Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 145 They are defining this niche market! (Seeking monthly votes, recommendations, and continued reading)
The saturation bombardment of "Pulse" advertisements had an almost immediate effect.

As advertisements are broadcast more and more frequently on television, from prime time to late-night reruns, from RTV to TVB.

The advertising sound is "Deng~ Dengdengdeng~"!
Accompanied by the powerful slogan, "Pulse, injecting you with super energy!"

It bombarded the senses of Hong Kong Island residents again and again.

This repeated, high-intensity exposure began to produce a clear, progressive effect.

An ordinary convenience store in Central, Hong Kong Island.

The owner, Uncle Chen, was busy counting the newly delivered soft drinks and beer. The freezer, which was originally full of "Pulse" drinks, now only had a few scattered bottles left.

This bright blue "Pulse" beverage, with a lightning bolt symbol printed on the label, was indeed very popular for a while after it was first launched.

That was at the end of last year.

Riding on the wave of popularity of Jackie Chan's "Drunken Master" movie.

In the movie, the scene where Jackie Chan drinks "Pulse" during a break from practicing kung fu inspired many young people to imitate him. After the movie ended, people would always come out with "Pulse" bottles, and Uncle Chan's shop was bustling for almost half a month.

But the "fire" back then was more like a gust of wind, which dissipated as soon as it passed.

Once the hype surrounding "Drunken Master" died down and the novelty wore off for younger consumers, sales of "Pulse" gradually declined. Although they were better than when it first launched, they were still just an ordinary drink among many beverages, far from the current phenomenon of "selling out as soon as they hit the shelves."

But this time, Chen Bo had a feeling that something was different.

It's not because of any celebrity, but because of the overwhelming, ubiquitous advertisements.

It was shown on TV, broadcast on the radio, printed on buses, and published in newspapers. The hype was many times greater than that of "Drunken Master"!
Moreover, the advertisement's claims about "taurine," "refreshing and invigorating," and "saying goodbye to the overtime dilemma" sound plausible.

It seems that Chenji has gone all out this time, determined to make everyone remember this "super energy" drink.

He figured that this time, the popularity of "Pulse" would probably not be a flash in the pan like last time.

A while ago, we only sold a few bottles a day, but since the overwhelming advertising started, it has suddenly become very popular these past two days.

Just as we were busy, a young man wearing a shirt and tie, clearly an office worker from a nearby building, strode into the store. "Uncle, give me a bottle of 'Pulse'!"

"Okay, how many bottles do you want?" Uncle Chen quickly opened the freezer.

"One bottle is enough. I'll try it and see if it really works. I'm feeling dizzy and lightheaded from the meeting today." The young man paid, unscrewed the cap, and drank as he walked.

Uncle Chen looked at the last bottle of "Pulse" in the freezer and shook his head.

This is the third time this morning that they've added in a shot!

Normally, we can't even sell a dozen in a day!
This change came too fast and too violently.

In the first two days after the advertisement aired, only a few people came to inquire or buy, mostly out of curiosity to give it a try.

But starting from the third day, the situation changed completely.

First, office workers from nearby buildings would come in twos and threes to buy a bottle after lunch or when they felt sleepy around three or four in the afternoon.

Next up are the night shift taxi drivers who come to buy a bottle of energy before their shift ends in the early morning.

Even students in school uniforms would buy a bottle on their way home from school, saying it would "help them stay alert while studying at night."

The reasons for purchasing them were remarkably consistent: to refresh the mind, improve alertness, and combat fatigue.

The "pain point" repeatedly emphasized in the advertisement accurately hit the needs of these people.

Uncle Chen's small shop seems to have become a microcosm of this advertising storm.

The frequency of restocking "Pulse" in the freezer has changed from once every few days to once a day, and now it needs to be restocked every half day.

Other soft drinks and juices that originally occupied prominent positions on the shelves were moved to the side, while "Pulse" took up the most eye-catching C position in the freezer.

In just a few days, sales increased more than tenfold, from a few bottles a day before the advertisement to a dozen bottles, and then to dozens of bottles!
And judging by this momentum, it's still surging upwards!

Looking at the mostly empty freezer compartments, Uncle Chen was thinking about how he would have to stock up on more goods when the grid worker came over in the afternoon.

As it turned out, speak of the devil and he appears.

Not long after, A-Qiang, the grid worker for Chen's shop, rode a tricycle that was noticeably heavier than before and stopped in front of the convenience store.

