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Though brands are Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

eager to build a good In fact, before the viral song, the pub-

image, customers still lic has shown little interest in MIXUE’s
marketing events. Unlike Heytea and Nayu-
ki which pay to capture hot topics on social
take tea drink as media and advertise new products with

a commercial fancy copywriting, MIXUE normally stirs no
waves in the market, despite its efforts to
product. launch blind boxes, lover certificate and
anniversary celebrations, or its widely reach
report by B-side media. Its brand image was
even shaken by bad news on quality control.
This May, it was reported by Chinese Qual-
ity Net that some stores tampered with un-
sealing date and used expired ingredients,
and 35 stores in its headquarter Zhengzhou
were forced to rectify the problems within a
prescribed time limit. This was not the only
case, as many customers have complained of
finding “unexpected” stuff in the drink from
franchise stores. In the crowded new-style
tea drink market that highlights “freshness”,
MIXUE which still uses blending ingredients
like milk tea powder struggles to stand out.
Embattled with bad news, MIXUE with work, as few customers came here because HUAYUHUA, a famous marketing company in
over 10,000 stores built up no brand image of the song, and the rumor that “one could China, which kicked off cooperation with
but a cheap stereotype with its 3-RMB ice sing the song and get a free drink” tricked MIXUE in 2018 when the brand had 4,500
cream and 4-RMB lemon drink. As a result, nobody. At the end, even the store staff be- stores. The existing brand IP and stores are
it had to march to third-tier markets first, came tired of the song. also designed by the marketing company.
started trials in suburban areas in first- and Going back to this earworm revelry, During the years, short videos happen to
second-tier cities, and launched in city cen- are those netizens who pushed the song to develop meteorically. Smart mobile video apps
ters quietly. The catchy song was nothing the central stage crazy fans for MIXUE? No! including Douyin, TikTok, KUAISHOU and
less than a life-saving straw to the brand. Instead, they are more like winds that come Snapchat exert community effects, a hard nut
However, though brands are eager to and go quickly. The attitude to “entertain- to crack for traditional industries, and emerge
build a good image, customers still take new- mentizing” everything hurries up the wilt as new social media. As channels to share
style tea drink as a commercial product. It is of MIXUE’s catchy song. The curtain fell, daily life and innovate, these new platforms
possible to have some loyalty in repeated and the very last line was a dual sarcasm: have evolved segmented filming patterns and
purchase, but difficult to make a brand the “MIXUE doesn’t disfavor my empty wallet, trendy tags, as well as “sound-driven flow”.
only choice for milk tea. and I do not laugh at its vulgarity”. Flat noise, ASMR, voice-over and background
This means the failure of Snow King, music have become popular, and can be cus-
the MIXUE IP who wears a crown and a red Using Music to Please Taste Buds tomized according to video content and bond-
rope, holds an ice cream wand and dances ed to different scenes. Though the short video
straight with the catchy song day by day. Despite the strong attraction of the industry is criticized as “unnutritious content”,
After two months of the earworm effect, a theme song, the real business domain of MIX- “downgrading consumption” and “piggyback-
staff from the Er’qi Square store in Zheng- UE was captured by low price in its early days. ing on hot topics” on its expedition to other
zhou told a journalist that, though it was the In 2021, MIXUE realized self-production of domains, its pace does not hesitate and a flood
best seller among the eight stores owned by core ingredients. In 2018, it went global, set- of imitations follow in its wake. As of August
his manager, its business shrank because of ting up a store in Hanoi and set foot in Indo- 2, 2021, MIXUE-related topics have been Note
the tunnel construction nearby. The store nesia. On June 24, 2020, its 10,000th store played 9.47 billion times, with theme song
[1] A song should have at least 8 bars.
tried to attract passers-by with the viral song, debuted in Xinxiang, Henan, becoming the first 2.47 billion times and “MIXUE Ice cream&Tea” [2] Involuntary musical imagery refers
and even prepared 300 free ice creams to tea drink brand with 5-digit-store scale. The 10.6 billion times. The official theme song to the phenomenon that music
expand sales. However, the strategy didn’t theme song marketing was conducted by has been used over one million times. cuts repeat in the mind.

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