From the box office myth of “Nezha 2” to the open source revolution of DeepSeek, from the global expansion of Bawang Chaji to the “overnight lemon” craze of Mixue Bingcheng, behind these phenomenal hotspots, it reflects the era of “hot spot second shift” and the new brand survival law spawned by digital natives. This article will combine classic works to deeply decode the new rules of survival of brands in the four dimensions of mobilization, emotion, value and partnership in 2025, and provide strategic navigation for brands to build “immortality” in the era of rapid decay.
2025 is halfway through, and in the dual context of consumption tightening and increasing uncertainty, China’s consumption presents a picture of ice and fire:Macro tightening(Consumer confidence continues to be under pressure, price sensitivity continues to rise) VSMicroscopic outbreak(The subdivision track shows unprecedented liquidity potential energy and explosive growth).
- From “Nezha 2” at the beginning of the year to a new record with a box office of more than 15.4 billion yuan, to the “National Fortune” DeepSeek reconstructing the global AI pattern with open source; Then to Bawang Chaji hitting the global market with “Oriental Tea”, and Mixue Bingcheng with “Overnight Lemon” to detonate the “pursuit” of young people;
- from Fat Donglai, Costco and Sam’s with amazing financial verification “trust” compound interest, to Aldi swept Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai with 9.9 yuan for the ultimate cost performance; then to Liu Qiangdong personally started JD.com’s “social security” game-breaking battle, and the 60-day account period revolution in the automobile industry set off by the “car circle Evergrande theory”;
- from Apple’s “diving” price reduction to Starbucks’ unprecedented direct price cut; Then to Labubu’s sky-high price of 1.08 million yuan to subvert cognition, and the national carnival triggered by the “Su Chao” event.
– These seem isolated“Phenomenal hot spots”, jointly drawing a bright “star map” of China’s business world in 2025:Ephemeral, dazzling, subversive, but eternally engraved on the canopy of commercial development.
Behind the phenomenon, it reflects the new brand survival law jointly spawned by the era of “hot spot second shift” and digital natives.
This article will use classic works such as “Super Participant”, “This is Marketing”, “The Fifth Consumer Era”, and “The Way of Hospitality” as the theoretical cornerstone to deeply decode the way of brand survival in this “interweaving of ice and fire” and “hot spot wonderful shift”, and provide a clear strategic beacon for brands in the fog.
The full text of 10,000 words is deeply analyzed from four dimensions:
- 1. The battle of mobilization: from “traffic-driven” to “born for diffusion”!
- 2. Emotional Dispute: Awakening Sleeping Spiritual Resonance and Connection!
- 3. Anchor of value: Towards “absolute value” in the era of mobility
- 4. Win-win way: from “oppression object” to “sustainable partner”!
- 5. Conclusion: The meaning of “we” – building “immortality” in the era of rapid decay!
1. The battle of mobilization: from “traffic-driven” to “born for diffusion”!
The future will be a battle of mobilization – who is the most successful, who is the most active, who develops the best, who is the most open, who gives more power, who wins followers, has the ability to guide, inspire and use followers to create new things.
– Jeremy, “Super Participant”
The evolution history of brand marketing is essentiallyHistory of user power transfer:
- The Era of Advertising Thinking (1990-2010): The brand believes in “careful polishing, instant hit”,Pursue brainwashing advertising slogans, super symbols, and clear positioning(such as brain platinum, Wang Laoji),The core is one-way instillation of memory.Strive to be in the minds of consumersEngraving the brand。
- The Age of Traffic Thinking (2010-2022):The rise of the Internet,“Traffic is gold”Become a creed. The brand is deeply trapped in the death cycle of “buying traffic-doing conversion-re-buying traffic”, knowing that without strong capital is chronic suicide, but it is unable to break the situation.
- The Era of Co-Creation Thinking (2022- ): In the era of information dust, one-way indoctrination and traffic purchase are both ineffective. Successful brands have seen a fundamental shift:Consumers are no longer satisfied with passive consumption and are eager to create value with their own hands.As predicted by the “Fifth Consumption Era”, “shared creation” is accelerating.
The phenomenal players of 2025 – DeepSeek, Labubu, Su Chao – are well aware of this: they have built themselves into powerful “social mobilization engines”,Stimulate users to transform from bystanders to active communicators and content co-creators.Finally, it coalesced into a “like-minded community” with a strong sense of identity.The sense of co-creation has become the new core of brand survival.
