New Tea Drink: "Admission Certificate" of young people's social circles

The "staying up late water", which focuses on "ginseng and refreshing the brain", became popular. Intuitive product ingredients, "0 sugar and 0 plant beverages", "first come first first" and "regional limited" hungry marketing, driving the product of the product of the sales of "online and cleaning, offline stores in short supply" Essence The slogan of "opening the cover for 8 hours, can continue 8 cups of water" is to describe the function of "staying up late water" to the extreme, and build it as a must -have artifact for staying up all night. Selection.

Various types of tea drinking "high -quality raw materials, professional modulation, and intimate services" flourish. Under the promotion and marketing of operators and Volkswagen Media, such products are based on their "outstanding use value", which contains novelty and trendy, and is highly sought after. Social currency "— Who uses them, who looks more chic and fashionable, can get more attention and more positive impression.

Young people are the main consumer groups of new tea drinks. They are full of material, and daily consumption is not limited to meeting basic survival needs, but pays more attention to leisure and entertainment and spiritual satisfaction. When "staying up late water" and other products appear on the market, young people who are keen to share, pursue trendy, and punch cards naturally lead the consumption boom.

"Ritual+Difference Rendering", manufacture consumption flow

In the context of digitalization, commercial capital not only pays attention to the upgrade and innovation of the product, but also pays attention to the excavation and marketing of fashion gimmicks. With the help of mass media, operators use online and offline linkages to use the entire living circle and social circle of consumers as product marketing objects, and build products such as "staying up all night" and milk tea as "social currency", thereby stimulating and inducing young people groups Desire for consumption, develop stable consumer groups, and expand the consumer market.

The rendering of rituals has become an important means for such products to promote marketing. Under the combination of capital and digital medium, the "first cup of milk tea in autumn" became a symbol of care and love in cold autumn; when Thanksgiving came, milk tea turned into the "best spokesperson" who was in love with relatives and friends. When Valentine's Day, Father's Day, Mother's Day and other festivals come, the operator will also use the WeChat public account platform to pack milk tea as "exclusive gifts for TA" in specific festivals to guide consumers to buy.

In the case of increasingly stronger milk tea industry and convergence of tastes, providing scarce products and manufacturing products has become a must -have for strengthening consumption labels, such as "seasonal limited" and "limited cup body" design. The operator designs a series of peripheral products, using brand correlation to induce young people for consumption, such as "cat claw cups" and "succulent green pottery bags".

At present, social media is an important window for consumers to understand various brands, and it has also become a must -have place for operators to make brand marketing. On the one hand, commercial capital uses the official accounts of platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu, and describes its products in a "face -to -face" way in the most direct and simplest language. On the other hand, online celebrities such as "Douyin Master" and "Weibo V" bring their own traffic and hotspots. They guide fans or more netizens through "trial, evaluation, publicity" Form the trend of marketing "fans" and "socialization", and then achieve rapid product promotion.

Refined life and ideals?

The social structure has transformed sharply, and young people are difficult to escape from anxiety and loneliness. Some people even fall into the crisis of identity. They are eager to define themselves, show their identities, and gain a sense of self -worth; eager to establish their own social network as soon as possible, and seek a sense of group belonging. Various new beverages such as "staying up late water" have become a must -have in social scenes such as shopping, party dating, learning and discussion, etc., and are a veritable "social currency". Such "social currency" has become the most direct and convenient means to highlight the self -recognition of themselves and seeks the identity of others.

At Taikoo Li, Sanlitun, a citizen purchased a drink from a milk tea shop to take a drink Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Zhonghao

As a popular item now, "staying up late water" is undoubtedly given more meaning in the trend of fashion. Young people are presented through the ritual of "snapping, shooting, filter, writing copywriting, and hair circles". While shaping the "hard work" of staying up late and working hard, they show young and exquisite life " Ideal self. " On the interactive social platform, the "ideal self" that I look forward to and presenting my own operation and presentation can be praised, respectful and recognized, and gradually establish a sense of self -identity in continuous attention.

Studies have shown that 57%of young people say that "others have to have themselves and do not want to be disliked by their companions." This inner monologue triggered the consumer behavior of the group's tide in the circle and maintaining common language. For new drinks such as milk tea, for young people who are lonely and eager to gain a sense of belonging, they have become the "admission permits" that they step into a social circle, which can be recognized and accepted by others. In the context of "you have, I have, we are a good friend", young people use the convergence of consumption to maintain friendship and connection, construct recognition and belonging.

Beyond the surface, reconstruct identity

At the moment when digital media technologies have tall forward and the prevalence of consumerism, "social currency" represented by "staying up late water" is the product of capital, media and consumers -the previous two "limited" and "fashion" and so on Young people seek new psychology, and the latter's threatening identity and belonging are also in their arms. Driven by the emotional experience, young people are controlled by the market and media, and some people are missing from the fork of "real needs" and "illusions". Others have gradually moved in the ideal self and exquisite living illusions created by the media. Far, becoming a puppet of traffic carnival and consumerism. Consumer behavior containing collective meaning is easy to induce young people from the public and comparison habits, causing fake publicity and excessive marketing such as market players. Consumption is not guilty, beware of deviating. Government departments, online platforms and the public should strengthen collaboration, advocate a healthy life, and promote consumption to return to true. It should help young people to calmly treat the rules of capital and media, break free of consumer quagers, rational consumption, rational social society, actively enhance self -ability, participate in social construction, develop lofty personality, and participate in restructuring groups with true interaction, sincere connection, and true participation in restructuring groups Recognize and realize the relationship between self and society. (Professor and doctoral supervisor of the Department of Sociology, Liu Wei Department of Jilin University; Master of Sociology at Jilin University)

Source: "Half Moon Talk Internal Edition" 2022, No. 7

Author: Liu Wei warm | Editor: Zheng Xuejing

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