The "dual branding" strategy, where corporate and product brands develop side by side, is a widely adopted brand strategy model in many enterprise groups. From the perspective of brand structure, it resembles a "solar system," with the corporate brand at the core, shining like a radiant "sun," while the product brands orbit around it like "planets," maintaining their own rotation while revolving around the corporate brand. Although the structure of the dual branding strategy appears simple and clear, achieving the realm of "a perfect combination" or "two swords becoming one" is far from easy. Many enterprise groups have ended up treating their dual brands as "two separate layers" or "two independent carriages," sometimes even creating confusion about which is the "main" and which is the "auxiliary." In some cases, the brands end up undermining each other instead of supporting each other.
Chinese businesses often care too much about "face," so Cui Tao will leave some "face" for certain enterprise groups. Many enterprise groups are used to looking into a "big mirror," but in doing so, they end up blurring their own identities. Below, I offer a "small mirror" that may help you see clearly the origins and development of the dual branding strategy.
The ultimate goal of the Tu Bage Group's brand strategy is: "South has Wahaha, North has Tu Bage." Its position among distributors is: "With Tu Bage, it surpasses Wahaha." Wahaha has more face, while Tu Bage has more substance (more profitable). Tu Bage’s brand strategy no longer needs to feel its way forward like crossing a river by feeling for stones; instead, it already has an excellent mirror — Wahaha. Tu Bage and Wahaha are similar in name and perception, both being "children" brands, but now the Wahaha brand has grown up. Most of its products are sold to adults rather than children. The Wahaha brand mainly exists in the form of a corporate brand endorsement. As the saying goes, "It's good to lean on a big tree for shade," and all kinds of product brands rely on the "Wahaha" tree. In the eyes of consumers, the Wahaha brand represents the Wahaha Group, a strong and capable "big brand." Due to the inherent "childhood" and "cartoon" feel of the Tu Bage brand, it is more suitable to be developed as a corporate brand, becoming a powerful "big brand" similar to Wahaha! Currently, the main difference between Tu Bage and Wahaha is that Tu Bage isn't yet "big enough." This "bigness" still needs to be established and driven by popular product brands.
How can we boost Tu Bage? Right now, the key lies in the "Ai Yuanqi" product brand, much like how the Ying Yang Chun Line product boosted Wahaha to new heights. To put it vividly, the Tu Bage Group is building a "pyramid." The bottom layer, the foundation of the pyramid, is the "Tu Bage" corporate brand, while the "Ai Yuanqi" brand sits on the second layer. Tu Bage supports Ai Yuanqi from below, and at the same time, Ai Yuanqi elevates Tu Bage to appear even greater.
So, how should the Tu Bage corporate brand be positioned? In an era when the food industry repeatedly faces safety crises and counterfeit goods abound, Tu Bage, as a future leader in the food industry, has a responsibility to become a socially responsible "Food Safety Guardian." Just as when online viruses spread and cybersecurity crises arise, "360 Security Guard" becomes an essential tool for many internet users, earning respect and admiration. The purpose of Tu Bage becoming a "Food Safety Guardian" is to make consumers feel secure when consuming Tu Bage Group products, allowing them to eat with peace of mind because Tu Bage uses genuine ingredients and offers authentic products. Thus, Tu Bage's brand positioning is "Safety." In reality, the most valuable core positioning within an industry or product category is scarce and limited. Whoever captures this positioning first gains a significant advantage. For example, in the automotive industry, "safety" is crucial, so Volvo positioned itself as "safe." In the shampoo category, "anti-dandruff" is a valuable positioning that Head & Shoulders captured first. In the milk category, Mengniu positioned itself as "rich and fragrant," making Yili's milk seem less concentrated in comparison. Similarly, "safety" is a critical positioning in the food industry. If Tu Bage positions itself as "safe," it makes other food brands seem "less safe" in the minds of consumers.
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[Summary] Supply chain management significantly impacts the formulation and execution of a company's target market marketing strategies.