1in the spring of 996, the "giant" encountered many difficulties. At the same time, the giant series of computer products, giant series of health care products and giant series of drugs have also entered the sales trough. Giant Hanka, Giant Brain Gold and other fist products have entered the recession period one after another, and more than 30 new products such as Giant Multimedia Computer and Giant Bufei have also suffered an unprecedented fiasco in the cluster market introduction action called "Giant Action" since 1995. As a result, the winter of 1995 became the coldest winter since the "Giant" started its business for seven years.
The young decision-makers of "Giant" made a profound reflection, made a systematic analysis from management, marketing, development and production, and invited a large number of famous experts and scholars from all over the country to Zhuhai for "consultation". But opinions vary, and finally no effective solution has been found.
But the world is so colorful. A year ago, three companies, including "Giant", were dismissed by their health care colleagues. 1995 had a very warm winter. The annual sales of three oral liquid products reached 2.28 billion yuan, setting a new record for the annual sales of health care products in China. It seems that the three companies have become well-deserved leaders in health care industry, China overnight.
Shi Yuzhu's eyes suddenly lit up: Wu Shouxin, a half-life marketing giant nearly 30 years older than himself, was the hope of extricating the "giant". So, Shi Yuzhu decided to visit Zhu San Group and ask for advice, so as to find a treatment for this "giant".
What did the giant learn from three plants?
How the two marketing giants secretly contacted and arranged this visit is beyond the topic of this article, but both sides can abandon the old concept of "peers are enemies" and stand at the forefront of marketing to discuss the latest marketing problems in China, which fully embodies the broad minds of the two giants and undoubtedly sets an example for all marketers. After the giant's trip to the three major factories, he quickly drew up an adjustment policy:
First, take consumers as the center and always put consumers' needs first. Ignoring consumers is the biggest mistake of giants.
This question seems a bit strange. Didn't the "giant" study consumer demand before? If so, how to explain the great success of giant Hanka and giant brain gold? This is not surprising. The experience summed up by this "giant" actually has a deeper meaning: that is, planning should be changed from "golden rule" to "platinum rule", and market operation should be changed from "guiding consumption" to "tracking consumption".
The famous golden rule in psychology says: If you want others to be good to you, then you should be good to others.
Grasping consumers' psychology by using the golden rule is undoubtedly consistent with the traditional cultural concept of China, which is "Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you", and it is also the basis for the success of the early marketing planning of "Giant". However, Xiao He failed and Xiao He failed. It is this "golden rule" of planning that leads to the subjectivism of the "giant" later planning, and the product planning gradually deviates from the real needs of consumers. Because the distance between the life concept and consumption scale of the "giant" high-level planners living in Zhuhai Special Zone and the actual needs of mainland consumers is getting bigger and bigger, after all, what planners "don't want" is often what consumers "need". Therefore, the "giant action" planned by applying the golden rule is naturally not accepted by most consumers.
Platinum Rule Day: You must treat others the way you want them to treat you. When planning, planners must forget about themselves and innovate and create in a way that consumers need and hope.
Planning the transition from "golden rule" to "platinum rule" means "taking consumers as the center" at the first level, and the second level means that the market operation should change from "guiding consumption" to "tracking consumption".
"Guiding consumption" is the invention of the sun god. Sun God initiated the "Southern School Model" of modern marketing of health industry in China. The "Southern School Model" holds that as long as the advertisement is well done and the enterprise Cl is well done, even if the coffin board is burned to ashes, consumers will scramble to buy it. The success of Giant Brain Gold benefited from the mode of "guiding consumption" of the South School, and it was precisely this same mode that led to the complete failure of the "ministerial action". With the maturity of consumers, the market has unconsciously changed from a seller's market to a buyer's market. Planning is still in accordance with the once successful "golden rule", and the market operation is still in accordance with the once brilliant "guided consumption" type of indiscriminate bombing, but consumers are no longer as excited as before and begin to stop buying it. Stars or stars, the moon or the moon. Consumers who just look up at the sky have different ideas.
Just as the "Southern School Model" hit a wall one after another, the "Northern School Model" of modern marketing of China's health industry has also quietly formed. The characteristics of "North School Model" are that it does not pursue the establishment of corporate image and the maintenance of product brands; However, the products they developed created a market whirlwind and created a shocking marketing miracle. Such as "Longevity and Changle Nourishing Wine", "Chiyu Medicine Magnetic Shoes", "Let you lose weight beautifully" and "Hongmao Medicinal Liquor". There is only one hot product, but it is difficult to see several successful corporate images and famous marketers.
