99% of brands cannot avoid these ten major anxiety disorders | Anti-anxiety special

Anxiety is a common psychological problem in today's society. In the fiercely competitive market, major brands often face various anxieties and don't know how to deal with them. This article will reveal and analyze the common anxiety problems that brands may face or will face.

In the past year of 2023, "anxiety" was the main theme of the world.

The annual keywords announced by various countries show this sentiment from different dimensions. The Chinese character of the year voted by Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao is "fraud", followed by "war" and "difficulty". Germany's word of the year is "crisis mode", Malaysia's is "expensive", and Japan's is "tax".

China’s “Chinese Language Review 2023” also selected “危机” and “ChatGPT” as international characters and international words, while Taiwan’s annual Chinese character is “缺”, which means lack of money, lack of electricity, and lack of security.

The annual keyword is a concentrated expression of the current state of public life and the mood of the times. Specifically in the brand marketing industry, the Knife Skills Research Institute also deeply feels this anxiety. The market has entered the era of inventory. Traffic, hot products, expansion, growth... are like tight hoops that keep marketers on their toes.

Standing at the starting point of 2024 and looking back at 2023, Daofa Research Institute has summarized the "Top Ten Anxiety Symptoms of Brand Marketing". We do not want to create or exaggerate anxiety, but hope that through these anxieties, we can face the problems and then solve them.

People create the New Year as a time node to relieve anxiety, to leave all the bad things in the past, and to hope that the next year will be better. However, the current difficulties will never really disappear because of the New Year. On the first working day of 2024, we still have to deal with the unfinished schedule of 2023.

Perhaps the best way to get rid of anxiety is not to forget it, but to face it. Just like in the context of the world being in anxiety, the annual domestic word and domestic phrase selected by "Chinese Review 2023" are "vitalization" and "high-quality development" . The opposite of anxiety is progress. The top ten anxious moments may also be the ten breakthrough points for brands to enter the next level.

1. Hotspot Anxiety

In the era of fragmented screens, people only have seven seconds of memory. Brands are afraid of being forgotten, so they constantly look for opportunities to appear in front of users and make their presence felt. Hot spots that naturally attract a lot of attention have become the object of competition for brands, and some brands have also suffered from "hot spot anxiety".

During the World Cup, Messi, who came to China again after six years, was undoubtedly a top star. His first online fan meeting also became the focus of competition among major platforms. On June 14, 2023, Messi was interviewed by CCTV football commentator He Wei and wine anchor Li Xuanzhuo in the Taobao live broadcast room. Kuaishou released the Messi interview video in the form of a live broadcast the day before the Taobao live broadcast, which received 150 million views.

In September, a "team-building business war" among domestic brands can be said to be a concentrated outbreak of "hotspot anxiety".

After the 79-yuan eyebrow pencil incident of Huaxizi became a hot topic, a number of domestic brands smelled an opportunity to turn things around and immediately started fighting mode. Fenghua launched a "79-yuan package", and brands such as Yumeijing, Huoli 28, and White Cat started fancy live broadcasts. Hongxing Erke even launched a team building for domestic brands, eager to catch this overwhelming wealth. There are also some domestic brands that have not enjoyed the dividends and are "seeking attention" on various social platforms, fearing that they will miss the opportunity if they are one step late.

Using hot topics to expand brand awareness is an effective method in itself, but while brands are leveraging the trend, they are also conveying their values. When domestic product team building becomes a farce of comparing who is cheaper and pulling each other down, there is no winner in this business war.

After the hot topic passed, the one that people really remembered was the white elephant that did not participate in the team building at that time. The reason for this is that another top-tier brand, Zibo BBQ, has already taught brands a good lesson - under the appearance of sudden popularity, long-term refined operations are the fundamental driving force for long-term success.

2. Value Anxiety

In the Huaxizi incident, Li Jiaqi's words "How is it expensive?" triggered a massive Internet outcry and exposed the value crisis of domestic products. From cosmetics, milk tea to down jackets, none of them escaped the question of "Why are they so expensive?"

The market that was still shouting "consumption upgrade" two years ago has now jumped off a cliff into the era of cost-effectiveness. Expensiveness has become a sin, and how to set prices has become a problem that troubles many brands.

When we go back to the starting point of the high-endization of brands a few years ago, we will find that price increases are full of bubbles. When brands appear in TV dramas and variety shows and hire spokespersons, the marketing budgets spent are ultimately paid by consumers. Not to mention that some price increases are just for the sake of high-endization, which is the product of the butt determining the head.

When the bubble dissipates, everything will eventually return to the essence of business. In the context of consumption upgrading in the past, high-end products seemed to be the panacea for new consumption. When the tide recedes, we will find that all price increases that are not based on improving product quality will eventually backfire in another form.

Today's consumers are a generation that has seen truly good things, and are not easily impressed by "conceptually high-end". They want every penny spent to be worth it. Supply chain and products are the real moat.

3. Lifestyle Anxiety

In early April 2023, an acquisition that shook the beauty and skincare industry caused the word "lifestyle" to be mentioned repeatedly. It was the largest acquisition by L'Oréal Group to date, the Australian skincare brand Aēsop, valued at US$2.5 billion. Since then, foreign niche brands such as Le Labo and Freitag have become popular one after another, making the market realize the magic of the word "lifestyle".

