. 

The Moutai-infused latte is sold at a reduced 19 yuan opening day price, which mirrors its wider marketing strategy of attracting customers via significant discounts. The beverage’s standard price is set at 38 yuan.  

The latte, emblazoned with the iconic Moutai logo, contains less than 0.5 percent (alcohol by volume) of 53 degree Moutai, and soon became one of the most discussed topics on Chinese social media with people curious about how traditional Chinese liquor would taste with coffee.

In Beijing, the Moutai-flavored latte sold out in some Luckin Coffee locations before midday. And many had to shut down their online ordering system as orders surged.

Staff members at a Luckin Coffee branch in Chaoyang district in Beijing said that the majority of orders they had received on Monday morning were for the Moutai-flavored latte. "The number of orders is scary," said a barista at Luckin.

Less than four days after the Moutai coffee swept China’s social media by a storm, Luckin had to suspend sales of the new product for a couple of days as people kept flocking to grab a cup and caused a temporary shortage in the liquor-infused raw material. 

Luckin said late Thursday that it had to place an “emergency” order of Kweichow Moutai’s signature liquor “Feitian”, the key ingredient in making its sauce-flavor latte. 

The buzz over the new flavor has incited heated discussions on China’s social media, as people have been sharing their reactions after trying the latte, with most agreeing that the aroma of the baijiu is very strong. 

Some said they even felt dizzy after drinking the coffee because of its alcohol content. Some joked that the new mashup would keep them "drunk and alert" at the same time.

Many users also wondered if it was safe to consume on the go. The question “Can we drive a car after drinking that Moutai coffee?” was the number one subject on social network Weibo on Monday, with 430 million views.

Although each cup has just a tiny fraction of liquor, the company suggests that drivers, teenagers and pregnant women should refrain from drinking the latte.

As reported by local media after testing with traffic police, it is likely to be taken as drunk driving in an alcohol breath test if one consumes a cup of the liquor latte. On Monday, an officer from the Beijing Traffic Administration Bureau also asked people not to drive, no matter how much alcohol is actually in the latte.

Moutai’s long game

The Moutai latte created curiosity, wide social media discussion and a peek into why young consumers embrace new flavors and new product types.

Spirits with low alcohol percentages, such as those around 10 percent, are most welcomed by the young generation, and the combination of soft drinks and spirits brings huge demand for new product innovation, according to a recent study by Ries Positioning Strategy Consulting China.

Industry watchers suggest that new beverage flavors and fresh experiences have beefed up spending and provided a strong boost for the overall service segment.

In its bid to win over younger customers, Kweichow Moutai has run snazzy marketing campaigns in recent years, such as by rolling out Moutai ice-cream, figurines, scented sachets, canvas bags and other cultural creative products.

In May 2022, Moutai cooperated with dairy producer Mengniu Dairy to launch three flavors of ice creams – plum, vanilla and milk – in small tubs. Each tub of 75-78 grams contains around 2 percent of Moutai and sells for between 59 and 66 yuan.

Alcoholic ice cream is only the beginning of Kweichow Moutai’s diversification process: At the Annual General Meeting, board chairperson Ding Xiongjun declared that the company is ready to move into the healthcare industry and into services for the care of the elderly. The company also launched a culture and tourism subsidiary that is actively developing new products, festivals, and tourism promotions.

Deeply embedded in China’s banqueting culture, this old-school favorite used to have a hard time staying relevant in the Gen-Z. 

Kweichow Moutai has an unquestionable place in Chinese history. Known for its mellow taste and lingering fragrance, the traditional distilled spirit dates back to the Liao Dynasty (907-1125), according to the latest archaeological finds at the Da'an distillery site in northeast Jilin Province.

The clear, potent spirit has been dubbed “firewater,” thanks to its strong taste. The red-and-white bottles of Moutai’s flagship product, “Feitian,” or “Flying Fairy,” are a staple at Chinese banquets and business events.

Moutai’s prominence in this ubiquitous aspect of Chinese white collar culture has helped ensure its success. Kweichow Moutai is currently the world’s most valuable spirits company, valued at 2.28 trillion yuan. The brand’s iconic limited edition bottle designs have made it a highly sought after collector’s item, fetching up to USD40,000 at major auction houses. 