"Uncle Chen! The goods have arrived!"

"Ah Qiang! Why are you here so early today?" Uncle Chen quickly came out to greet him.

"Hey, don't even mention it!" Ah Qiang said, wiping his sweat as he deftly unloaded the goods. "This line was packed today!"
These are all for boosting your energy! How much do you want?

Is ten dozen enough?

"Ten dozen?"
"Not enough! Not enough!" Uncle Chen pointed to the empty freezer compartments. "At least fifteen dozen! No, twenty dozen! We might have to restock this afternoon!"

Ah Qiang grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "Alright! I'll bring you twenty dozen!"

He deftly carried boxes of ice-blue "Pulse" into the store and stacked them neatly.

Looking at the empty freezer and the mountain of "Pulse" boxes in Uncle Chen's shop, A-Qiang was filled with mixed emotions.

Just two weeks ago, his experience running this route was completely different.

Back then, "Pulse" was selling quite well, but it was nowhere near what it is now.

Since the overwhelming advertising began, the attitudes of the convenience store owners along his route have completely changed.

Before, we begged them to send less; now we're chasing them to send more and send it faster!
"Ah Qiang! Bring a few extra dozen 'Pulse' drinks today!"

"Qiang! 'Pulse' is sold out. Can you restock this afternoon?"

"Qiang! Reserve thirty dozen for me for tomorrow!"

His tricycle is now mostly filled with ice-blue "Pulse" boxes!

The number of times he pedaled his bike remained the same, and the route he took remained the same, but the amount of goods he delivered increased more than tenfold!
Especially "Pulse", which used to be considered too much if we sent one or two dozen at a time, but now we can't even keep up with the demand even if we send twenty or thirty dozen at a time!

Behind all this is real money!

Chen Ji's commission for grid workers is calculated based on the number of deliveries.

The more you deliver, the higher your commission.

Previously, the commission for delivering "Pulse" was so small that it was almost negligible.

What now?
Ah Qiang had calculated in his mind that in just half a day this morning, he had sent out more than a hundred dozen "Pulse" through this line!
This commission is equivalent to the total commission of the past two weeks!
And judging by this trend, there will only be more tomorrow and the day after!
"Uncle Chen, the goods have been stored for you! If they sell quickly this afternoon, just call the delivery station anytime, and I'll deliver them to you first!"

After Ah-Qiang finished moving the last box, he clapped his hands and gave some instructions with a smile.

"Okay! Okay! Thank you for your hard work, Qiang!" Uncle Chen replied with a smile.

Ah Qiang stepped onto the heavy tricycle and felt a surge of energy under his feet.

Sweat soaked his back, but he felt as refreshed as if he had drunk ice water.

This ad was totally worth it! Absolutely worth it!

He wished the advertisement could run for a few more months, so that the "Pulse" would sell even more like crazy!
In this way, he can turn the wheels of his tricycle to earn more real money.

When I get home in the evening, I can buy more meat and vegetables for my wife and kids, or maybe I can save up enough money to buy a house sooner!
Ah-Qiang hummed a little tune as he pedaled hard, heading towards the next eagerly awaiting convenience store.

He knew that there were more orders for "Pulse" and bottled sugar water, and more commission waiting for him there.

Just as everyone at Chenji was jubilant, and distributors and grid workers like Ah Qiang were full of energy, things suddenly became difficult for other players in the Hong Kong beverage industry.

The pressure brought by this blue whirlwind is a real and heavy weight on the shoulders of competitors.

Ngau Tau Kok, Kowloon.

Taohua Datong Food Co., Ltd. Soft Drink Factory.

The atmosphere in Marketing Director Liu Weixiong's office was far less relaxed than that in Aqiang's office.

As the largest and most deeply rooted local soft drink giant on Hong Kong Island besides Swire Soft Drinks, it produces American Green Pearl non-carbonated orange juice and distributes seven international brands, including Pepsi and Melinda. This gives them a pivotal position and a stable source of profit in the Hong Kong beverage market.

But at this moment, Liu Weixiong felt unprecedented pressure.

He held several freshly printed documents in his hand, his brow furrowed.

The document contains preliminary information collected by the marketing department.

The above details the advertising time slots and frequencies of Chan Kee's "Pulse" on major television stations such as TVB and RTV over the past week, as well as its coverage on bus bodies and newspaper pages.