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So, how to ignite a “sense of co-creation”? The key lies in the three major laws of mobilization:
Rule 1: Mobility – Create a “zero-threshold” engagement interface
Brands urgently need to change their thinking:How to deeply embed user actions into the communication architecture? How to design a co-creation experience that ignites the desire to “do it”?
In other words, only pursuing the number of readings and likes is far from touching the essence of actionability. At its core, it is:Drive consumers, users, members, or community members from spectators or likers to substantial value creators。
Early cases have confirmed its power: “Crazy Four Literature” with “jokers”, Keep relying on “mission medals”, and Mixue Bingcheng using “store awkward dance”, all ofMinimalist engagement interfaceIgnite the national upsurge.
In 2025, DeepSeek only needs to ask simple questions, Labubu only needs to change clothes and scenery, and “Su Chao” will lower the participation threshold to ” with just one banner.Everyone can do it”。
Law 2: Connectivity – weaving a deep network of values
Effective co-creation actions must be found by participants“Same kind– Those who care about the same things, share common beliefs, and are willing to make authentic, equal connections. This “connection” brings people closer together, creates a sense of belonging, and allows people to truly integrate into a like-minded group.
Here’s a key insight:When creativity is transmitted in a “small-scale circle of friends”, the power is even stronger!
Dragonflies are difficult to get into the heart by casting a wide net in the style of water; Only precise cuttingspecific circlesOnly by knocking on the door with personalized expressions full of belonging and identity can we trigger deep resonance and let communication spread naturally like wildfire.
The phenomenon of “Su Chao” is an excellent interpretation: it cleverly activates regional labels such as “Bulk Jiangsu” and “Jiangsu Thirteen Taibao” that are deeply rooted in the bone marrow.Ignite with precisionHot local pride. “Those who understand naturally understand” – this connection based on a common label has given rise to amazing spontaneous communication and a deep sense of cultural belonging.
The essence of connectivity is:Brands need to become the key nodes of the “value network”, and each user is a living cell in the network that confirms, stimulates each other, and grows together.
Law 3: Scalability – Embracing “Innovation and Mutation”
For the sense of co-creation to thrive, the event itself leaves room for customization, secondary processing and even reinvention.It requires a solid common core as the backbone, but it also needs to encourage individualization”mutation– Allow each participant to add their own unique touch to make their creativity more contagious in their respective social circles.
A cruel law:If a “campaign” does not reserve a place for the user to participate, it can always be someone else’s movement.
The core of the viral spread of Mixue Bingcheng’s brainwashing divine comedy “You love me, I love you” is its scalability – dialect version, ghost version, plot version… Users use infinite innovations to turn it intoA tool for self-expression。
“Su Chao” is a narrative masterpiece co-created by the whole people in 2025.The official lays the cornerstone of unification,Carefully pre-embedding the engagement interface。 Cultural tourism and people from all over the world continue to inject personal understanding and creativity through playing memes, designing posters, making banners, and creating mixed videos, and jointly weaving “Su Chao”A rich and diverse meaning map。 This “bulk Jiangsu” narrative was written by the whole people.
The essence of mobilization – from traffic extraction to diffusion symbiosis:Like ripples in water, being able to act in either direction, being able to act in any form.
A profound shift of power is coming: the highest level of mobilization is no longer a one-way call, butLet users transform from passive consumers to brand “co-builders” and “conspirators”； The relationship between brands and users is shifting from a zero-sum game of squeezing traffic to a symbiotic prosperity of co-creating value.
This is the future picture driven by the “sense of co-creation”, and it is also the new consumption eraThe first law of survival.
2. Emotional Dispute: Awakening Sleeping Spiritual Resonance and Connection!
Remember, we sell emotions, status, and connections, not a service or something.
——Seth Golding, “This is Marketing”
This echoes Miura’s core insights in “The Fifth Consumption Era”:“Cost-effective” is the current universal demand. But the definition of ‘value for money’ varies depending on mood and identity.