So why does such a successful brand need to innovate in its marketing campaigns? 

In day-to-day life, Kweichow Moutai is most often seen as part of China’s banqueting culture, or “jiuzhuo” culture, a type of networking event on the lavish dinner table. In these formal business dinners, successive rounds of competitive drinking of baijiu take place as a way for attendees to show respect for important clients or high-ranking colleagues.

Clearly, not everyone appreciates the banquet culture behind this unique spirit, as banqueting is losing its luster with young people, who see “jiuzhuo” as an arena of power-play, a boy’s club where female employers are left out. 

Also, some consumers, especially Gen Z, flinch from it because of its strong taste, the research firm Ipsos said in its 2021 baijiu consumption report after surveying people aged from 18 to 34. Several shots of baijiu may make drinkers, especially those not used to strong spirits, feel light-headed and go unconscious.

Research by CBNData in 2020 found "health" and "tipsy" are the key terms about alcohol for younger drinkers. They enjoy the sense of fun that comes with moderate drinking, which lets them party longer.

Many famous baijiu brands, including Kweichow Moutai and Wuliangye Yibin, are too expensive for young consumers too. For example, Moutai's official mobile app, iMaotai, shows that 100 milliliters of Moutai's classic Feitian 53-percent liquor costs 399 yuan.

But it is not easy to buy it at the original price because the quantity provided on the app is limited every day and demand exceeds supply. The price is hundreds of yuan higher on unofficial channels.

Online retailer JD shop said in a recent report consumers aged between 21 and 35 who bought baijiu during the first quarter of this year on the platform only account for 23 percent of buyers.

But the report also said there is an increasing number of young adults being attracted to baijiu. CBNData says the younger generation has huge market potential.

Moutai clearly needs to forge brand associations beyond banqueting in the eyes of young people and accelerates its brand rejuvenation. In this vein, the brand has made attempts to appear dynamic and trend-oriented.

In another attempt after releasing the liquor-infused ice-cream, the baijiu giant forayed into the metaverse with an app game which was jointly developed with the country’s technology company NetEase, allowing users to fully embrace the joy of making their own liquor in the virtual world. The smartphone app Xunfeng Digital World on January 1st topped the iOS free apps chart and garnered more than 1 million registered users within 3 days. 

Moutai has been tapping into the digital industry since last year, releasing the iMoutai app which offered a lottery-drawing experience for consumers with random opportunities to purchase the label’s alcoholic beverages. iMoutai once caused a buying frenzy attracting more than 2.3 million consumers who participated last April.

In fact, makers of baijiu have even more reason to dive into product innovation and marketing that particularly target younger population. Brands have adapted to these changing consumer habits, taking pains to market their drinks not just to wealthy middle-aged people, but to youngsters active on social media and on the hunt for new trends. 

They have unveiled crossover products, like baijiu-flavored confectionery and even baijiu-themed hotels, and tried to break down the barriers of drinking tradition and etiquette to promote the idea that baijiu is a symbol of fun and can resonate with more relaxed drinking environments younger drinkers tend to enjoy.

As Kweichow Moutai becomes less reliant on traditional business culture and formal banquets, by working with Luckin Coffee, which surpasses Starbucks as the largest coffee house operator in China, Moutai has made its brand younger and has generated more opportunities to develop its extended product portfolio for younger consumers in the future.

In fact, both brands need to keep growing amid a slowing economy, especially Kweichow Moutai, for which its product typically retails at around 1500 yuan and is traditionally enjoyed when celebrating good times. By driving into an everyday occasion, there is an important opportunity to normalize the brand in the glow of Luckin’s affordability and convenience. 

Whether the Moutai latte will be remembered a textbook co-branding case, time will be the judge.

