Wufangzhai uses marketing to attract young people to follow the "traditional" trend!

Wufangzhai, a century-old Chinese time-honored brand, has successfully attracted the attention of the younger generation through innovative marketing strategies. This article deeply analyzes how Wufangzhai transformed itself from the king of zongzi to an advocate of Chinese seasonal food through new product launches, joint cooperation, content marketing and other means.

In the context of the acceleration of new trends, the first challengers in the food and beverage industry are the classic brands that have been deeply rooted in the market for many years. They not only have to face "brand problems" such as inaccurate corporate positioning, unclear image, and declining popularity and consumer loyalty, but also have to consider how to connect with young consumers and how to compete with the current popular new consumer brands.

However, among the many brands that have tried to renew themselves, the one that impressed me the most recently is Wufangzhai. In this Internet age where attention is highly fragmented, it is difficult to attract the attention of young people. However, Wufangzhai has transformed from the former "king of zongzi" to today's "advocate of Chinese festival food" through one successful case after another.

It has made Qingtuan, a seasonal snack from the Jiangnan region, a new internet celebrity popular among young people; and it has made Zongzi, a "special offer" for the Dragon Boat Festival, a new choice for daily purchase and gifting to relatives and friends.

Although many of Wufangzhai's hit cases are worthy of praise, from a time perspective, we can find that there is a clear thread behind these marketing actions. It is this marketing thread that connects all the seemingly scattered gameplays and leaves consumers with a unified perception.

Today, let’s talk about this in detail.

01 New products and joint ventures take the first step

Launching new products and co-branding is the first step for traditional brands to communicate with young people. In the process of renewal of time-honored brands, the successful paths of many new consumer brands have become references for them to learn from. For example, Wang Xiaolu entered the snack market favored by young people through small packages of tiger skin chicken feet, and Dezhou Braised Chicken also launched a sub-brand "Lu Xiaoji". After various mixed coffees became popular, Tongrentang also launched health-preserving "Chinese medicine coffee".

These strategies that meet the needs can indeed attract a lot of attention in a short period of time. However, in the food and beverage industry with many brands and investment institutions, it is not enough to just follow the trend. Wufangzhai mentioned in an interview that they are not only concerned about brands that young people like, but also not limited to the same category or industry. They have studied the content marketing and product design of Perfect Diary, learned the oriental cultural meanings conveyed by Li Ziqi, and learned some youthful expressions from UP hosts on Bilibili.

Therefore, Wufangzhai's rejuvenation is not just superficial, but a thorough transformation from the inside out, a rejuvenation in "content". Simply put, they did not regard many rejuvenation strategies as "explosive points", but as "infrastructure". Whether in Wufangzhai's stores, online stores, or official accounts on major social platforms, the overall impression they give is very young. We can always see many high-value new products and joint collaborations with major brands. When these strategies are frequent enough, the scattered reach and curiosity about the brand will also leave a unified perception in multiple reinforcements.

02 Use cases to break traditional cognition

Wufangzhai, which originated in 1921, was once known as the "king of zongzi". However, in recent years, Wufangzhai's exploration in marketing has gone far beyond "selling more zongzi". They are committed to becoming the "initiator of Chinese seasonal delicacies" and hope to create a food kingdom that includes zongzi, moon cakes, qingtuan and other Chinese seasonal delicacies. The current business environment is different from the past, and the "positioning" of the brand that is delivered one-way is difficult to be fully accepted by consumers.

Positioning is the starting point, and consensus is the goal. In short, no matter how many times Wufangzhai claims to be the "initiator of Chinese seasonal food", it will be ineffective. Only when most consumers think of Wufangzhai when buying seasonal food, this brand positioning will really take effect. So, how did Wufangzhai transform positioning into consensus? To sum it up in one sentence, it is to reach out and communicate repeatedly.

Specifically, there are many ways to achieve this, such as celebrity endorsement, expert promotion, cross-border joint ventures, etc. However, Wufangzhai chose a very time-consuming and long-term strategy, which is to arouse discussion through the "unprofessional" Wufang Pictures, so that everyone can get to know the brand again in the process of discussing these popular short films.

Looking back, Wufangzhai entered the public eye with a youthful image starting with the Double Ninth Festival advertisement in 2018. They re-edited an advertisement using the retro style of the 1980s, coupled with simple and humorous copywriting that was both online and simple. Adding classic elements such as frog-eye glasses, afro hair, and floral shirts in the short film, the short film quickly became popular online. After the "1989 Documentary" became popular, Wufangzhai continued to follow the retro route. They set the scene of the 2019 Spring Festival advertisement in the Republic of China era, using the appearance of celebrities such as Lu Xun and Ruan Lingyu to string together a New Year scene in the Republic of China.

After successfully leaving young people with the impression of "playfulness and fun", Wufang Pictures continued to launch a series of creative short films. From "Time Ridge Guesthouse" in 2019, "Looking for Li Xiaofen" in 2021, "Conical Universe" in 2022, to "Back to the Golden Age" last year and the recent "World Model", Wufangzhai has built itself into an IP with continuous content, turning seasonal delicacies such as zongzi into cultural symbols. When everyone becomes interested in the brand, they will also find Wufangzhai's solid infrastructure, which is the second step in the brand's rejuvenation.

03 Use trendy packaging to convey cultural content

Wrap the cultural connotation with trendy appearance to meet the higher demands of consumers.

If we review Wufangzhai’s marketing strategies in recent years, we will find that every step of the brand has a clear idea. The “shell” of those popular cases can be nostalgia for history, thinking about the metaverse, and reflection on artificial intelligence. No matter how novel and eye-catching these shells are, the “connotation” is a tribute to traditional food culture and respect for consumers. This way of communication is very humane.

As a time-honored brand that hopes to be recognized by young people and wants to revitalize, Wufangzhai has always been at the forefront of brand marketing, striving to make more consumers feel the brand's youthful attitude. At the same time, as a time-honored Chinese brand, Wufangzhai has been committed to inheriting and promoting festival culture, actively participating in and leading many folk activities, allowing more people to feel the charm of traditional festivals, which is also a key step in Wufangzhai's rejuvenation.

Wufangzhai has long realized that traditional ways of celebrating festivals are unlikely to leave a deep visual and taste memory for the public, and that traditional food without innovation lacks appeal in an era of material abundance. Therefore, from the very beginning, the brand wanted to combine traditional charm with a young attitude. They actively reshape the charm of traditional festivals, hoping to make more young consumers feel good about traditional festivals and seasonal food, and meet the diverse needs of different people for seasonal food.

Final Words

In the process of rejuvenation, Wufangzhai did not fall into the dilemma of conservatism and stagnation, nor did it abandon its century-old accumulation as a burden, but instead made a unique interpretation of "keeping the orthodoxy and creating surprises" - the brand first built a distinct brand foundation, then continued to "communicate" around a unified theme, and at the same time let consumers see the cultural "core" under the trendy "shell". These three complement each other, just like human bones, muscles and blood, and ultimately created this flesh-and-blood, perceptible time-honored brand.

Although many of Wufangzhai's communication strategies can be imitated, they dare to break through the previous content style, continue to spread traditional culture while rejuvenating the brand, and create a unique content marketing system. This kind of courage and courage is indeed unique. Under the influence of Wufangzhai, more time-honored brands are also expected to create their own new world in the new consumption era.