The consumer market in 2025 is playing an intriguing oneEmotional paradox: Consumers’ sensitivity to traditional prices has reached its peak (Allazi 9.9 yuan storm, Apple’s “diving” price reduction wave, Starbucks directly “price reduction”), but they have spent a lot of money on unique emotional experiences (the technological aesthetics of Huawei’s folding screen, the collection magic of Labubu blind boxes, and the exquisite enjoyment of 15 yuan oriental leaves in front of Longjing); When young people are not only intoxicated with the identity created by the overlord tea princess’ light luxury national style, but also cannot resist the instant satisfaction brought by the “true fragrance law” of Mixue Bingcheng – consumption behavior is distinctScenario-based emotional division”。
To win this emotional battle, it’s crucial to navigate two intertwined paths:
Path 1: Functional emotionality – from use value to emotional value
Let’s revisit Toshifumi Suzuki’sThe theory of “things and things”– Users have shifted from being obsessed with “things” (the functional value of the product itself) to more desireing “things” (new experiences, emotions, or meanings obtained through products or services). Miura Exhibition also emphasized in “The Fourth Consumption Era” thatThe core of consumption in the new era is to seek experiences that can truly enrich life and time, and to give consumption a sense of meaning.
The magic of Bubble Mart is an excellent interpretation of this “value”. What users are obsessed with is by no means the “use value” of dolls, and even goes beyond simple “IP love”. The core of this isThe unknown anticipation at the moment of tearing open the package and the strong mood swings (surprise or loss) at the time of reveal – an elaborate “dopamine ritual”。 Its value logic is far from being comparable to gambling (the capital market prefers to benchmark it against “luxury + Disney IP”), but it is:
- For the new humans “Self-reward” Provide immediate small luck exports;
- implement “Pleasing oneself > pleasing others” deep emotional satisfaction;
- Provide specific mood swings,Fill the small gaps in the spiritual corners of modern people。
Action Guide: Say goodbye to “function first” and embrace “emotional connection”!
The traditional model of “product stack function, brand image shaping, and marketing selling points” has shown fatigue, and its essence is one-way output, ignoring the complex emotions flowing in the consumption scene. The marketing of the new era calls for a fundamental change:
- Identify emotions: gain insight into the interests, anxieties, yearnings and values of the circle; capture individual feelings at specific moments; Dig deep into the motivations behind emotions.
- Create an emotional carrier: Design cancarry, express, or inspireTarget sentiment offers/services/content.
- Inject emotion into the brand: For brandingA personified connection with warmth and attitude。
- Implant emotional contacts: Design can in activitiesAccurately stimulate target emotional interactionThe link.
When emotional consumption becomes a rigid need, emotional innovation is the highest level of value innovation!
2. Emotional functionalization: transform collective resonance into business potential energy
“No matter how bumpy your life is, you have to live it shining!” ——”My Altay” Mongolian grandmother
While some people question that “relaxation requires material abundance”, Altay shows us another possibility – a “sense of relaxation” rooted in the resilience of life. Brand Ape calls it “Vitality” ——AThe inner strength that transcends shallow soothing and still shines in the bumps。
So, what kind of “emotional value” are people willing to pay for? The core can be focused onThree deep “payment points”:
1) “Sense of security” against “fear”
This is the most basic emotional rigid need, tooThe cornerstone of brand trust。 When users pay for any product or service, there is an implicit purchase of a “sense of security” at the bottom –Commitment to safety, reliability, and predictability.
People drive hundreds of kilometers to Fat Donglai or shop at Sam’s Club “with their eyes closed” – the act itself is the most powerful proof of this deep trust and peace of mind.
2) “Pleasure” to get “satisfaction”
The connotation of “pleasure” here is extremely rich: it can be the stimulation brought by freshness, the intoxication caused by beauty, the comfort given by relaxation, the comfort brought by healing, the heartstrings stirred by anticipation, the daily life lit up by small blessings, and even the connection produced by resonance…… It even includes catharsis of anger, release of repression, or resonance of disappointment.
At its core, it is:Provide inner satisfaction from some kind of mood swings, to fill the small gap in the spiritual corner of modern people. The “dopamine ritual” created by Bubble Mart is a model of accurately hitting this need.
3) “Sense of identity” reduces “loneliness”
A person may like a brand because of the sense of security and pleasure, but it really buildsBrand loyaltymust stem from a deeper emotional connection:
- The brand becameSocial currency, help to gain recognition from the circle;
- The brand becameconnector, help find like-minded people and gain a sense of belonging;
- The brand becameIdentification, help define oneself and highlight status (such as luxury goods);
- The brand becameCarrier of meaning, help participate in valuable things, take responsibility, and realize yourself.
