Chapter 2 2. Sing ahead amid doubts

In fact, Wahaha's marketing model—in fact, Zong Qinghou's marketing strategy has been questioned all the time. At the end of 1991, after Wahaha obtained its "first pot of gold" with a nutrient solution for children, Zong Qinghou suddenly withdrew from the fledgling health care product market and entered the field of children's beverages. At that time, many people regretted this. In 1996, Wahaha unexpectedly announced a joint venture plan to sell 51% of the high-quality assets of its subsidiaries to Danone of France, which caused quite a stir in China. It was also in this year that Zong Qinghou devoted all his efforts to the pure water market. However, whether "Wahaha", a brand full of childishness, can be extended to adult products is a big question mark.

In 1998, Wahaha suddenly announced its entry into the carbonated beverage market and launched the Very Coke series.At that time, some people in the industry ridiculed it as "very ridiculous", and predicted that its life cycle would never exceed 8 months.Today, however, the output of Very Cola is close to the market position of Pepsi's "second child". Zong Qinghou declared that the Very Coke series will surpass Pepsi within three years.At this time, no one thought he was joking. Over the past decade or so, Wahaha has not only surprised people with the above-mentioned few things.It has been charging forward in the vast Chinese market with an unexpected attitude.

When we were writing this book, we talked about Wahaha with the director of a multinational consulting company in Shanghai.This Harvard MBA marketing expert claims to have studied Wahaha for 10 years.The conclusion he told us is: Wahaha's marketing actually has no secrets, and there seems to be nothing innovative in terms of marketing theory. "But why does it always succeed?" He asked us with wide eyes.It seems that he has been confused for a full 10 years. We were sitting across from him when he asked this question.On the wall behind him is a newly designed advertising poster, on which there is a lyrics by Zhang Qianqian, an underground rock singer in Beijing: "Your blood disappears in your thoughts, your freedom disappears in your houses, your Love disappears in your arms."

"Your innovations get lost in your theories." "What?" The marketing expert stared at us in bewilderment. Management, order and innovation are the three elements of contemporary marketing.Philip Kotler stated: Marketers must carefully select the target market, create the most appropriate product features and product benefits, formulate effective pricing, and determine the most appropriate allocation of sales force and marketing budget.In particular, it is necessary to make decisions when there is insufficient information and the market changes from time to time.In order to realize this process, each marketing must be discussed from four aspects: first, product development and positioning, second, marketing organization operation mode, third, combination of different marketing activities and market operation, fourth, marketing science Decision making and integration management.Only in this way can the integrity of marketing be formed.

If you draw out the main points in Kotler's passage, you will find that it is not very easy to really achieve one of them.What's more difficult is that if you don't do something right, you can't achieve a truly successful marketing.This is the difficulty and charm of marketing. By saying this, we do not mean that we are a marketing aesthete.On the contrary, we believe that marketing is a very utilitarian market concept, and it only focuses on market efficiency.No matter how scientific and attractive a marketing plan is, if it cannot be recognized by the market and consumers, it is a piece of waste paper.

In other words, the value of all marketing models lies in the innovation of profitability. Wahaha's marketing practice has confirmed this point.