Haidilao is undoubtedly the "hot search physique".

Removed a small material, and put Haidilao on the hot search. Recently, many netizens reported that Haidilao removed beef cubes and replaced it with a soy product called "Wei Mate". As of the time of publication, the number of readers on the topic of #海底捞没牛肉粒了# has reached 19.42 million+, triggering 10,000+ discussions.

ONE

Netizen: "Can't afford to play" Haidilao

A small material triggers an earthquake? This needs to start with the net celebrity characteristics of this small material.

On major social platforms, especially short video platforms, there is a lot of information about homemade tomato beef soup. The specific method is as follows: take the beef cubes from the small feeder, add shallots, coriander, etc. according to personal taste, pour into the tomato pot soup from Haidilao, and a bowl of homemade tomato beef soup is completed. On the Internet, there are many netizens who punched Haidilao because of this bowl of homemade soup, and many netizens said that "two or three bowls" started. This causes the store to consume a lot of beef every day.

Facing the popular beef cubes, replaced with soy products "flavor companion". Netizens responded that Haidilao’s new product "Wei Mate" tastes like spicy noodles, which is quite different from the previous beef cubes in terms of taste. For this reason, many netizens said that Haidilao "can't play", sharply pointed out that "Haidilao without beef diced has no soul", and they should "say goodbye" to Haidilao, saying that "will visit Haidilao when the beef diced returns"... …

Screenshots of comments on Douban related topics

In the face of heated discussions, Haidilao responded: “We just launched a soy flavor partner. We want to see how the customer’s response is. We will also adjust it from time to time and add some dishes or products.”

TWO

Industry: Haidilao may have many considerations

Many netizens Haidilao’s first reaction to replacing the beef cubes was because of the surge in costs, Haidilao was “scared” and “unable to play”. From the perspective of industry insiders, in addition to cost, Haidilao may have more and deeper considerations when replacing beef pellets.

1. Reverse marketing

In Haidilao’s official feedback, we learned that the replacement of beef nibs was only implemented in more than 20 stores. The beef cubes have not been "one size fits all." In addition, some netizens said, "The beef cubes are just changed to an ‘address’." In shops where beef cubes are replaced, you can still ask the waiter.

Most of the stores have not replaced the beef cubes. Even in the stores where the beef cubes have been replaced, they can be eaten by other methods. However, there is a rhythm of wailing and crusade on the Internet, and the popularity has soared on Weibo hot searches. The popularity of diced beef has been refreshed. Therefore, some people believe that Haidilao's move may be a reverse marketing practice.

2. Play with vegetarian meat

Haidilao’s response is also intriguing: “I launched a soy-based flavor partner. I want to see how the customer’s response is...” This response immediately reminded many people of the plant meat (vegetable meat) that has exploded in the past two years. Meat).

How hot is plant meat? In 2020 when the catering industry is sluggish, plant meat welcomes the participation of industry giants such as Unilever, Nestlé, and Cargill; dozens of investment and financing have been completed within a year, of which Hey Maet was completed within 8 months of its establishment. Three rounds of financing; supermarket chains, catering companies, and even convenience stores have begun to appear in plant meat.

Plant meat stands above the tuyere, which is fully attractive for Haidilao, which wants to give full play to its head advantages and expand from the deep-digging hot pot market to the entire catering market. Netizens specifically pointed out that Weimate "looks a lot like the original beef cubes", which is a "plant meat" product that looks like a meat product and also hopes to be close to meat products in terms of taste. So, whether Haidilao is "trying and wrong" plant meat products on the platform of the store, there is indeed unlimited room for imagination.

3. Error correction

Regardless of whether there is marketing suspicion of off-shelf beef cubes, the "homemade tomato beef soup" fire process is quite topical marketing. Prior to this, the waiters at some Haidilao stores would especially recommend "Tomato Beef Soup" to diners, and even help diners make it. However, Haidilao may not have thought that "net celebrity feeds" would bring a series of chain reactions, such as "too cruel" customers and "too high" costs...