Its essence points to one typeStrong social attributes, the core lies inReduce the loneliness in the hearts of modern people。 When “loneliness” itself became an economic phenomenon, it had long transcended the category of mere emotions.
Labubu’s out-of-the-circle magic: the leap from “ugly and cute IP” to “status symbol”.
Labubu’s “ugly cuteness” is just its eye-catching appearance. Its deep magic lies in the quiltLuxury brands purposefully support together: LV allows its flagship stores to live next to each other, and Lisa, the girlfriend of “LV Third Prince”, stands for it, and the “Simmel moment” of celebrities…… These carefully laid out and successfully moved it from one to offer a cute doll,Ascension is an emotional carrier that carries identity value and luxury attributes——It not only injects a heavy “sense of identity” into Labubu, but also finds new reasons for luxury goods.
I didn’t buy Hermès for the bag, but to find a decent home for Labubu.
The essence of emotional dispute is the deep resonance and emotional connection between brands and users in the depths of their hearts. Whoever can accurately capture and awaken this dormant collective resonance and transform it into surging commercial potential will truly win this battle for survival that concerns people’s hearts.
3. Anchor of value: Towards “absolute value” in the era of mobility
My task is not to please people, but to make them better; What benefits do we bring to our users, where do we take them?
– Steve Jobs
No matter how we mobilize users and how we awaken emotional resonance, the ultimate proposition of business remains the same:Do you create irreplaceable value for users?
This is not a new theory. Half a century ago, Peter Drucker, the father of management, had already penetrated the essence:“The only purpose of a company is to create customer value.”In the rapidly changing year 2025, this insight shines even brighter.
1. What is “value”?
Business leaders have long outlined the cognitive map of “value”. Brand Ape combines the wisdom of Drucker, Jobs, Christensen and Toshifumi Suzuki to deconstruct the essence of value from three dimensions:
First, “value” thinking: jump out of products, problems and pain points
The most straightforward definition of “value” is Jobs“Benefits for each other”。 Starting from this, combined with Christensen’s “user task” theory, taking the classic “quarter-inch drill bit” as an example, four types of thinking are clear:
- Product Thinking:“My drill has excellent performance, reliable quality, and attractive price!”
- Problem thinking:“People don’t want a drill, they want a quarter-inch hole.”
- Pain point thinking:“Things in the past were expensive and inconvenient, I’ll give you a better electric drill”
- Value thinking:“Nobody really wants that hole!”
What users desire is a neat shelf hanging on the wall after drilling holes;
It is the satisfaction of seeing items arranged in an orderly manner;
it is a sense of accomplishment in completing the change with your own hands;
it is the improvement of family status when winning the approval of the partner;
It is the inner peace and security after saying goodbye to the clutter in the bedroom.
I just didn’t want that hole!
Therefore, what is value thinking –In the areas you do best, help users improve their skills, optimize performance, and improve their lives through products or services to make them better versions of themselves.
Second, the dimension of value: “relative value” VS “absolute value”
7-Eleven founder Toshifumi Suzuki reveals the division between the two management philosophies
- Relative value:Generated in a horizontal comparison with past/peers,The goal is to “win in competition with opponents”;
- Absolute Value:Focus on meeting user needsSensual value and rational valueatIt never stopsCreate unique added value through self-evolution.
He put forward a key insight: value is the eternal purchase motivation of users, but the connotation of “value” in each era flows with the changes in people’s needs and consumption behavior.The pursuit of “absolute value” is to embrace change, lead change, and drop a solid anchor in the torrent of the flowing times.
Third, the ultimate torture of “value”: the meaning of existence
In Jobs’ first public speech after returning to Apple in 1997, the first page of the PPT went straight to the core: “Apple’s entire strategy can be condensed into our mission:Provide users with indispensable, irreplaceable value – value that only Apple can create.”
This is the ultimate declaration of “value”:What will users lose without us? What will the world lose? What would the world change if we were there?
2. The actual combat map of quadruple value reconstruction
The underlying logic of “value” ((Help users change, pursue self-evolution, and create irreplaceabilityIt may not change forever, but in the actual business battle in 2025, its core and implementation path are undergoing profound changes.
From Aldi to Fat Donglai, from Bawang Chaji to Bubble Mart, the success of these phenomenal brands is revealed:Value is being systematically restructured in four key dimensions.They not only redefine the rules of competition, but also build a new business paradigm for the future.
