Matcha is a good helper for creating recognizable products.
Editor’s note: This article is from the micro-channel public number “coffee Gate” (ID: KamenClub), Author: Tai Lung.
Introduction
Today is Christmas, many brands launch new Christmas products early.
After watching dozens of new brands, a “Christmas Tree Milk Tea” on the table cover made a Christmas tree shape with matcha powder and cream, which made my eyes shine.
I searched carefully and found that in Xiaohongshu, there are nearly 650,000+ notes for matcha, which is higher than many popular Internet celebrity drinks. What are the areas worth exploring for matcha?
01 In winter drinks, the “add a little green” operation is on fire again
In the Christmas season, matcha tea is very suitable for the occasion. In the new way of tea drinking, there are many ways to “add a little green”.
For example, the Christmas tree milk tea recently launched by the table cover uses matcha cream top, stars, and colored ball candy to make a Christmas tree shape, anchoring a classic holiday symbol, and attracting a large group of little red book girls to punch in.
The Christmas tree milk tea introduced by the table cover, the picture is from Xiaohongshu
Lan Kee also launched a new product of cheese soy milk matcha, with the fragrance of matcha and the creamy taste of soy milk. This wave of new copywriting is also very interesting: “Red carp and green carp and donkey, jasmine green meets matcha green healing.”
Maggie machi machi’s new Shizuoka matcha cheese, with emerald green matcha and creamy white cheese, the layering is very beautiful.
Shizuoka matcha cheese, the picture comes from Xiaohongshu
Some people think that matcha belongs to a niche category, but if you look through the small red book, you will find that there are 650,000+ notes about matcha.
Whether it is tea, ice cream, or desserts, matcha has a high level of recognition and acceptance among consumer groups, making the avocados and kiwis in the green family amazed.
In reality, this bright green has always been a new foundation for the tea drinking circle. For example, two new matcha drinks were launched some time ago in the tea hundred roads: tofu pudding matcha, matcha cheese, matcha and tofu, the thick tea feel and the smoothness of tofu complement each other; matcha and cheese milk can be naturally combined to become a classic flavor. Innovation.
Tofu Pudding and Matcha, the picture comes from Xiaohongshu
Kamen has made statistics. Between 2014 and 2017, there were nearly 500 matcha specialty stores nationwide. After that, the trend of opening stores quickly calmed down. The flavor of matcha is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and has become normalized in the tea industry.
This year, healthy drinks have become more popular. Is there a chance for matcha to create a hit?
02 What are the advantages and difficulties of using matcha as a product?
Matcha has a strong tea fragrance and obvious flavor characteristics. In the public impression, the taste of matcha is memorable and can be matched with different product lines such as tea, coffee, ice cream, and baking.
In terms of appearance, matcha with a “small and fresh” appearance can easily create high-value products and increase the “fashion sense” of the product.
For example, Naxue’s matcha baa bag, which is filled with matcha cream filling in the common croissant, and the outer skin is white chocolate beads with matcha powder. The taste is slightly bitter and sweet. It is surprising from the visual to the taste. .
In terms of collocation, matcha tea is suitable for hot and cold, and it is easy to match with dairy products. Especially in winter, hot drinks are easy to be sweet, greasy and heavy. Adding matcha can immediately make the taste more refreshing. In addition, the health attributes of matcha also fit the current beverage trends.
However, there are some barriers to the development of high-value, distinctive matcha.
For example, matcha has higher requirements for planting, technology, and production. If a single cup of product is used in a large amount, the cost will be higher.
Good matcha has more demanding growth conditions and processing technology. Specifically, matcha tea should be protected from light during the growth period, so its picking season is usually later than ordinary green tea, its nutritional value will be higher, and the color will be more emerald green.
In the market, there is a mixture of fish and dragons, and there are some phenomena of uneven quality such as “green tea powder” on the market, making it difficult for ordinary consumer groups to distinguish between true and false.
High-quality matcha powder, the color is emerald green, the picture is from Beichuan Banbei
But in general, as a material with differentiated flavors and colors, matcha is a supplement to the conventional product line and can provide surprises and taste recognition.
How to tap the explosive potential of matcha?
03
1. Make full sense of value, or integrate it into daily drinks to create recognition
The level of matcha is not deeply felt by general consumers. As a content addition, how to express the value of matcha is a topic that needs to be explored by brands and supply chains.
One aspect is to create a sense of value. For example, the Christmas tree milk tea mentioned above, to create the interestingness or scarcity of the product, to incorporate certain symbols, festivals, and emotions, to make the matcha drink a social currency, and to keep it innovated and popular.
Matcha drinks can be incorporated into the festival, the picture is from Xiaohongshu
On the other hand, matcha tea can be returned to the familiar drink to enhance the flavor. For example: applying matcha to American coffee, latte, or adding cream topping can increase taste changes.
2. The taste is upgraded, and the supply-side enterprises strengthen production control
A kind of drink can be popular and form a category for a long time. In the final analysis, it provides a good taste and flavor, so that more consumers like it.
In the past two years, domestic matcha supply companies have also begun to improve their industrialization and scale.
Beichuan Banbingwei Tea Garden
Beichuan Banbingwei has produced matcha since 1861. It is located in an autonomous tea garden in Hekou Town, Dawu County, Xiaogan City, Hubei Province. It covers an area of more than 3,000 acres and has an annual output of 200 tons of matcha. The local temperature difference between day and night is large, suitable for the accumulation of nutrients for tea trees.
According to the relevant person in charge of Beichuan Banbingbei, from picking fresh leaves to finished products, they have strict quality control, control pesticide residues, and eliminate the use of herbicides.
“The brand introduces advanced production technology and equipment from Japan, and has comprehensive technical cooperation with the famous Japanese tea family and Fujimoto store companies. The quality, weather, picking period, fertilization and cultivation of tea trees will be strictly and meticulous throughout the production process. The person in charge said that Kitagawa Banbee Matcha powder can make customized labeling products to customers while ensuring the stability of quality.
The entire production process will be strictly and meticulously managed. The picture is from Beichuan Banbei
For the East China Regional Competition of the Kamen 2020 New Drinking Power Contest, some contestants used Beichuan Banbei Matcha to make creative products.
In addition, according to the person in charge of Kitagawa Hanbei, the company’s R&D team is also conducting in-depth research on the Japanese tea market, and is actively developing roasted tea—this is also the current technology and product gap in the domestic market. He believes that the unique roasting aroma and rich taste of Hojicha will certainly meet the development and demand of domestic brands for new products.
The R&D team went to Japan for research, the picture is from Kitagawa Hanbei
3. The product incorporates health attributes and taps the value of matcha
In the past two years, health attributes have been widely mentioned in the tea industry.
Green itself has a natural and healthy impression in people’s minds. Having experienced the fire in the market, it shows that the public has knowledge and expectations for matcha.
Green itself has a natural and healthy impression. The picture comes from Beichuan Banbing
In conversations with young consumers, compared to healthy foods such as peach gum, wolfberry, and green juice, matcha has the advantages of controllable cost and pleasing taste.