In fact, as early as when brands such as Uniqlo and MUJI entered China, lifestyle had already appeared in brand logos and promotional copy on a large scale. But if you ask what lifestyle brands there are in China, you may really need to think about it.

In the marketing circle, the abused lifestyle has almost become another excuse for unclear brand positioning, and some brands use it as a shield for high prices. When people talk about lifestyle, they always describe it as exquisite, individual, and free. But is lifestyle necessarily high-end and niche? What is the Chinese lifestyle? These questions can only be answered when brands truly see how most Chinese people live.

Lifestyle is not an abstract concept, but a concrete existence, just like the famous quotes from writers such as Proust, Faulkner and Fuller on the packaging of Aēsop products.

4. Anxiety about hot selling products

If we want to take stock of the hit products in 2023, the "Sauce Flavor Latte" jointly launched by Luckin Coffee and Moutai must be on the list. At a time when the traffic dividend is disappearing, cross-border collaboration has become a shortcut to create hits. This phenomenon is particularly prominent in the tea beverage industry. According to DT Finance statistics, as of December 23, 2023, 10 mainstream milk tea brands have jointly launched 161 times, which is equivalent to an average of one milk tea brand launching a joint launch every 2 days.

A large number of joint ventures have spawned many hits, but most of them are invalid joint ventures that are lost in the crowd. Everyone wants to find the rules of hot products, but most of the time, hot products are more like metaphysics. In order to alleviate the anxiety of hot products, they can only keep promoting new products and doing joint ventures.

From the successful launch of "Jiangxiang Latte", the Knife Skills Research Institute has summarized a set of effective joint-branding methodologies. The essence of joint-branding is to complement each other's strengths and share what is needed. The joint-branding of Moutai and Luckin Coffee is a perfect collision of high-potential brands and strong kinetic brands. This also inspires brands that the key to effective joint-branding is to clearly position themselves and find brands that match them.

5. Anxiety about Rejuvenation

The other side of the Moutai x Luckin joint venture is Moutai's attempt to attract younger consumers. Since the first batch of Chinese brands entered their thirties, anxiety about attracting younger consumers has become a common symptom. The so-called young people have evolved from the post-80s to the post-90s, and now to the post-00s. Young people are still an unresolved issue for many brands.

In order to capture the main consumer force of the future, some brands have adjusted their organizational structures to allow more young people to participate in business decision-making, while some brands have optimized their product designs to make themselves more in line with young people’s aesthetics.

However, we have to admit that the rejuvenation of many brands is still only superficial. If brands only use labels such as personality and fashion to solidify the stereotype of young people, rejuvenation becomes a false proposition.

To understand young people, we must first understand "people". Labeling them is the biggest misunderstanding of young people. Fashion has a cycle, and emotions are interlinked. In many cases, what really impresses young people is the most simple design and emotion.

How to "resonate" with young people? The popular temples in 2023 give brands some inspiration.

Data from online ticketing platforms show that the number of ticket orders for temple-related scenic spots increased by nearly 50% year-on-year in 2023, of which more than 60% were from the post-80s and post-90s generations. Lama Temple in Beijing, Kaifu Temple in Changsha, and Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou have all become popular check-in spots for young people.

The reason why temples attract young people is that they provide a place for anxious young people to relieve and release their anxiety. No one here will "teach you how to do things". Even if your current life situation will not change after you leave the temple, taking this placebo will give you enough courage to fight life again.

6. Endorsement Anxiety

The number of endorsement failures in 2023 is less than in previous years, and Cai Xukun alone holds up half the sky.

Within a week of the incident, brands that had business cooperation with him, such as vivo, L'Oreal, Nestle China, Vinda, and Tide, quickly deleted all related materials. The luxury brand Prada was even mocked by netizens as the "Chinese entertainment anti-pornography and anti-illegal office" because of its successive scandals with Zheng Shuang, Li Yifeng, and Cai Xukun.

Brand endorsement anxiety is an old problem. Hiring a spokesperson is an important part of a brand's marketing strategy. New brands need to rely on the popularity of spokespersons to open up the market, and mature brands need young faces to change their image. A good spokesperson brings not only sales to the brand, but also enhances the brand's potential.

However, the market environment in recent years has caused some brands to over-pursue sales targets, blurring the role of spokespersons in brand image. Signing short-term endorsements with popular celebrities and taking advantage of the popularity to reap the benefits has become a common practice. However, as the "shortest endorsement record" is constantly being refreshed, it is time for brands to reflect on the endorsement model.

Fortunately, we see more and more brands getting rid of endorsement anxiety and turning to a healthier, long-term endorsement approach. For example, Prada's cooperation with the Chinese women's football team has reversed the direction of public opinion.

7. Anxiety about the trend

In 2023, the trend is a scarce commodity. It is hard to find a big trend, so brands are flocking into niche categories with growth potential, trying to create a trend. Among them, sun protection clothing and assault jackets are typical cases.

