The beer industry has always been a dramatic field, especially in the fierce competition of the global market.
Imagine Asahi Beer, one of Japan's four major beer giants, achieving great success in the Chinese market but had to withdraw due to various reasons.
However, with the downturn in other global markets, Asahi Beer plans to re-enter the Chinese market!
The story of "leaving and returning" makes people curious: will they win the market again?
What role will Fosun Group play in this beer war?
Asahi Group is an important participant in the global beer market.
Asahi Beer, founded in 1889, has gone through more than a century of ups and downs and has become a highly respected beer brand both domestically and internationally in Japan.
However, the establishment of Asahi Beer was driven by an ambitious capital operation: Matsumoto Shigetaro from Kansai invited a group of like-minded partners to jointly establish this legendary brand.
In the 20th century, Asahi Beer, along with Kirin, Sapporo, and Yamadori, became a beer giant in Japan.
However, with the passage of time and changes in the global market, Asahi Beer has begun to feel unprecedented pressure.
Especially in China, the world's largest beer market, Asahi Beer's performance is fluctuating.
In 1994, Asahi Beer officially entered the Chinese market with a clear goal of allowing people around the world to taste fresh Asahi Beer.
In the early stages, they established production bases in Hangzhou, Jiaxing, and Quanzhou, hoping to quickly capture the market.
However, soon they found that compared to local Chinese brands, they were far behind in brand awareness and market share.
The fierce competition forced Asahi Beer to make adjustments and they chose to cooperate with China's largest beer producer, Qingdao Beer, to establish "Shenzhen Qingdao Beer Asahi Co., Ltd.".
This may seem like a win-win cooperation, but problems quickly arise.
In 2001, Asahi Group had to withdraw from this joint venture and only retained a small amount of shares.
In 2018, Fosun International announced the acquisition of Qingdao Beer shares held by Asahi Group for HKD 6.617 billion, which caused industry shock.
Guo Guangchang, the founder of Fosun Group, was once a loyal fan of Qingdao Beer. This acquisition is not only a commercial act, but also a return of emotions.
Asahi Group's strategic adjustment has not stopped.
In the European market, they face high production costs and fierce competition.
Under the wave of globalization, many enterprises have encountered similar difficulties.
Asahi Beer has been adjusting its brand strategy, constantly launching new products, attempting to win the hearts of consumers again through quality and innovation.
For example, their Super Dry beer aims to create a product that caters to the tastes of international consumers.
However, the re expansion of Asahi Beer in the Chinese market has not been smooth sailing.
They are facing challenges from Chinese consumers' emotional identification with local brands, as well as emerging brands and fierce price competition in the market.
Asahi Beer has begun to focus on interaction with consumers, holding tasting events, music festivals, and cultural events, attempting to win the favor of consumers through soft brand building.
At the same time, they are investing in building new production bases in China and bringing in more high-end brands such as Asahi Super Dry and Peroni Nastro Azzurro, hoping to seize the opportunity through the high-end market.
Asahi Beer is still exploring marketing methods that combine technology, such as analyzing consumer preferences through big data and customizing products that better meet market demands.
They also attempted to use AI technology to optimize production processes and improve product quality.
However, the future of Asahi Beer in the Chinese market is full of variables, and the market's response is still uncertain.
The return of Asahi Beer is full of challenges, as they need to reshape their brand image and strive for market share.
This is a business epic about perseverance and change, not only a challenge for Asahi Beer itself, but also a common problem faced by global multinational corporations in global competition.
These changes are not just digital games, but also vivid business stories that are worth savoring in depth.
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