The success of Beipai lies in that they applied the Platinum Rule in their planning, abandoned the misunderstanding of "guiding consumption" by introducing the market, and established the management principle of "tracking consumption". Isn't losing weight for a long time ineffective? Although losing weight is effective, doesn't it always rebound? Aren't you fooled again and again by repeatedly using weight loss products? Ok, I'll give you a belt to lose weight. It is the first "100% effective", the second "no rebound" and the third "product quality insurance provided by Pacific Insurance Company". Can you resist?
Can you not be tempted? "Tracking consumption" is undoubtedly higher than "guiding consumption", which strategically completes the transfer of marketing activities from controlling "seller's market" to adapting to "buyer's market". No matter what the market is, the principle of "only buying by mistake, not selling by mistake" will always play a role in successful planning. If you "sell it wrong", the product is overstocked, or the advertisement hits Shui Piao, it can only prove that your plan has failed.
In this round of market competition, the "Northern School" undoubtedly outperformed the "Southern School". Zhu San Group headed by Wu Shouxin is one of the most outstanding representatives of the Northern School. It can be seen that the connotation of the consumer-centered slogan put forward by "Giant" has made a qualitative leap compared with the past.
Second, develop a strict organizational system, expand the marketing team and implement "crowd tactics"
Practice has proved that this is a wrong decision. "Crowd tactics" eventually became one of the catalysts of "Giant Storm". Crowd tactics have been abandoned by many enterprises including Zhu San Group.
Third, vigorously explore the rural market.
This is the right way.
Wu Shouxin led three marketing armies with more than 300,000 yuan, and in 1996, the sales reached nearly 10 billion yuan, which was higher than the sum of the annual sales of nine enterprises ranked second in the same industry to 10.
In the same year, another unknown enterprise put forward the slogan of "unswervingly going to the county and township", and achieved annual sales of about 654.38 billion yuan with tens of thousands of marketing troops, which became a highlight of the health industry, that is, the Hongtao K Group led by Mr. Xie.
The "huge" rural market failed. It's not that the strategy is wrong, but that the product is misplaced. The vast number of farmers who have just got rid of poverty are still in a state of lack of medical care and medicine. The three oral liquids that can cure all diseases, and the red peach K blood-generating agent that can replenish blood, of course, are timely help, in line with the unheard-of advertising campaign of farmers. The "fat" for losing weight, the "brain gold" for strengthening the brain and the high-tech "multimedia" (educational software) are all icing on the cake, of course, there are "high and low".
Fourth, advocate the spirit of hard work and entrepreneurship.
Among the many successful experiences of No.3 Factory, this is a principled experience.
"Hard work" is indeed the secret of the success of most "Northern School" marketing enterprises. How to define hardship? For example, when a billionaire and his senior assistant go to the market for guidance or inspection, they often take a bus instead of taking a taxi, and sleep in the office with ordinary employees instead of going to a room hotel; Eat a bowl of instant noodles when you are hungry and wash your hair with cold water when you are tired. In the street, when competitors' bosses were sitting in imported cars and honking their horns to let billionaires get out of the way, they never dreamed that it was this man who stood in front of the car and looked like a standard salesman of township enterprises, who hurried around and beat himself out of the water in the market. In fact, this is not an analogy, but a true portrayal of a large number of "Northern School" marketing elites. This is hard work. I have had the privilege of dealing with them and deeply feel that they are the hope of China marketing. No matter where you are in China, you can feel the power of their marketing. Perhaps the advertisement you just saw is their advertisement, or even a book or a box of medicine or a schoolbag you bought yesterday is the product they sell, but what you see in your eyes is only the product itself that you urgently need, not the famous enterprise that produces this product or the celebrity that sells this product. If they stumble upon a high-quality product, they are bringing good news to the people of China. If they are unfortunate enough to encounter an inferior product, enough consumers will be lucky enough to experience the true meaning of "the market does not believe in tears". After all, one day, you will see the true face of many "North School" marketers. Maybe you can't see the shadow of "Northern School" from them, or even you don't realize that they used to be "Northern School" marketers, but they will eventually go down in the marketing history of China.
Unfortunately, the "giants" of 1996 still can't understand the inner meaning of "effort".