Reconstruction 1. Cost-effective upgrade – from “cheap” to “trust contract”.
“Cost-effective” is by no means a simple “low price and high configuration”. butTransform cost control into a strategic capability for trust accumulation。
When price involution becomes the norm, the real winner is positiveRedefine the rules of competition– Transform the cost advantages brought by supply chain efficiency improvement into perceptible “Trust surplus“, establishing something beyond the transaction levelPsychological contract。
- ALZI’s “Iron Triangle of Value”:In the battle that swept through Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, its core competitiveness is not simply more than 500 9.9 yuan products, but behind itGerman standardandDeeply bound supplier alliancesConstructedQuality assurance mechanism(Triple testing for each item). This successfully converts “low prices” into consumers”No worries about consumption“.
- Fat Donglai’s “transparent” revolution: When traditional retail hides the difference between purchase and sales, Fat Donglai launches”Naked price storm——The product label clearly marks the purchase price, gross profit margin, and retail price. This seemingly radical move has built the retail industry in an era of uncertaintyTrust the flywheel——Trust itself has become the hardest currency。
- The white elephant’s “most of the bag” wordplay triggered the collapse of trust, confirming the cruel law of this era – consumers can accept reasonable premiums, but cannot tolerate value deception.
Their common enlightenment: the real “cost performance” is a by-product of value creation. Cost savings through supply chain innovation and efficiency improvement,It must translate into a better experience and a stronger trust buildup, to complete the benign redistribution of value.
Reconstruction 2: Experiential Reconstruction – From Experience Delivery to “Perceptible” Meaning Generation
In the red sea of Chinese new tea drinks, all brands (Heytea, Naixue, Chayan Yuese, Mixue Bingcheng, etc.) all focus on product innovation, raw material upgrading, health claims, national style culture or emotional value.However, why can Bawang Chaji, who only debuted in 2017, achieve “hegemony”?
Its core lies in completing the essential leap of “sense of experience” – when “traditional” experience becomes standard,The decisive point of value lies in whether the experience can be elevated to a “perceptible” container of meaning.
In terms of the tea drink itself (taste, health, IP, cultural labels), Bawang Chaji may not have an overwhelming advantage in a single dimension (Heytea continues to iterate on taste, Chayan Yuese is deeply involved in oriental aesthetics, and health options are not exclusive). But the key to the victory of the overlord Chaji lies in thisSystematically constructing perceptible “meaning”：
- Transforming “health” into “being kind to yourself”: Establish the health standard of “0 artificial flavors added to tea base, 0 milk creamer, and 0 trans fatty acids in the whole cup”; Launched “Product ID Card” and “Nutrition Composition Calculator”; Implement the “Nutrition Grading System” and establish a dual guidance system for ABCD “Nutritional Choice” and GI (Glycemic Index) for “scientific sugar control”… Therefore, consumers truly feel “drink health” and are willing to pay a premium for value.
- The significance of sublimating “oriental tea” into “cultural inheritor”: The store uses mortise and tenon structure and seal script fonts to create oriental aesthetic scenes; held a special exhibition of tea culture in the “Forbidden City Tea World”; The Paris Olympics opened a pop-up store to convey the oriental charm through interactions such as “Boya Juexian”, pot throwing, and cuju; joined hands with Ma Weidu to popularize the history of tea, and carried out the “Tea Culture Space” tour exhibition in 20+ cities across the country; Jointly with “ELLE” magazine and actor Gong Jun launched the “Tribute to Intangible Cultural Heritage” activity.
Just when opponents were still hesitating whether to engage in a price war, contraction or acceleration, Bawang Chaji reconstructed a cup of milk tea into a three-dimensional matrix that connects individuals and circles, history and the present through the three-dimensional matrix of “health visualization + cultural influence + intangible cultural heritage can participate”Meaning generator。
This series of actions makes “meaning” no longer an abstract slogan, but a concrete expression that can be deeply perceived by consumers.Choosing Bawang Chaji is not only a reward for oneself, but also an identity of oriental culture.
Reconstruction 3: Sincere dividends – the moat of long-termism!
Never deceive suppliers, customers, or employees. This means taking the initiative to admit mistakes and correct them immediately, rather than looking for excuses.
