Xiaoma Song, H&H, Junzhi…Which marketing consulting company is better? Let me tell you what people in the industry think

Different marketing companies have different characteristics. This article summarizes and analyzes the characteristics and marketing of local consulting companies such as Xiaoma Song, Hua & Hua, and Junzhi. Let's take a look.

Recently, people often ask me, Teacher Xu, what do you think of local consulting companies like Xiaoma Song and Hua & Hua?

Are they really that good? Which one is the best?

Today I will systematically talk about my views from the perspective of an industry insider and the differences in their methods.

First of all, leaving aside the clients they serve, there is no doubt that they are the best companies at marketing themselves.

Their approach to marketing themselves can be summarized in the following formula:

A good name + several classic cases + a set of methodologies + founder's IP + content distribution system

look at their names, Xiao Ma Song, Jin Cuo Dao, Hua & Hua, how impressive...

In addition, each of them has several outstanding cases to show off - Xiaoma Song's Dedao, H&H's Mixue Bingcheng, and Junzhi's Feihe milk powder, which are the best endorsements.

Coupled with a systematic methodology, founder IP and content production, this seems to have become the standard for China's marketing consulting industry.

We have to admit that they are all very successful in their own marketing, and this alone is admirable.

The approach of local consulting is also very unique, and it is basically based on marketing, because in China, the leverage of marketing is too great. We can introduce this in detail later.

At the methodological level, each has its own emphasis. Today we will talk about the main core of this.

1. Hua & Hua: Creating Religion

First of all, taking H&H’s super symbol as an example, most people don’t understand what H&H is doing, so they often criticize it.

In fact, H&H is helping brands build religion.

Religion is something very irrational. A strong brand needs something stubborn to make people obey, and the first step to make people obey is to make them think. This is why H&H has created so many controversial cases. From a marketing or brand perspective, it does make people feel too bold sometimes. But in a higher dimension, H&H actually wants to create a consensus and symbol. This method cannot be too obedient, but must be publicized and penetrating. It should not be afraid of ugliness, being scolded, or controversy, but it should be afraid of being too ordinary. As long as it is not ordinary, everything that follows can be constructed. In fact, everyone's discussion is constructing this culture.

So if you look at all of H&H’s marketing strategies, they are exactly the same as religion: a super symbolic logo, an easy-to-recite slogan, and super strong visual elements...

Therefore, every time I watch H&H's cases and live broadcasts, I have an intuitive feeling of being "enlightened", as if the founders, employees, and consumers are being attracted by a mysterious force to recognize this set of symbols. The power of this method will become more far-reaching as time goes by.

This method is based on creativity and the power to touch people's hearts, so it often does not seem so scientific and even does not conform to the principles of traditional marketing.

This method is particularly suitable for categories that have little room for classic market segmentation and brand positioning. In a steady state without technological change, especially for consumer goods, only a surprise attack can muddy the waters. In addition, as a business leader, establishing symbols and religion is very important for the longevity of a brand. Therefore, if I were a boss or business leader who was at a loss, I would choose H&H.

2. Junzhi: inheritance positioning

Junzhi has inherited the general idea of ​​positioning theory, so it is one of the best consulting companies in positioning:

• Feihe milk powder: more suitable for the physique of Chinese babies;
• Yadi electric vehicles: higher-end electric vehicles;
• Guazi used car direct sales website, no middlemen make a profit from the price difference;

They are all master-level operators, and only geniuses can have such courage.

However, there is a flaw in positioning theory, that is, the space for positioning is not infinite, and it will definitely become smaller and smaller. As long as you can protect your profit pool and make a profit, it is no problem to cut into smaller pieces, but the difficulty lies in that sometimes there is really no space to cut, and if there is nothing to cut, many positionings will be very far-fetched. But once you find the right one, it may be a great turnaround for many companies and industries that seem to have no opportunities.

This approach is especially suitable for industry challengers, or the second or third place players who are in danger. For them, victory means defeat, and if they don't win, they will be like a frog in warm water, so they need to give it a try.

3. Xiaoma Song: Both creative and innovative

Xiao Ma Song was born in 4A. Although 4A has been criticized in recent years, as a person who also came from 4A, I have to say - "I am an elite."

Just kidding.

But objectively speaking, the long-term cooperation between 4A and the world's top consumer goods giants has enabled people from 4A to have the most scientific method system. Their strategies and creativity are well valued and balanced, while also possessing some flexibility and ferocity.

I received the same training at Ogilvy, including systematic qualitative and quantitative research methods, a thorough understanding of everything from strategy to creativity, and scientific and effective marketing skills...

Because of this, objectively speaking, I felt most comfortable when reading Xiao Ma Song’s case. I didn’t feel nervous and tense like I did when reading HUA & HUA and Jun Zhi. I felt more at ease, thinking, “If it were me, I would do the same.”

Also, because Xiaoma Song does not rely on a certain set of theories, but is more of an excellent application of scientific creativity and strategic methods, its results are more stable. In other words, its upper and lower limits of delivery are very high, so there is no need to worry about major problems.

As a conservative who seeks stability, if it is a company in the start-up or development stage, I will choose Xiaoma Song without hesitation.

Consulting is a very inefficient business model. It is gratifying to see that Chinese local consulting firms can follow a different path, but consulting is a fragile structure that requires excellent culture, talent and system support. Only by targeting the highest-end groups and charging the highest fees can the operation of this system be supported. Fortunately, the companies mentioned above saw this early on.

I wish Chinese Consulting will get better and better.

Author: Xu Dada, former Ogilvy Strategy and Ogilvy Consulting consultant, strategy, marketing and brand expert, founder of Yaocheng Consulting, partner of several consulting companies; WeChat public account: Xu Dada