History is a master of humor. When the "giant" took away the truth of "diligence" from "Zhu San", Zhu Sanren began to pursue luxury.
Why did the Third Factory repeat the mistakes of the giants?
1in the spring of 996, "Giant" carried out thorough treatment according to the "prescription" prescribed by three strains and launched the "Battle of Giant Fat". However, as we analyzed in the last article, "three kinds of emergency therapy" failed to make the giant out of the marketing trough. Finally, at the end of 1996, there was a "giant storm" that attracted worldwide attention.
Things are often dramatic. A year or so after the "Giant Storm", the marketing of Zhu San Group was also in trouble, and the marketing team was gradually reduced from several hundred thousand to several thousand.
To be sure, this result was absolutely unexpected when the two marketing giants met. Because of this, it is more valuable to study the mistakes of "No.3 Factory" and "Giant", so that the experience of "No.3 Factory" and "Giant" can truly become a mirror for the latecomers.
I can only put forward the following five reasons why the "three factories" repeat the mistakes of "giants" for the reference of marketers and researchers.
One of the reasons: denying the law of product life cycle
Giant predicted the two-year life cycle of giant brain gold products, which proved to be accurate. However, due to the demand for funds, decision makers artificially hope to extend the product life cycle by looking for special marketing methods during the operation. Therefore, instead of extending the product life cycle, they have invested too much advertising to publicize the net profit that the product should get during the economic recession.
There is a big error in Zhu San's life cycle prediction of Zhu San Oral Liquid. They think that the life cycle of the three kinds of oral liquids is over 100 years, so they should be made into "penicillin in China". This is obviously an extremely optimistic prediction with insufficient arguments.
The law of product life cycle is an iron law that no one can resist. Even under the threat and temptation of marketing guru, there will be no change.
The second reason: "crowd tactics"
Both Zhu San Group and Giant Group have made brilliant achievements by relying on "crowd tactics", but this is a special case corresponding to the specific national conditions and historical period, and cannot be a universally applicable marketing norm. A feasible marketing system must take the agency system as the core, which has been verified by history.
Even if some enterprises still adopt "crowd tactics", which will create good benefits, "crowd tactics" does not represent the development direction of health care products marketing in China, and will eventually give way to the agency system. This concept has been recognized by most people, including the marketing staff of "South School" and "North School".
The third reason: multi-head management.
Talking about "poor management" or "management problems" in general, whether it is aimed at "giants" or "No.3 factories", is incorrect, at least inaccurate. Because management is a big concept, in some aspects of this big concept, the third factory or the giant has done a very good job, even making it insurmountable for the latecomers.
The brand management level of "Giant" is superb. Although "Giant" has entered the "hibernation" period at present, according to the survey at the end of 1998, the popularity of "Giant" brand still exceeds 10%, and the sales market share of Giant Brain Gold is still among the best among similar products without advertising support. As an enterprise, the "giant" has fallen, and as a brand, the "giant" is still in the hearts of consumers.
The organization and management of "No.3 Factory" is also superb. On the land of China, only the "No.3 Factory" can manage hundreds of thousands of marketers from the capital to the countryside in an orderly way and create a marketing miracle. Although it only lasted two or three years, it was unprecedented.
Multihead management is the same mistake made by two masters. "Giant" implements five lines in management: marketing, finance, personnel, auditing and planning. The branch implements "three simultaneous signatures are valid". Three strains established nine systems. This complex multi-head management eventually leads to poor command, unclear responsibility, wrangling and corruption.
The management principle allows only one line of command.
The fourth reason: corruption
In the past, it was generally believed that corruption only existed in state-owned enterprises, especially in big pots, seniority, cliques and interpersonal struggles. Facts show that corruption is also the enemy of private enterprises.
In the early stage of enterprise development, everyone can consciously adhere to the style of hard work, but once the scale of the enterprise expands, bureaucracy from top to bottom will rise and form, luxury will prevail, people will be overstaffed, nepotism and intrigue ... This is a common big enterprise disease. The illness of large enterprises has nothing to do with ownership. As long as the improvement of management level can't keep up with the expansion of enterprises, big enterprise diseases will form and corruption will breed.
The fifth reason: industrial misunderstanding
From the beginning, "Zhu San" was a "health care product" enterprise, and "Giant" changed from computer industry to "health care product" industry in the natural selection of market economy.
