Introduction:As price wars and co-branding marketing in the coffee market gradually lose their effectiveness, brands are turning to celebrity endorsements to tap into fan-driven economies. The recent endorsement controversies involving Luckin and Cotti Coffee reveal the potential power of fan consumption, but have also sparked debates over whether consumers are “buying the product or chasing the idol.” This article explores how celebrity endorsements have become a new battleground amid intensifying competition in the coffee industry, and how brands can maintain their core product values amidst the hype.

Recently, after announcing a new brand ambassador, Cotti Coffee quickly ignited a wave of enthusiasm among fans, with stores experiencing overwhelming order volumes that led to temporary shutdowns. Fans actively placed orders and snapped up related merchandise, demonstrating the strong driving force of star power in coffee consumption. This move also prompted competitors to react swiftly, with Luckin’s livestream reportedly featuring a group-buying link suspected of capitalizing on the trend, sparking speculation about brands “piggybacking” on each other’s traffic.

According to netizen observations, a group-buying link labeled “Exclusive for Motorcycle Sisters” appeared in Luckin’s livestream, leading some fans to mistakenly believe it was a collaboration between the celebrity endorser and Luckin, prompting unintended purchases. Although Luckin has not publicly responded to this matter nor confirmed the existence of the link, the incident has generated widespread discussion on social media, highlighting the influence of celebrity traffic on consumer behavior.

Some observers suggest this may be a carefully planned commercial strategy by brands aiming to attract customers by leveraging a rival’s popularity, while others believe it is a spontaneous fan initiative designed to generate buzz and exposure for their idols. Regardless of the underlying motives, this incident underscores the pivotal role of celebrity influencers in brand marketing, serving as a powerful tool for market promotion.

In fact, since 2023, numerous coffee brands have collaborated with popular IPs, luxury brands, and art exhibitions to launch limited-edition co-branded products and merchandise, successfully attracting non-coffee enthusiasts into stores. While this so-called “buying the case but returning the pearl” style of consumption has temporarily boosted brand visibility and popularity, the frequent occurrence of such collaborations has led to consumer fatigue, with diminishing returns over time.

As traditional price competition and co-branding marketing gradually lose their appeal and market competition intensifies, brands are seeking new marketing breakthroughs. One approach has been to target highly loyal fan bases—an option chosen by many. Celebrity endorsements not only rapidly generate buzz, but fans are also more likely to continue consuming in support of their idols, unlike co-branded products whose impact fades once the campaign ends.

Past cases show that brands including K Coffee, Starbucks, and Luckin have all successfully attracted large numbers of fans to visit stores and take photos after announcing celebrity endorsers. Unlike the short-lived hype of co-branded products, as long as the endorsement relationship continues, fan-driven consumption momentum tends to be more stable and even has the potential to expand the consumer base as the celebrity’s popularity grows.

Looking ahead, we may see more coffee shops bustling with fans queuing up, interacting with celebrity cutouts, and competing to buy co-branded merchandise. However, while enjoying the short-term hype brought by traffic, brands must also be wary of whether consumers are solely focused on the star effect while neglecting the quality and flavor characteristics of the coffee itself. How to leverage star power while reinforcing the brand’s professional image and enhancing the consumer experience will be a key challenge for brands.

In this era of intense internal competition in brand marketing, striking a balance between traffic and core product value will determine which brands can stand out in the fierce market and continue to win consumer favor.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.