瑞幸,又赢麻了。

刷屏朋友圈的酱香拿铁,迅速成为年轻人本周最时尚的单品。

9月4日,贵州茅台与瑞幸咖啡推出的联名咖啡“酱香拿铁”正式开卖,销售火爆,引发广泛关注。

在社交网络上刷屏一天后,9月5日上午,瑞幸咖啡公布了“酱香拿铁”上市首日的“战绩”——“酱香拿铁单品首日销量突破542万杯,单品首日销售额突破1亿元”。

当天,“酱香拿铁”、“瑞幸回应喝茅台联名咖啡能否开车”、“满杯茅台去咖啡液”、“瑞幸客服回应酱香拿铁不加咖啡液”等多个相关话题冲上微博热搜。在抖音上,“起猛了看到瑞幸茅台联名了”登上了种草榜TOP1;在小红书上,有网友发笔记表示,下单等了3小时都没拿到咖啡,还有自称是瑞幸员工的网友发帖称,上班一天,手都没有停过,一直在做酱香拿铁,根本做不完。

据媒体报道,“酱香拿铁”使用白酒风味厚奶,含53度贵州茅台酒,酒精度低于0.5%。零售价38元/杯,使用优惠券后预计19元/杯。

一时间,网络上关于这块爆款拿铁的梗满天飞。有人喜欢:“美酒加咖啡,一杯接一杯”“年轻人的第一杯茅台”。也有人喝不习惯:“第一口幻觉像是喝了玫瑰腐乳汁”“喝起来有一种昨晚宿醉今早又不得不上班,点了一杯咖啡强行提神,但每喝一口肚子里都是反出来昨晚淡淡的白酒的感觉”。

更有甚者,网传图片中还有消费者下单后在后台留言“请去冰去糖去咖啡液”。显然,人人都关注酱香拿铁“含茅量”究竟有多少。

“每杯都含有贵州茅台酒”是酱香拿铁产品页面的宣传信息,宣传海报上出现的酒为市场售价超过3000元的53度飞天茅台酒。

贵州茅台党委书记、董事长丁雄军也在发布会上表示,这次与瑞幸咖啡合作开发的酱香拿铁,每杯都添加了茅台酒,实现了浓郁酱香和咖啡醇香的融合。

9月4日晚间,瑞幸咖啡发布了一条“酱香拿铁原料生产全记录”的视频。画面中显示了贵州茅台酒到仓、开封、专业装灌装生产等过程,视频中最后出现了网络上被广泛传播的“白酒风味厚奶”产品。瑞幸咖啡显然是想通过此举证明厚奶中是添加了真的茅台。

从网络流传的白酒风味厚奶配料表来看,含生牛乳、炼乳、稀奶油、白砂糖、无水奶油、乳粉、氢化椰子油、果葡糖浆、水、白酒、食品用香精等。配料表中有白酒的身影,但未标注白酒含量。

据瑞幸店员介绍,酱香拿铁的酒精浓度在0.2度到0.3度之间。如果按照这一比例,一杯咖啡480毫升的容量粗略计算,每杯约含1.8-2.7毫升茅台酒。随后,“一杯酱香拿铁含约2毫升茅台酒”登上微博热搜。

酱香拿铁可谓是年轻人的第一杯“茅台”。

据“贵州茅台”微信公号,在瑞幸咖啡×贵州茅台战略合作启动仪式上,茅台集团党委书记、董事长丁雄军表示,联名发布的酱香拿铁,正是围绕“+茅台”,拓展“美生活”产业幅,构建多元化美生态的积极尝试。

瑞幸咖啡联合创始人、董事会主席、董事长兼首席执行官郭谨一称,在过去几个月里,双方团队紧密合作、携手努力,经过多轮严格的产品口味测试和优化调整,才有了今天酱香拿铁的最终问世,“每一杯都含有53度贵州茅台酒,这将是年轻人的第一杯酱香拿铁。”

但不管爱与不爱,的酱香拿铁的热度依然不减。开卖不到4天,9月7日下午,瑞幸咖啡官方微博发布《酱香拿铁断货及补货通知》:由于热度远超预期,目前原料供应不足,多数门店本周内陆续出现售罄。公司已经向贵州茅台紧急采购新一批53度飞天茅台酒。

同时,瑞幸咖啡方面表示,酱香拿铁是瑞幸咖啡和贵州茅台共同推出的战略级长线单品,将长期售卖。

谁蹭了谁的流量?