– James Sinegal, founder of Costco
Throughout the history of retail business, only three companies have successfully resisted the impact of macroeconomic fluctuations, consumption cycle rotation, changes in consumption habits and e-commerce channel revolution in the past two decades.Through the cycle and maintain steady growth:
- Costco： With “the lowest price and highest quality for members”indenture(The membership renewal rate is as high as 90%, and the global paid members have reached 137 million), and it has maintained an ultra-high compound growth rate of 8% in 20 years, becoming a global retail benchmark.
- 7-Eleven： Adhering to the principle of “thinking from the user’s point of view,Continue to create value for usersThe business philosophy of “Continuous creation of new value” has always maintained rapid growth through Japan’s three economic cycles and the impact of the epidemic in the past 50 years.
- Fat Donglai:In the multiple rounds of reshuffle of China’s retail industry (supermarkets, department stores, shopping malls), when countless giants collapsed,With “sincerity”,Not only is it strong, but it is also admired and worshiped by the whole industry.
Dissecting the success genes of these three benchmarks, their leaders – Costco’s Jim Singer, 7-Eleven’s Toshifumi Suzuki, and Fat Donglai’s Yu Donglai – are shown in their business philosophyAmazing consistency: extreme sincerity to users。
Costco dares to let members “shop with their eyes closed”; Fat Donglai’s mutual trust in “no receipt return” and uncompromising “service details”; 7-Eleven treats convenience store bento as the ultimate in “a taste that is difficult to achieve at home”. These practices are far from cold business calculations, but rather a combination of “Sincerely think about the user“Actions that are deeply embedded in the DNA of the enterprise.
In thisInformation overload and scarcity of trustThe era of usersIncreasingly, they are willing to pay a premium for this “uncompromising reliability”。 This sincerity, which is deeply rooted in the bone marrow, has built a confrontation with the economic cycleThe strongest and most far-reaching moat– This is the long-termist.”Sincerity dividends”。
Sincerity is never a strategy, but a gene for survival.
Reconstruction 4: True value – empowering users to become “better selves”
The essence of value thinking lies in:Does the brand truly empower users to progress or become a better version of themselves?
Two uncommon sense truths reveal the reasons:
- The core motivation for users to buy a product: it has nothing to do with product features or brand stories, but in “Is the product tailor-made for me?” Is it genuine? Does the brand really care about me? ”
- The motivation of users to actively communicate:Not because of how excellent the product is, but from the origin of it “How products make me feel better about myself” ——That is, to help them achieve their goals or get closer to their ideal self.
If you understand the above, you will be able to gain insight”True value”value——Just like Iron Man’s armor, Thor’s hammer, and Captain America’s shield, their value is not in the props (products) themselves.It’s about the ability they give heroes the ability to change the world.
DeepSeek is an excellent confirmation of this value anchor. Its disruptive power does not come simply from technological leadership (the model is certainly advanced), but from its authenticity“Empower ordinary people——Through open source, the threshold for AI use is greatly lowered. Essentially, it breaks the technological monopoly and allows individuals to make a leap in capabilities with the help of tools.
In the era of infinite “flow”, brands can only become users in pursuit of progress “Armor” and “weapons”, helping them win on their respective battlefields – this is the most stable “Anchor of value”。
4. Win-win way: from “oppression object” to “sustainable partner”!
In the first half of 2025, two business events that seem to be just “hot spots” are quietly emergingPryingThe future pattern is driving business progress:
- JD.com’s “social security breakthrough”: In the red sea of food delivery where subsidies are rampant, JD.com takes the “payment of social security for riders” to directly hit the pain points and social concerns of the industry, and then set off the social security revolution of the takeaway brother.
- The “60-day account period revolution” in the automotive industry: In the face of the trust crisis of “Evergrande”, mainstream car companies collectively promised to pay the account period of suppliersShorten to less than 60 days。
This is by no means an isolated phenomenon, butA signal of the collapse of the “value chain squeezing” model。 Behind it, yesThe rise of a new paradigm of “sustainable partnerships”——This paradigm has long been verified by long-term winners such as Costco and Fat Donglai.
1. Employees: From cost to core assets, drive the engine of “extraordinary efficiency and ultimate service”
We always believe that if you hire great employees and provide good jobs, compensation, benefits, and career development opportunities, then your business will grow well.
