Introduction:In recent years, Douyin has become a new battleground for beverage brands vying for traffic, thanks to its massive user base and the strong momentum of live commerce. From Starbucks and Luckin Coffee to Nayuki and Heytea, many well-known brands have launched discounted group-buying deals to attract consumers to place orders and further stimulate in-store visits. This article will delve into the realities of this online price war and reveal how brands can boost exposure and sales through the Douyin platform.
The Douyin platform has surpassed 600 million daily active users. Its live commerce model has not only transformed traditional e-commerce sales methods but also become an important channel for beverage brands to capture online traffic. Since 2022, an increasing number of well-known brands such as Luckin, Starbucks, Manner, Tims, Heytea, and Nayuki have successively launched discounted group-buying packages on Douyin, often priced lower than those available at physical stores or official mini-programs, leading to fierce online price competition.
Among them, Luckin Coffee has successfully sparked conversation through creative marketing in its Douyin livestreams, such as the "male model troupe" fashion show format. During the livestream, male models of various styles appeared holding different types of coffee, making it hard for viewers to focus on the product itself or the performance. However, this spectacle also boosted the visibility of Luckin’s Douyin group-buying items. For instance, Luckin’s popular “Coconut Latte” is available on Douyin for just 14.5 yuan, significantly cheaper than the usual around 20 yuan on its mini-program, resulting in impressive sales of over 640,000 cups and earning it a spot on the city’s best-selling coffee rankings.
Starbucks has also actively participated in this competition. Its 19-yuan breakfast combo (including a drink and light snack) and 56.9-yuan package for two medium-sized specialty drinks launched on Douyin have received positive responses. Notably, the 19.9-yuan Starbucks drink-and-breakfast combo, redeemable at all national stores, has achieved sales of up to 862,000 cups. Some consumers have noted that when visiting certain stores recently, they observed a significant increase in customers redeeming Douyin group-buying vouchers, indicating that the strategy has tangibly driven foot traffic.
Beyond major chain coffee brands, emerging tea beverage brands like Heytea and Nayuki have also joined the fray. Heytea offers discounts on Douyin such as 15.8 yuan for a choice of oversized桶 guava passionfruit or duck shit aroma lemon tea, and previously promoted deals like two classic “Berry Berry Grapefruit” teas for just 28 yuan or a 100-yuan 10-visit card (about 10 yuan per cup), successfully attracting a large number of young users. Nayuki’s Tea, on the other hand, offers a 9.9-yuan deal for a choice of four popular coffee options including latte, cappuccino, and americano, with single-item sales quickly surpassing 1 million, demonstrating high market acceptance.
It is worth noting that Douyin users’ interest in tea beverage-related content continues to rise. According to relevant statistics, since 2022, the number of tea beverage-themed video content and their view counts have shown a month-on-month growth trend. Specifically, the number of tea beverage-related videos in June increased by 58% compared to January, with monthly views exceeding 14.7 billion and accumulating over 280 million likes. This trend indicates that more and more consumers are using the Douyin platform to gather beverage information and make purchasing decisions.
For brands, engaging in Douyin group-buying is not only about boosting short-term sales but also about leveraging the platform’s high-exposure characteristics to enhance local brand visibility. By offering price advantages, brands attract users to further visit physical stores, achieving a conversion from online traffic to in-store consumption. After drawing in crowds with low-price incentives, brands can then improve customer loyalty and repeat purchase rates through product quality and service experience.
In summary, Douyin has evolved from being just an entertainment content platform into an e-commerce and marketing channel that beverage brands can no longer ignore. In the future, as the platform’s features and user behaviors continue to evolve, this online competition centered around beverages is expected to become even more diverse and intense. While enjoying discounts, consumers can also observe how various brands use creative content and precise marketing to craft more appealing consumer experiences.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