有人说,瑞幸这波操作下又赢麻了。

自9月4日正式上架以来,“酱香拿铁”持续登上热搜,上市当天就陆续有多个门店出现缺货的情况。现在瑞幸自己也承认本周内将陆续全面缺货。

直观来看,瑞幸“联姻”茅台,是瑞幸“高攀”了,毕竟单纯从售价来看,瑞幸9.9元/杯,而茅台的市场售价近3000元/瓶。

但与其说瑞幸的流量密码是抓住了“年轻人的第一杯”,不如说是茅台作为“酒中贵族”却选择与平价饮品合作,在“仅需19元就可以尝到茅台”的猎奇心理驱动下,真正打开了流量密码。

然而你可能会问,市值近2.3万亿的“巨无霸”,贵州茅台拥有强大IP自带流量,为何要俯身跨界做平价咖啡?

事实上,面对酒桌这个高端白酒的主战场,年轻人已经开始逐渐远离“酒桌文化”。作为世界上最早开始酿酒的国家之一,“酒桌文化”几乎拥有和酒文化一样悠久的历史。但是从历史的角度来看,当代社会的“酒桌文化”逐渐蔓延开来,一轮一轮的劝酒、强制喝酒等行为,已经从“喝酒搞关系”变味成了“不喝酒就该打”的糟粕。

在现代企业内部,抛开经济效益和政治功能后的“酒桌文化”甚至成了一种服从性测试和诚意测试,例如“你不喝就是瞧不起我”的这种酒桌上的道德绑架,成为了一种“酒桌霸凌”的具体体现。

而以茅台为代表的高端白酒,也逐渐成为“酒桌文化”的代名词,让年轻人敬而远之。年轻人已不再是白酒消费的主力。有调查显示,如今,仅有38.6%的年轻人选择白酒。年轻消费者的流失,让白酒行业陷入“中年危机”。

一次股东会上,有人问茅台:现在的90后、00后越来越不喜欢喝白酒了,以后茅台打算怎么办?茅台方面答道:等到00后长大了,到了40岁,他们自然会爱上白酒。

然而,现实的走向并未如茅台所料。从年产量可以看出,我国白酒产量近年来呈现不断下降趋势。根据公开数据,2016年-2021年,我国白酒产量分别为1358.4万千升、1198.1万千升、871.2万千升、785.9万千升、740.7万千升、715.6万千升。可以看出,我国白酒产量峰值在2016年,此后一路下降,2021年的白酒产量较2016年的峰值下降了47.3%。今年上半年,全国规模以上酿酒企业白酒产量达到375.1万千升,同比增长0.4%。其中,3月-6月,白酒产量分别为77.5万千升、57.8万千升、56.3万千升、58.5万千升,总体震荡下降。

于是,为了赢得年轻人的心,贵州茅台正在想尽办法跨界更多的行业。

为了培育真正“接棒”喝茅台的年轻消费群体,茅台把酒加进了冰淇淋。66元一杯加了茅台酒的冰淇淋一经推出就引发了消费者关注,茅台冰淇淋旗舰店每开到一座城市就会引起当地消费者的排队抢购。

数据显示,今年,茅台冰淇淋依旧保持增长之势,总销量近1000万杯。“白酒+”成为营销手段的同时,也成为白酒企业寻求新增长点的方向。

为了触达年轻消费者,丁雄军还表示,贵州茅台还将加大研发酒心巧克力、含酒饮品、棒支、软冰等产品,建立不同类型、不同价位、特色显著的产品矩阵。未来茅台冰淇淋(咖啡、巧克力等)或以统一的阵容成为茅台一个业务分支。

除上述咖啡、冰淇淋之外,有媒体报道,在茅台冰淇淋门店,有的店铺又开发出了含有茅台酒的冰品和甜品,比如,茅台冰淇淋沈阳店推出了茅台珍珠奶茶;深圳店有茅台果茶;同时,青岛店有含茅台冰淇淋的蛋糕,还推出了文创产品,有99元一个的小茅吉祥物,50元一个的贵州茅台单枚标识徽章,还有79元一个的盲盒手办或者钥匙扣等。

这些茅台周边来自茅台文旅,2022年,茅台文旅公司先后推出的10多款茅台文创产品,为茅台集团贡献产值近6亿元。

在今年5月29日举办的茅台冰淇淋上市周年庆典上,丁雄军宣布茅台冰淇淋销量近1000万杯。虽然未直接公布销售额,但按照均价60元/杯的价格来算,茅台冰淇淋一年创造的销售额便达6亿元。相比之下,瑞幸的酱香拿铁一天的营收就高达1亿元。

贵州茅台的第二增长曲线并没有那么成功吗?