The densely packed schedule and the exorbitant estimated costs made his eyelids twitch.

“Director,” said Xiao Wang, the market analyst, standing at the table with a hint of uncertainty, “Although the specific sales data has not been fully compiled yet, judging from these signs, Chen Ji is coming on strong this time.”

Their advertising investment is practically reckless!

Liu Weixiong put down the documents and rubbed his temples.

“I know.” His voice was a little low. “The effects of advertising cannot be reflected in sales data so quickly, and channel feedback also needs time to be summarized.”

but"

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the street.

A double-decker bus painted with a huge ice-blue "Pulse" beverage bottle and the Chen Ji logo slowly drove by. Its bright colors and huge visual impact made it clearly visible even from the upper floors.

“However, this level of advertising blitz is itself a huge pressure!” Liu Weixiong turned around and emphasized, “It’s like a tsunami, instantly overwhelming all information channels!”
Consumers are now obsessed with "Pulse," "energizing," and "super energy"!
And their bottled sugar water!
Our advertising budget is a drop in the ocean compared to this!

He pointed to the report on the table: "Look at these feedback channels. Although there is no data yet, there is a sense of tension and passivity between the lines!"

Retailers, brainwashed by advertising, will naturally prioritize meeting the demands generated by that advertising!
Our shelf space and promotional resources are being silently squeezed!
By the time sales figures really start to drop, it might be too late!

Xiao Wang nodded: "Indeed."

This kind of saturation exposure will directly change consumers' perceptions and purchasing habits.

Once they habitually reach for "Pulse," our drinks become marginalized.

“What’s even more frightening is,” Liu Weixiong said with a grave expression and a hint of resentment, “that Chen’s team isn’t playing the celebrity card this time, but the performance card!”
Concepts like 'taurine,' 'energizing,' and 'say goodbye to overtime' are hard to shake off once they take root in consumers' minds!

They are defining this market segment!

"And what about us? What do we have? We don't have energy drinks! What we're proud of is the natural health benefits of Green Jewel Orange Juice, the youthful trendiness of Pepsi, and the refreshing fruity flavor of Melinda!"
But none of these have anything to do with 'refreshing the mind' or 'fighting fatigue'!

The more successful Chen's advertising is, the more it marginalizes all our products!

Consumers who want a 'refreshing boost' won't even come to our shelves!

Liu Weixiong became increasingly angry as he spoke, and walked back to the table, picked up the analysis report, and began to beat it violently.

Market analyst Xiao Wang was too intimidated by the director's anger to utter a sound, but he knew that Liu Weixiong was telling the truth.

Although Taohua Datong has a rich product line, it appears pale and powerless in the face of the new track of "functional beverages" created by Chen Ji.

Liu Weixiong took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

Anger solves nothing.

"We can't just stand by and watch Chen's dominate this new market, squeezing out our market share in the process," he said in a deep voice. "Since we don't have any ready-made products, we must use the cards we have to fight a defensive and blocking war!"

While Liu Weixiong of Taohua Datong was racking his brains for a way to deal with the blue advertising storm of "Pulse," a completely different scene was unfolding at Chenji R&D Center in Weiye Building.

Chen Bingwen stood in front of the experimental table, where Zhou Zhiyuan and Isabella were showing him their latest research findings.

“Chen Sheng,” Zhou Zhiyuan said, pointing to several milky white strips on the tray on the lab table, “this is the latest achievement of our team’s hard work, based on your ideas: functional chewing gum.”

"Oh? That's pretty fast!"

As Chen Bingwen spoke, he picked up a piece of chewing gum and examined it carefully.

The functional chewing gum developed by Zhou Zhiyuan looks no different from common chewing gums on the market, such as Wrigley's.

However, the focus of functional chewing gum is on its function; the final product's shape is secondary.

He held the chewing gum to his nose and took a gentle sniff. A strong, refreshing minty sensation rushed into his nasal cavity, and he couldn't smell any other flavors.

"Technically speaking, as you might expect, it's not particularly difficult, but the key lies in the stable release of the ingredients and the balance of taste."

Zhou Zhiyuan explained from the side, "We used microencapsulation technology to encapsulate the core functional ingredients such as taurine, caffeine and B vitamins, and then evenly mixed them into the gel base."

This ensures efficient and stable release of the ingredients during chewing, while also preventing the ingredients from directly contacting the mouth and causing discomfort or bitterness.

