The mooncake war that has lasted for a century!

The commercial war of mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival has never stopped for hundreds of years, with new ideas emerging one after another, from new flavors to new gift boxes. With the trend of increasingly rich festival culture, what is the future commercial development direction of mooncakes?

There are less than 10 days left until the 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival, but the "Mid-Autumn Mooncake War" has already begun.

Looking at the competition, China's mooncakes have a long history and diverse flavors. According to their place of origin, they can be divided into traditional mooncakes with different flavors, such as Cantonese, Suzhou, Beijing, Yunnan, and Chaozhou styles. Well-known catering brands are also involved in the mooncake field, and competition in the industry is relatively fierce.

Looking at the company's layout for 2023, Three Squirrels' mooncakes this year are collectively called Shanhe Lanyue, with Chinese design elements, 5 gift boxes of 8 pieces, 1 high-end gift box, and National Geographic co-branding. Three Squirrels mooncakes were launched on all channels nationwide on August 1, and different packaging was used for online, distribution, and stores to distinguish them. At present, sales have exceeded expectations and exceeded the time schedule, with the best performance in the e-commerce channel.

Hema mooncakes are not to be outdone. Driven by Hema, unlike Cantonese mooncakes, this Su-style mooncake has become popular across the country. Hema's freshly baked Su-style mooncakes went on sale on July 1, and this year's sales period can reach about 3 months, with a longer shelf time. Hema explained: their mooncake consumption scenarios are not limited to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but more inclined to casual snacks, innovative return to the mooncake flavor itself, regional flavors have a national trend, and the packaging is "slimmed down" to focus on the product itself. In order to adapt to the rise of the national trend, Hema also launched the "Compendium of Materia Medica" mooncake.

Yonghui has also introduced many well-known mooncake brands such as Hong Kong Maxim's, Durian Mango Moment, Disney, October 5th, Guangzhou Restaurant, Jinjiu, Daoxiang Village, and My Heart's Desire. Among them, My Heart's Desire, as a food brand surrounding the Forbidden City, also entered Yonghui for the first time this year and was loved by a large number of young consumers.

The mooncake war has risen to the level of a competition for the core corporate culture. However, the mooncake war a hundred years ago was even more serious.

1. The "mooncake" business war has lasted for a hundred years

How did mooncakes come about?

The "Book of Zhou" mentioned that "in the middle of autumn, people should take care of the elderly and eat porridge." In fact, the Chinese people have had the custom of worshiping the moon on the Mid-Autumn Festival for a long time, but it did not say when the Mid-Autumn Festival was. After the emperor of the Tang Dynasty feasted his ministers, it was gradually determined that the 15th day of the eighth lunar month was the Mid-Autumn Festival.

As for mooncakes, their official debut came even later, because before the Tang Dynasty, the word "bing" referred to all kinds of wheat-based pasta, such as boiled ones were called soup bing, steamed ones were called steamed bing, fried ones were called oil bing, and noodles were called rope bing. At first, people in the Tang Dynasty pressed the dough into a flat round shape and used the baking method that spread from the Western Regions to the Han area to make it crispy, which was called making Hu bing.

Therefore, the great writer Su Dongpo once wrote: "The small cakes are like chewing the moon, with crispy and sweet fillings inside."

In the Republic of China, if a family had a bunch of mooncakes left, they might be desperate because they might receive a mooncake as big as a birthday cake. In 1943, in an article in the Xinminbao Bimonthly, a writer lamented that "I have seen large mooncakes in Nanjing and Shanghai, about two inches thick and one and a half feet in diameter, and it is said that there are all kinds of ingredients inside."

The magazine "Folk Customs" once published an article titled "Names of Guangzhou Mooncakes", which recorded more than 70 mooncakes with different flavors launched by seven mooncake shops in Guangzhou. Among them, the Xianxiang Teahouse alone launched 31 kinds of mooncakes: Hangren Lotus Seed Mooncake, Baoya Lotus Seed Mooncake, Wuren Luohan Mooncake, Jinhua Ham Mooncake, Olive and Coconut Seed Mooncake, Fire Duck Yuanyang Mooncake, Nanruxiang Meat Mooncake, Jinfeng Sausage Mooncake, Assorted Salty Mooncake, Top-grade Fruit Mooncake, Fragrant Salt and Pepper Mooncake, Wuren Salty Mooncake, Bean Lotus Luohan Mooncake, etc.