– Costco founder Jim Singer
Costco’s actions are more powerful than slogans:“70 cents per dollar of revenue are spent on employees”, so they have the highest pay levels and benefits packages in retail globally (employees earn about $26 an hour, far more than Walmart’s $18), coupled with a culture of equality, which has helped them create an enterprising team andEmployee loyalty far exceeds that of peers(Employee turnover is less than 10%, well below Sam’s 21% and Walmart’s 44%).
Fat Donglai’s philosophy of “happy productivity” also shines:Employees can sit to work; If you work 6-7 hours a day and are in a bad mood, you can ask for leave; 30 days of paid leave; Closed on Tuesdays; Even if the income of cleaning employees exceeds 7,000 yuan…The sense of dignity and happiness of employees,directly converted toEnthusiasm and efficiency of service users, forming a powerfulEndogenous power。
Their practice proves that:The sincere investment in employees is by no means a cost burden, but the foundation and core productivity of the new retail in a positive cycle of “employee satisfaction→ customer satisfaction→ business success”.When the industry is addicted to algorithmic squeezing, treating employees well becomes the most “radical” efficiency revolution.
2. Suppliers: from squeezing objects to growth partners, building a “value sharing body”
The core competitiveness of the new generation of retail,From the abandonment of oppression and the establishment of symbiosis:
- Costco’s “Value Sharing”:The core of “low price and high quality” is neither sacrificing quality nor passing on cost pressure to suppliers. Instead, it is through self-gross profit compression (commitment not exceeding 14%) and ultimate operational efficiency.
- Fat Donglai’s “Partner Rules”:No back-office fees (admission fees, stack fees, promotions, etc.); Take the initiative to check out (take the initiative to call the supplier to settle the payment at the end of the month); Shared passenger flow (display supplier information in a prominent position in the mall to drain traffic); take the initiative to make profits (when the sales of a product is too large, take the initiative to raise the price for the supplier), etc.
- Sam’s China “Empowering Cooperation”:establish an equal dialogue mechanism with suppliers; Assign professionals to guide the production process and refine it to employment standards (such as prohibiting workers from working overtime to affect quality); help suppliers renovate workshops, etc.
When traditional supermarkets are still charging pile fees, when discussing supply chain efficiency, and talking about three-year strategic goals, these benchmark enterprises have been built“Standard output-technology empowerment-demand feedback”The value chain of the value chain creates an ecology. Their success reveals a profound truth:The real supply chain advantage does not lie in the ability to reduce prices, but in whether it can empower partners to achieve capability leap and value co-creation.
More importantly, they are like lighthouses standing on the route of new business civilization, their light not only illuminates themselves, but also clearly guides the entire business system to evolve in a healthier, more sustainable and humanistic direction.
The “social security storm” of the delivery boy and the “60-day account period” revolution in the automobile industry are a response to this trend. These changes demonstrate: from employees to suppliers,Treat every link in the value chain as a “sustainable partner” rather than an “oppressor”It is not only a moral call, but also a key business wisdom related to brand victory in China’s new consumption picture in the future – it constitutes the “mobilization mechanism”, “emotional resonance” and “value anchoring”The fourth core survival logic.
5. Summary: The meaning of “we” – building “immortality” in the era of rapid decay
It’s time to get off the carousel of traffic, because this carousel is running faster and faster, but it can’t go anywhere.
It’s time to stop deceiving and bothering.
It’s time to stop doing TV commercials and elevator commercials and pretend you’re popular.
It’s time to stop making ordinary products for ordinary people and think that you can change the price of more than just one commodity.
It’s time to stop begging people to be your customers, and it’s time to stop feeling embarrassed about charging for your work.
It’s time to stop looking for shortcuts and start taking a long-term, workable path
——”This Time It’s Marketing”
The business picture in the first half of 2025 has outlined a framework for survival:“Mobilization power” solves the communication dilemma, “emotional power” overcomes the spiritual defense line, “value power” anchors the selection coordinates, and “partner power” achieves the future of business.These four new laws are like five fingers – when clenched, they can form a solid fist that goes through the business cycle.
At the same time, the rules of survival in the second half of 2025 are gradually becoming clear:Survival is to stimulate user participation and co-creationleader;Vitality comes from deep resonance with usersEmpathy； Lasting is attributed to the continuous creation of new valueInnovator； The final winner must transform every node in the value chain into a “community with a shared future”Long-termist.
And “we” – all brands/marketers/advertisers – need to be aware of:“We” hold the power to change and make things better!