其实,对于一年营收超千亿元的贵州茅台而言,跨界带来的销售额只是九牛一毛。酒仍然是茅台营收的大头。茅台集团2023年上半年财报显示,茅台酒营收为592.79亿元,占比为85.20%,系列酒营收为100.74亿元,占比为14.48%,其他业务(主要是酒店业务及茅台冰淇淋业务)营收为2.23亿元,仅占0.32%。

但这些品牌联名活动却能扩大茅台酒的文化影响力,可以被看做是与消费者沟通的一种媒介,是与消费者广泛建立联系的一种通道。“i茅台”正在成为茅台文化和品牌宣传窗口。此外,新规格的小茅台,在最小试错成本、最快速得到消费者反馈的方式下,进行更多销售价格可能性的探索,也将为更多新品推出所需的科学市场决策提供数据支持。

而与饮用茅台酒相比,吃冰淇淋、喝咖啡是一种高频行为,消费者晒一杯酱香咖啡、炫一盒白酒冰淇淋的同时,就是品牌对话年轻人以及未来潜在的消费者,营销思路年轻化和时尚化的尝试,有利于在消费者中积攒品牌知名度与美誉度,这或许才是茅台在品牌联名中看重的部分。

同时,茅台和瑞幸分别是国内白酒和咖啡领域的头部企业,二者的合作也是各取所需,一方面,茅台通过与瑞幸的合作使其品牌年轻化提速,优化产品矩阵。另一方面,对于瑞幸来说,它与茅台的合作也有助于其提升自身在咖啡行业的综合实力与品牌调性。这对于双方整体的流量、销量、品牌和渠道都有较好的加持。

事实上,在真正的行业人士看来,这次热销事件真正的流量密码仅仅在于茅台本身的品牌独特性,加上酱香咖啡价格低廉与茅台酒价格昂贵、白酒与咖啡等形成了较大的冲突效应,共同促成的。

很多人不知道的是,白酒与茶饮之间的联名合作,并非茅台与瑞幸独创。

细说起来,在“如何才能让年轻人接纳白酒”这件事上,一直是白酒存量时代,各大酒企苦苦寻觅,却求而不得的,不料被茅台咖啡“后发制人”。仅茶饮咖啡方面,早在2020年,泸州老窖就跨界与国漫《姜子牙》合作,还与茶百道联名推出奶茶“醉步上道”。今年5月,五粮液也不甘落后,联手永璞咖啡打造的“五两一咖酒馆”正式营业,还推出两款联名咖酒。就在几天前,泸州老窖又跨界奈雪的茶,推出联名开醺礼盒,联名小游戏也同步上线。

对于更多白酒企业而言,想要在存量消费市场更加激烈的竞争中获胜,避免销量与利润不可遏制的下滑趋势,就不得不通过在产品端不断创新迭代和转型,“白酒+”业务既是其吸引年轻人的营销手段,也是各大酒企目前寻求业绩增长点的主要方向。

中国酒业协会6月19日发布《2023中国白酒市场中期研究报告》也指出,在促进白酒产业高质量发展的政策建议方面,报告提及要关注流通模式的创新。其中,包括促进商旅文等跨界融合,加强线下体验消费,打造个性化酒类消费场景,满足不同人群酒类消费升级的需要。

一杯酱香拿铁,双方各有所图。而目前已知的是,瑞幸和茅台都获得了极大的曝光量,瑞幸也获得了实打实的销量。至于斩获年轻消费者这条路似乎也没那么容易,白酒们仍需努力。

Executive Editor: Sonia YU

Editor: LI Yanxia

Host: Stephanie LI

Writer: Stephanie LI 

Sound Editor: Stephanie LI

Graphic Designer: ZHENG Wenjing, LIAO Yuanni

Produced by 21st Century Business Herald Dept. of Overseas News.

Presented by SFC

编委:  于晓娜

策划、编辑:李艳霞 

播音:李莹亮

撰稿:李莹亮,实习生黄青衣、丁越

音频制作:李莹亮

设计:郑文静、廖苑妮

21世纪经济报道海外部 制作

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(作者:李莹亮 编辑:李艳霞)