An advertisement in Shenbao in 1923 mentioned that Taifeng mooncakes had 61 varieties, including mooncakes with lotus paste, red bean paste, egg yolk, various fruits, and coconut paste, as well as roast chicken, pressed duck, duck legs, and five-dan longan. Among them, five-nut mooncakes were further divided into banana and five-nut meat mooncakes, coconut and five-nut meat mooncakes, five-nut sweet meat mooncakes, and five-nut salted meat mooncakes.

Among them, the competition between Su-style mooncakes and Cantonese-style mooncakes is particularly exciting.

In 1935, the Southeast Daily published an article in support of Cantonese mooncakes, saying that "the outer layer of powder, after proper baking, shows a very attractive slightly ochre yellow color. Even if you don't eat it, you have to look at it more. It is not like the Su-style mooncakes that are sometimes 'black and burnt', making people afraid to put it in their mouths." It is also not like the Su-style mooncakes that are "greasy and too sweet, greasy in the mouth, and easy to decay teeth..." In 1936, the author of the monthly magazine "Life Road" also joined in the fun: "After eating Wuxi mooncakes, try Guangdong mooncakes, they are indeed unique."

Of course, there are many fans of Su-style mooncakes. The Central Daily News published an article titled "Mooncake Factions", in which the author complained about Guangdong mooncakes: "The heavy ones are five taels, and the light ones are three taels", and sometimes they need two strong men to lift them. As for the taste, "the outer skin is a healthy color, and it looks very serious, making you feel as if you are seeing a warrior on the southern coast, towering and inviolable. But the contents are complicated and messy, and when you take a bite, you feel like you don't know what the taste is."

But what’s interesting is that even in the chaos of the mooncake industry in the Republic of China, five-nut mooncakes could not escape being criticized. The author of “Mooncake Factions” said: “I have always been most afraid of eating five-nut mooncakes, whether they are salty or sweet, and I am surprised that there are such disgusting mooncakes in the world.”

In the Republic of China, consumers were already complaining about the high prices of mooncake packaging, but mooncake merchants were well aware that appearance was the value of production, and they attached great importance to the artistic quality of packaging. In 1928, Common Sense magazine said, "In the past, mooncake boxes were really not very sophisticated. In the past three or four years, people have begun to pay attention to the decoration of the outside of the box."

By 1946, the trend had intensified. Some media outlets sarcastically said, "If you add some fancy names like 'Three Pools Mirroring the Moon', 'Clouds and Fairy Moon', etc., each mooncake would cost 60,000 or 80,000 yuan. The most expensive mooncake of Guanshengyuan, which is still under production, is named 'Peaceful Years' and is priced at 130,000 yuan. However, the most expensive mooncake in Shanghai has already appeared in the window of Dasanyuan, priced at 320,000 yuan and named 'Great Harmony World'."

It is really expensive. A reviewer in the magazine "Minsheng" could not help but sigh: "Mooncakes are just a seasonal decoration for wealthy families."

There is an interesting story from the Republic of China: In order to take care of customers' wallets, mooncake merchants in the Republic of China also launched a pre-sale system of installment payment: those who want to buy mooncakes can find a guarantor and deposit the mooncake money into the mooncake shop regularly until the Mid-Autumn Festival, and finally they can take the mooncakes away at a price lower than the market price. This was also known as the "Mooncake Club" or "Mooncake Savings Club" at the time.

2. 2023: Chasing the fashionable mooncake culture

It is the modern year of 2023. Times are changing, tastes are being updated, and with the change of times, there are also "fashionable mooncakes". A new brand "Durian Mango Moment" has launched durian snow skin mooncakes; there is the original "snow mooncake" born out of traditional mooncakes, which has been loved by consumers since its launch.

There is also the "Gold Medal Mooncake" Jinhua Mooncake's popular product "Black Truffle Lava Custard Mooncake", which has become a highlight of the market due to its unique and innovative taste and was named "Chinese Characteristic Mooncake". According to iMedia data, the sales market share of Jinhua Black Truffle Lava Custard Mooncake in 2021 and 2022 was 49.2% and 48.5% respectively, ranking first in the country in sales market share for two consecutive years.