Chen Bingwen nodded, put the chewing gum in his mouth, and chewed it gently.

Instantly, an extremely strong minty coolness exploded, quickly dispelling the afternoon's weariness.

It has a chewy and satisfying texture, just like traditional chewing gum.

But soon, a subtle, herbal flavor slowly releases as you chew, intertwining with the coolness of mint to create a unique experience.

"Hmm! It tastes great, the mint flavor is strong enough to completely overpower the other flavors," Chen Bingwen said with some surprise. The effect was even better than he had expected.

It even tasted better than any chewing gum he had ever eaten.

“Yes,” Zhou Zhiyuan nodded, “we adjusted the menthol ratio and release rate to ensure that the ‘first sip’ brings a strong cooling sensation and quickly activates the senses.”

We've also optimized the release curve of the functional ingredients. In the first 15 minutes, approximately 50% is released rapidly, providing immediate energy, followed by a slow release that maintains the effect for about 1-2 hours.

Chen Bingwen said with satisfaction, "Very good! That's the idea! Has the patent layout been carried out simultaneously?"

“Attorney Gu has already gotten involved, and the patent applications for the core microcapsule encapsulation process and ingredient ratios have been submitted,” Zhou Zhiyuan replied.

"Very good!" Chen Bingwen nodded approvingly, very satisfied with the progress.

He was about to ask some more technical questions when he saw Zhou Zhiyuan and Isabella exchange a glance, a mysterious smile on their faces.

"Chen Sheng," Zhou Zhiyuan said as if by magic, he produced another tray from under the lab table, which contained several dark brown, grain-like bars.

"The chewing gum project is progressing smoothly. While we were adjusting the compatibility of the gum base and functional ingredients, we came up with... well, a byproduct or an extra inspiration."

As he spoke, he handed one to Chen Bingwen: "We tried mixing the same microcapsule functional powder with oats, chopped nuts, honey, and a small amount of peanut butter, pressed it into shape, and made this. We'll call it an 'energy bar' for now."

Chen Bingwen took the seemingly sturdy stick and could feel its density and hardness when he touched it.

He took a bite, and the texture was crisper than he had expected. The aroma of oats and nuts was strong, and the sweetness of honey and the richness of peanut butter perfectly balanced the slight bitterness of the functional powder.

"Chewing gum is more about 'refreshing the mind,' targeting mental fatigue and momentary focus," Zhou Zhiyuan explained with a smile. "But this 'energy bar' focuses more on 'continuous energy supply' and 'fighting hunger.'"

It has a higher calorie content, about 200-250 calories per stick, and its functional ingredients are released more slowly, resulting in a strong feeling of fullness.

Our envisioned use cases are prolonged periods of physical exertion, overtime work when meals are not possible, or energy replenishment before and after a workout.

It's more like a 'mini portable meal,' providing both energy and a boost.

As Chen Bingwen listened to Zhou Zhiyuan's explanation and looked at the half-eaten energy bar in his hand, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Surprise!

This is an absolutely huge surprise that exceeded all expectations!
His original idea was focused on "functional chewing gum" as a weapon to open up a new track. Unexpectedly, Zhou Zhiyuan took a different approach and came up with another complementary product with huge potential!
"Good! Good! Excellent!" Chen Bingwen said "good" three times in a row, his face full of an uncontrollable smile. "Professor Zhou, you've not just demonstrated the ability to apply knowledge to new situations, you've given me a huge surprise!"

Zhou Zhiyuan may not know the significance of this small energy bar.

It has a global market worth billions of dollars in the future and continues to expand at a compound annual growth rate of about 6%.

This is a blue ocean market that rivals energy drinks and chewing gum, with even greater potential, a more vertical focus, and far from saturated competition!
“Professor Zhou, Isabella,” Chen Bingwen said happily, “do you know what this ‘unexpected gain’ means?”

This isn't just icing on the cake; it's opening up a second golden track for us!

He picked up the energy bar and said, "Functional chewing gum solves the problem of 'instant alertness,' addressing an immediate need on a mental level."

"And it—" he shook the energy bar in his hand, "solves the problems of 'continuous energy supply' and 'physiological hunger resistance,' addressing the body's continuous needs!"
Its applications are everywhere: in gyms, outdoors, on long-haul transport routes, in drawers during late-night work sessions, and even in soldiers' individual ration packs!

(End of this chapter)