We put the word "health care products" in quotation marks because it is a very different concept. Whether it is the social sector, manufacturers or consumers, everyone agrees with the existence of this concept. This "industry" has developed rapidly since the 1980s, but up to now, there is still no unified "birth certificate" for "health products". Rufeng Yun Dan is a "health food" approved by the Ministry of Health, Feast Hu Bao Liquid is a "quasi-famous brand" drug approved by the Health Department of Liaoning Province, China Lingzhibao is a "healthy brand" drug approved by the Health Department of Shaanxi Province, and Zhen 'ao nucleic acid is a "food brand" ordinary food approved by the Health Department of Dalian City. In short, no matter where you are born, you have the same characteristics: ① non-necessities; ② It has both health care and therapeutic effects; (3) We must rely on powerful advertisements to introduce into the market; ④ The product life cycle is short. This is the' health products' industry.
From 65438 to 0995, the state began to rectify the industry, hoping that the Ministry of Health would issue a health certificate, that is, "health food".
The adjustment of national policies will eventually lead to the disappearance of "health products" from the China market, and gradually be completely replaced by "functional foods" or "prescription drugs". Giant brain gold with food brand name and three kinds of oral liquid with health care brand name should be transformed into functional food and prescription drug respectively, which is tantamount to reinventing the enterprise.
Will Wu Shouxin visit the giant?
Shi Yuzhu, who was in trouble, learned from a bitter experience and finally implemented "cryotherapy" for the "giant", just like a cancer patient who knew that he had no hope of recovery, so he asked the doctor to freeze himself at the low temperature of-196℃, and wait until the next century or later to overcome the cancer before thawing treatment. This is a helpless way, but also a clever way. While freezing the "giant", a brand-new brand was born.
It is understood that the new product developed by Mr. Shi Yuzhu has been successfully put on the market, which is in a leading position among similar products, but there is no sign of "giant" or Shi Yuzhu in the "foreground" of the market. Please allow me to keep the "backstage" secret here. I believe all the marketers in China have the same wish as me, hoping that the "giant" can stand up again one day, so we should not affect the implementation of Mr. Shi Yuzhu's new brand strategy because of curiosity or ostentation.
Zhu San Group continues to follow the similar path taken by the giants, and deals with the Zhu San brand in an all-round way. From the end of 1998 to the beginning of 1999, there are two typical schemes, which can be introduced as follows:
Save the brand with the huge sales of the third factory
China has a population of 65.438+0.2 billion, and Zhu San has sold 400 million bottles. In other words, one in every three people in China has drunk a bottle of Zhu San oral liquid. This is more like a summary than a "prelude" to restart the market. This is a wrong plan. The problem with Zhu San Oral Liquid is not that its popularity is too small, but that its popularity is extremely high but its reputation is declining. At this time, the huge sales volume in history is not an advantage but a fatal disadvantage. This kind of publicity is like showing your scars.
bundle sales
Buy Sanfu oral liquid, Sanfu Xinkang or Sanbaoteng Kangsongge old tribute wine.
Sales of Zhu San oral liquid are declining. Bundling new products with Zhu San will not only promote the sales of new products, but also bring negative effects to the promotion of new products. Even if the three oral liquids are on the rise, they are not suitable for bundled sales. Because three strains are "health products"
Consumers' choice of "health care products", "functional foods" and drugs focuses on the function and efficacy of products, and the role of product brands is very small. It is futile to try to expand the sales of series of health care products through brand extension. Multi-brand strategy should be the last word for marketing "health products", "functional foods" and drugs. Giant series health care products, three bundled products and Weigel series product planning all made the same mistake.
For Zhu San Group, the best marketing strategy at present should be: stop the advertising investment of Zhu San Oral Liquid and Zhu Sanfu Xinkang, and earn the final profit by the popularity of the products themselves and repeat customers; Separating new products from "Zhu San" and re-creating a new brand, while "freezing" is the best policy for "Zhu San" brand.
Shi Yuzhu has walked out of the marketing trough, completed the repositioning of the industry, re-established its brand and re-developed its products, and gained initial experience. Perhaps three years later, Mr. Wu Shouxin will finish "The Big Three Visit the Big Three", just like "The Big Three Visit the Big Three" three years ago. If there is such a blessing, it will definitely become a story in the history of product marketing in Jie Bao, China.
May all marketers who accidentally fell stand up again!
May all marketers who are advancing not repeat the same mistakes!
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