Driven by this trend of taste, in recent years, traditional mooncakes such as Beijing style, Cantonese style, Suzhou style, Chaozhou style have been innovated, and non-traditional mooncakes such as French style, snow skin, fruit and vegetable, and seafood have emerged in an endless stream. The Xianpinwu brand under Zhenweifang has launched a French caviar lava mooncake, redefining the taste buds of mooncakes; Zhiweiguan draws inspiration from the popular milk tea and coffee in recent years, and incorporates flavors that are more popular among young people, such as raw coconut velvet latte, red citrus grapefruit tea, and cranberry blackcurrant mooncakes, into mooncakes.

In the mooncake war of 2023, there will not only be novel flavors entering the younger market, but also brands will focus on quality and service. Of course, with the rise of national trends, mooncake gift box design is also creative. In terms of packaging, gift boxes with a variety of flavors are still the main packaging, and the proportion of local characteristics, cultural and creative joint names, and nutritional and health concept products is increasing year by year. According to a survey data from an institution, the most popular mooncake packaging for domestic consumers is Chinese style (38.4%) and simple style (34.1%), of which the two-dimensional style accounts for 15.0%.

Caifu has also launched a number of personalized gift box designs this year, such as the Forbidden City co-branded national trend gift box "My Heart's Feeling"; the Hong Kong Maxim's Lava Custard Mooncakes, which embody oriental aesthetics, have been upgraded with a new packaging, using AR to bring the Silk Road anti-counterfeiting technology to bring an innovative 3D time-travel journey; Daoxiangcun mooncakes are packaged in exquisite wooden baskets and genuine leather, with Chinese classical architectural elements gilded, combining ancient meaning with modern etiquette.

In addition, simple packaging and green and low-carbon have become hot spots in packaging design. Jinhua Mooncakes pursue the ultimate aesthetics of life and attach importance to the personalized needs of design freedom. It has launched both light and bright simple packaging and atmospheric and high-end elegant style; Starbucks' creative gift box is made of recyclable kraft paper into a tote gift bag, combining sustainable concepts and design to make reunion more valuable and meaningful.

In addition to "fancy packaging", there is also the strong breakthrough of fancy marketing. Mooncake manufacturers have begun to focus on young groups, deeply understand young people's consumption preferences and purchasing habits, and explore their interests. Brand cross-border and IP joint names have become new ways to innovate mooncakes.

Among them, Hong Kong Maxim's Mooncakes linked up with three popular IPs, Strawberry Bear, Linefriends and Disney, to launch a joint gift box. The limited vinyl record player packaging design is beautiful and has caused heated discussions as soon as it was launched; Taotao Ju and the new national style tea brand Cha Li Yi Shi jointly launched the "Taotao and Jun Gong" golden autumn joint mooncake gift box for the first time, promoting the century-old Xiguan Cantonese culture; this year, Jinhua Mooncakes not only cross-border designed with the international trendy tokidoki, but also jointly with Alibaba Tai Chi Zen Garden "Jingyefu" Mid-Autumn Mooncake Gift Box, integrating the two different cultural carriers of Tai Chi thought and Mid-Autumn Festival.

Under the collaboration with Wanwu, "mooncakes" also collaborate with well-known IPs to expand their influence and fan base, reach young people in different circles, and increase their brand exposure.

3. New trends of mooncakes in the post-2023 era

If the co-branding is just a "clever" move, then the brand has adopted more marketing methods, such as online marketing, social media marketing, etc., to deepen the culture while increasing the popularity and reputation of the mooncake brand.

Regarding culture, "Savor the vicissitudes that mooncakes have experienced over the past thousand years, and the Chinese people's unchanging love for the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake culture."

Regarding history, "In ancient times, mooncakes were originally offerings to the moon god and were called "moon cakes," which symbolize reunion and harmony. Especially during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the variety and production process of mooncakes continued to be enriched and innovated, largely due to the careful research and development of merchants."

As for the "mooncake business", in modern society, the commercial value of mooncakes has become increasingly apparent. Whether it is a luxurious gift box or a creative new flavor, merchants are striving to stand out in the mooncake market.