With the rise of the outdoor industry, the sales of sun protection clothing and jackets have risen against the trend. The "2023-2029 China Sun Protection Clothing Industry Development Prospects and Investment Strategy Consulting Report" released by the China Economic Industry Research Institute shows that the market size of China's sun protection clothing industry has increased from 45.9 billion yuan in 2016 to 67.5 billion yuan in 2022, with an annual compound growth rate of 5.9%. It is expected that the market size will reach 74.2 billion yuan in 2023.

In addition, China Insights predicts that between 2021 and 2026, China's sun-protective clothing will grow at an annual rate of 9.4%, and will exceed RMB 95.8 billion by 2026. At the same time, the annual average growth rate of the online sun-protective clothing business is 13.0%, reaching RMB 42.8 billion in 2026.

On the Douyin platform, sales of jackets reached 1.131 billion yuan in the first half of 2023, nearly five times that of the first half of last year. Sales for the whole year of 2023 are expected to exceed 2.5 billion yuan.

Faced with these two potential tracks, brands have stepped up their efforts to enter the market. Among them are emerging brands such as Jiaoxia, Jiaoinai, and Moshun, as well as mature brands such as Bosideng, YaYa, and Li Ning that want to find a second growth curve.

As more and more players enter the market, product homogeneity becomes more serious. Almost every brand claims to have "black technology", and the selling points are mainly focused on being washable, thin, and breathable. Interestingly, the same brands that made sunscreen in the summer have started to make jackets in the winter.

When a sun-protective clothing is sold for thousands of yuan, the brand has to answer the soul-searching question from users: Why?

8. Expansion Anxiety

In 2023, Luckin Coffee achieved its goal of opening 10,000 stores, Lelecha and Nayuki successively opened up for franchising, and the tea and coffee industry officially entered the era of competition for 10,000 stores.

Since Zhengxin Chicken Steak was the first to break through 10,000 stores in 2017, Juewei Duck Neck, Mixue Ice City, Wallace, Luckin Coffee, and KFC China have successively achieved this goal. In 2024, who will become the next brand with 10,000 stores will also become the focus of attention.

Kudi Coffee, Nova Coffee, and Starbucks have all set a goal of opening 10,000 stores, and brands such as Bawang Chaji, Mo Yogurt, and Shanghai Auntie are also accelerating their store openings. In addition to coffee and tea, mass-market snacks are also expanding rapidly.

On December 18, the Snacks Group and Zhao Yiming Snacks strategically merged to form a new group with more than 6,500 stores. In 2023, Snacks opened 1,000 stores in 4 months, and the total number of Zhao Yiming Snacks stores nationwide exceeded 3,000. Some institutions predict that in the future, the number of mass-market snack stores nationwide may reach 80,000, or even exceed 100,000.

At the same time, a number of brands have fallen because they ran too fast. The closure of Hutouju triggered a market reflection, and Zhengxin Chicken Steak, which once had more than 22,000 stores, also began to close stores on a large scale. Currently, there are only 11,000+ stores left, returning to the situation six years ago overnight.

Running fast is a good thing, but if the supply chain and store management capabilities cannot keep up, it may be a disaster.

9. AI Anxiety

"Chinese Review 2023" and the British Collins Dictionary both selected ChatGPT and AI as the words of the year. Collins Dictionary commented: "AI's imitation of human language is fascinating, but it also causes anxiety."

Indeed, the emergence of ChatGPT has not only stirred up the whole world, but also triggered an unprecedented career anxiety in the marketing industry. Before 2023, AI replacing humans was still a distant prophecy, but now, it has become an invisible colleague of many marketers.

It is difficult for us to predict the capabilities of AI, but what is certain is that every technological change will replace old jobs while creating a large number of new jobs. Instead of being anxious, it is better to embrace it.

10. Platform Anxiety

The platform promotions in 2023 are a little quieter than in previous years, but the good show of live streaming e-commerce continues.

In May, the emergence of Dong Jie and Zhang Xiaohui not only created the best results for Xiaohongshu in more than three years since the launch of live streaming e-commerce, but also allowed brands to see the possibility of "making money while standing" in the live streaming room without relying on low-price promotions.

In August, Dongfang Zhenxuan fled to Douyin, and the competition between the platform and the super head for traffic was brought to the table. Dongfang Zhenxuan insisted on building its own platform. Douyin did not want it to dominate the market, nor did it want to lose this ready-made source of traffic. After several rounds of tug-of-war, the two sides finally maintained superficial peace.

Faced with the frustration of merchants that "traffic is becoming more and more expensive", major platforms are trying to tell new stories. Scientific marketing, product-effect integration, and global growth have been talked about for a whole year. Let's look forward to what new words will appear in 2024.

No matter at which point in time, as long as the brand wants to move forward, anxiety will always accompany it. The Knife Skills Research Institute planned an "anti-anxiety" topic at the beginning of 2024, hoping that brands can face anxiety and go against the current. In the next two days, we will share real cases of how brand operators face anxiety and find a way out from the two dimensions of "pricing" and "co-branding".

Author: Jingmin

Source: Knife Skills Research Institute (ID: DigipontClub)