When there are food anchors to harvest traffic under the banner of 17 yuan to eat Haidilao, when diners continue to exploit the loopholes in Haidilao's service, and one person contracts "a pot of" beef cubes, Haidilao's "homemade small materials" service is in the human nature. Under torture, it becomes a "cumbersome" to the cost of the enterprise. From this consideration, Haidilao's replacement of beef cubes may be an "error correction" behavior.

There are also similarities and differences between Haidilao's previous practice of banning Taiwanese stores to bring their own ingredients. Haidilao's Taiwan store once announced that customers can bring their own ingredients for free. At that time, the media reported that Haidilao's move "exploded Taiwanese hot pot industry." But the good times did not last long. After less than two months of the trial, Haidilao called an emergency stop due to the amount of ingredients and items brought by customers, which exceeded the store's controllable range of food safety. When calling for a stop, Taiwanese netizens ridiculed: "Haidilao completely underestimated the thickness of the customer's face"...

Haidilao has always been known for its ultimate service. Regarding the move to remove beef pellets, some netizens have extended the crusade to its services, saying that “the Haidilao service is the same thing,” and even said that Haidilao is “smashing its own signs”. ". The author believes that "error correction" is also a measure for Haidilao to continue to improve its service mechanism. The ultimate service also has a certain boundary, and its boundary is composed of cost, customer response, store efficiency and other factors. Let your own advantages achieve the best results within the boundaries. In this process, continuous innovation, trial and error, and timely error correction are the steps for an enterprise to achieve sustainable development.

THREE

Cautiousness of leading companies

Before the “trivial turmoil” has not subsided, Haidilao’s profit warning issued on the evening of March 1 once again hit a wave of hot search lists-Haidilao’s full-year net profit in 2020 fell by 90%. There is a heated discussion on the Internet, Haidilao "earned 2.1 billion less in a year", Haidilao "lost"? No, Haidilao still made a profit, and its performance has been relatively outstanding.

In 2019, Haidilao’s annual net profit was about 2.347 billion yuan. According to 10% calculation, Haidilao’s profit in 2020 will be about 235 million yuan. Haidilao’s financial report for the first half of the year showed that Haidilao lost 970 million yuan in the first half of the year, which means that Haidilao’s profit in the second half of 2020 will be at least 1.2 billion yuan. At the same time, Haidilao's share price has also remained stable, with a cumulative increase of more than 120% in the past year.

As small as the replacement of a small material, as large as the revenue share price, Haidilao's every move may cause a wide range of concerns. As a leading company, Haidilao enjoys the benefits of the brand effect and is also being scrutinized by the whole people under the halo.

Not long before the "small material incident", Haidilao also caused dissatisfaction among some diners due to the installation of cameras in the private rooms. Some netizens said that "this is an infringement of privacy, and Haidilao's move is quite inappropriate." In fact, cameras installed in private rooms are not uncommon in the catering industry. More netizens clearly pointed out that the private room is also a public place, and it is understandable to install the camera. When the company clearly signs it, the installation of the camera is a way of self-protection and customer protection. Compared with the "small material incident", the "camera incident" is more derived from "the tree attracts the wind." Regarding the camera in the private room, some netizens said that Haidilao was "feared". Use a "bring your own dead mouse" to claim 5 million. Why do criminals love "Porcelain" Haidilao? Because criminals also know that the bigger the brand, the more you need to cherish feathers.

Compared with small and medium-sized catering companies, the public has more stringent scrutiny on top brands. Behind the 90% drop in net profit is the public safety incident that swept the entire catering industry in 2020. Small and medium-sized catering companies claim that “survival is success”. There are some reasons for the "trial" adjustment of the product; behind the "camera incident", there are netizens' over-interpretation of "private space"... In the face of development, leading companies can be bold and resolute; but in the face of the public, leading companies need to be cautious. . Public opinion can support an enterprise, and at the same time, public opinion backlash can also destroy an enterprise in a short period of time.

The advantages and disadvantages of the "top stream" Haidilao may be infinitely magnified by the public. Therefore, Haidilao has the shadow of thousands of food companies. On the way, companies are always with reforms and controversy, word-of-mouth and scrutiny; they look forward to seek development, while looking backwards to save themselves... It is difficult to make catering, and it is even more difficult to make branded catering, to build brand and sustainable development. On the way, we will do it and cherish it. ...