With the rise of new consumption, mooncakes have new flavors, new ways of playing, and new marketing models. To sum up, mooncakes have new commercial characteristics at this time.

First, according to survey data, the mooncake packaging that Chinese consumers like most should be tasteful and cultural, so cultural connotation + personalization + environmental protection are the main trends in mooncake packaging. "Young consumers are more receptive to new mooncakes, and many consumers are willing to try unique and novel flavors of mooncakes. However, while favoring new products, the 'old flavor' is still the mainstream of sales." RT-Mart staff said. As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the sales volume of boxed mooncakes has increased by 138% year-on-year. In addition to traditional mooncake brands such as Maxim's, Daoxiangcun, and Wufangzhai, many emerging brands have launched mooncake gift boxes with new flavors, new packaging, and new shapes.

Second, "mooncakes should also be healthier". With the trend of healthy eating, people pay more and more attention to maintaining their figure and health. Survey data shows that 59.6% of consumers pay attention to the taste of mooncakes, and more than 90% of consumers say they will buy mooncakes that focus on "healthiness". Mooncakes should also be eaten healthily. RT-Mart data shows that in the past month, the search volume of mooncakes on RT-Mart Youxian app has increased by 340.7% month-on-month, and the sales volume of freshly baked mooncakes that focus on health has increased by 129.67% month-on-month.

Third, "flavors must be young." Although the survey shows that traditional flavors of mooncakes are still the mainstream in the market, new flavors that have emerged in recent years, such as fruit flavors, coffee flavors, and black truffle flavors, are also popular with many consumers. In terms of mooncake flavors, Cantonese mooncakes are the most popular in the market, among which the lava milk yellow, as a representative of the new Cantonese style, stands out. New and old flavors also illustrate the generational differences in mooncake consumption. New flavors such as durian mooncakes and coffee-flavored mooncakes are quite popular among young people.

Fourth, "gifting with dignity". Although most people buy mooncakes for their own consumption, more than 60% of consumers buy mooncakes for the purpose of giving them as gifts. Data shows that consumers most want to see innovations in mooncake skin (72.2%), mooncake appearance (62.0%) and mooncake flavor (59.3%). And when buying, they will give priority to mooncakes with innovative and distinctive appearance.

Most importantly, sales channels are more diversified, and e-commerce platforms and live streaming have received widespread attention. In 2023, the old Tmall Taobao, JD.com, and the new Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Kuaishou have also become important sales channels, and companies have their own focuses based on their actual conditions. It is expected that overall online sales will further increase this year, and the sales share will continue to expand. The competition among leading companies is fierce, and the characteristics of large volume and small profits will continue.

The status of mooncakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival is self-evident. It has become a symbol of the Chinese festival. On this day, families reunite, share mooncakes, and watch the bright moon, which reflects people's yearning for a better life.

IV. Conclusion

Mooncakes have been around for thousands of years. Looking back at the past, we marvel at the profound history of mooncake culture; looking forward to the future, mooncakes will continue to be passed down in the new era; with the advancement of technology and changes in people's tastes, mooncake making techniques and flavors will continue to innovate. With the deepening of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, mooncakes are also stepping onto the world stage.

But looking at the trend, mooncakes seem to be a symbol. Mooncakes are necessary for the Mid-Autumn Festival, but just having them is enough. However, not many people actually eat mooncakes now, which is a crisis for mooncakes, a cultural product with a history of nearly a thousand years.

We hope that “innovative flavor mooncakes” will not only become a delicacy, but also a cultural symbol. In this season full of rich cultural heritage, the vitality of mooncake culture will become stronger, conveying the feelings of family and country in a unique way and maintaining the emotional bond between people.

References:

"A brief history of Cantonese mooncakes: How was the road to mooncake freedom in China paved?"

"Cold Facts丨How Fierce Was the Competition for Mooncakes During the Republic of China"

"The battle for mooncakes to go viral in the 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival, with diversification leading the new trend"

"The mooncake marketing war has reached its peak~~ Grasp the new industry trends in 2023"

Author: Li Jiaman Editor: Xue Xiang

Source: WeChat official account: "Yilan Business" (ID: yilanshangye)