Zhongxin Finance, March 19th (Zuo Yukun) What do you think of when you mention the limited spring food?

  Walking into the market, it may be the home of traditional spring vegetables such as Chinese toon, shepherd's purse and water bamboo.

But when you walk into the supermarket, beautiful pink cherry blossoms, sweet and sour berries are the C position on the tip of the tongue in spring.

  Merchants spare no effort to launch new cherry blossom products every year, but consumers complain every year, "

How beautiful are cherry blossoms, how unpalatable things taste like cherry blossoms

." Why?

Data map: Tourists take pictures with Sakura Cultural and Creative Ice Cream.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Li Jiaxian

Spring shelves, cherry blossoms everywhere

  The marketing frenzy created by "the first cup of milk tea in autumn" is still talked about, and the merchants can't wait to send "the first cherry blossoms in spring".

  At the beginning of March, before the spring flowers bloomed, they first bloomed on the coffee cup.

Cherry Blossom Macchiato, Luojia Cherry Blossom Latte, Spring Cherry Blossom Treasure Tea... Starbucks, Ruixing, Nai Xue's tea and other brand new products have been deeply bound with cherry blossoms.

  In addition to drinks, there are more articles that can be done in terms of food.

Lay's spring limited new potato chips, Oreo spring flower and fruity series biscuits, Glico tea style and style series Baichun, BESTORE cherry blossom-flavored jelly pudding, etc. have been regular operations every year.

The traditional spring snacks of "everything can be matched", Qingtuan and rice stuffing are also filled with cherry blossoms and peaches.

  Even Zhou Hei Ya launched the "Sakura Flavour Jumping Sugar Duck Neck", although it was complained by netizens that "

it is not necessary to develop new flavors if it cannot be developed

".

Spring limited new products from various brands.

  In addition to flavor, brands are also "rolling up" on the packaging.

If you rub the center of the Oreo box, you can smell the fruity aroma, and the butterflies on the box will change color in the sun; the vitality forest cherry blossom white grape sparkling water is designed with a temperature-changing bottle, which will bloom with cherry blossoms after being refrigerated.

  It can be said that, including but not limited to cherry blossom + white peach, matcha and other flavors, plus the pink and fresh cute packaging, constitute the general formula of the brand's spring.

Good-looking but unpalatable "beautiful waste"?

  But in sharp contrast to the beautiful appearance of cherry blossoms, it is the indescribable taste of its "beautiful waste".

  If it is said that the last thing that "caused public outrage" in the food evaluation circle was the cherry flavor that was likened to "like cough syrup", then the cherry flavor, which is also "Sakura", has directly walked out of "no way to go" " posture.

  You must know that in the food circle, there have been a few words that have been circulating: "As beautiful as the cherry blossoms are, the things that taste like cherry blossoms are so unpalatable." "

Sakura-flavored snacks, as long as there is no cherry blossom flavor, they are delicious.

"

  Zhongxin Finance looked at the evaluation of cherry blossom-flavored snacks on social platforms, and some people said that "it really has the freshness of cherry blossoms", but more of them are "a touch of sour and sweet, the cherry blossom flavor purely relies on brain tonic" "flavors" The taste is too heavy, and the taste cannot keep up with the appearance” and so on.

Screenshots of netizens' comments on cherry blossom flavor.

  If you ask what cherry blossoms taste like, you may be surprised.

Unlike the more common flowers such as roses and jasmine, or fruits such as peaches and apples, everyone has no concept of the taste of cherry blossoms.

  Statistics show that cherry blossoms are more used for gardening, medicinal purposes and skin care in my country.

Zhu Yi, an associate professor at the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, explained that cherry blossoms are a traditional Chinese medicinal material. They are flat and cool in nature and taste. Eating it can easily cause diarrhea, vomiting and other discomforts.

  In recent years, modern medicine has proved that cherry blossoms are rich in natural vitamins A, B, and E in addition to traditional medicinal properties.

But

for the sakura-flavored snacks on the market, Zhu Yi believes that most of them are hype used by merchants for marketing concepts. The gimmick is greater than the effect

. The content of sakura in the food is very small, so there is no need to expect too much effect or worry about its side effects.

  Although the taste of cherry blossoms has been popular for many years, cherry blossoms are actually just a "newcomer" in the food industry.

On March 1, the Department of Food Safety Standards and Monitoring and Evaluation of the National Health and Health Commission issued an announcement (No. 1, 2022) on 32 kinds of "three new foods" including Guanshan Cherry Blossoms. Guanshan Cherry Blossoms have just been approved as new food raw materials.

  It can be seen that most of the cherry blossom foods sold on the market are produced before the "regularization" of cherry blossoms.

Therefore, Glico once marked "the taste of cherry blossoms comes from the edible flavors and fragrances in the ingredients" in the ingredients of its cherry blossom-flavored biscuits, and Nai Xue's tea also bluntly put out a reminder in the advertisement: "This series of products does not contain cherry blossoms." .

Don't ask what the taste of cherry blossoms is, just ask that the cherry blossoms are only responsible for the naming and do not participate in the production

.

Data map: Sakura.

Photo by Sun Quan

Why is cherry blossom a favorite?

  Just like watermelon in summer, sweet-scented osmanthus in autumn, and chestnut in winter, cherry blossoms can evoke consumers' imagery of scenes such as flying flowers in the sky in spring. Buying products with cherry blossom elements expresses consumers' yearning for a beautiful spring.

  But from a marketing point of view, the cherry blossoms, which are already "locked" with spring, have a natural advantage - the arrival of the cherry blossom season has hit Valentine's Day, Women's Day and other festivals with strong female colors, flowers, Romantic elements such as pink will undoubtedly attract many female consumers, and provide an opportunity for the implementation of brand marketing activities, and they have rushed to the "her economy".

  However, to a certain extent,

it is also a high-level gameplay of hunger marketing. When spring and cherry blossoms are deeply locked, consumers also have expectations for the brand

-what flowers can be played with this year's cherry blossoms?

  As for whether it is delicious or not, whether it will be repurchased or not is no longer the focus. After all, it is a limited product that only comes out for one season.

For the brand, it is enough for the new product to be responsible for the gimmick of "beautiful beauty", while the long-term product is responsible for "making money to support the family".

  Some people in the marketing industry concluded that what limited products provide to consumers is more of an emotional premium outside the product and brand, which meets users' needs for beauty, uniqueness, and social interaction.

  A "spring limit", even if the taste of cherry blossoms is unpalatable, there will still be people who will pay for their girly heart every year.

After all, spending a little more money can buy happiness, and it’s worth it!

  Have you ever pulled out your wallet for the "Spring Edition"?

(over)