How Is Protein Bar Startup Ffit8 Building A Presence In The Chinese Market
ffit8 stands out because it focuses on protein bars, a category that has long been untapped in the Chinese market. Protein bars introduced from abroad used to be niche products only for the fitness group. In comparison, ffit8 protein bars aim to pass on protein bars’ high protein and low sugar traits to a wide range of young people and sedentary workers.
ffit8 protein bars became the category NO.1 after one year of establishment
ffit8 is a fledging Chinese meal replacement brand (founded in 2019) with protein bars as the signature product. The brand’s name represents future food, fast food, and fashion food. ffit8 sold 10.5 million pieces of protein bars in 2020, with total sales reaching RMB 117 million.
During the 2020 618 Mid-Year Shopping Festival, ffit8’s monthly sales in JD, Tmall, Xiaomi Youpin, and other channels exceeded RMB 10 million, becoming the online No.1 brand in the meal replacement bar sector.
During the 2020 Double 11 Shopping Festival, it secured first place in five sales lists, including “Tmall Protein Bars and Meal Replacement Bars,” “Xiaomi Youpin Meal Replacement Foods Sales,” “JD Protein Bars Sales,” “Tmall New Brand Nutrition Digestive Biscuits” and “Tmall Healthy and Delicious Biscuit List.” Such a brilliant market performance helps ffit8 gain a foothold in the domestic protein bar category as a top-notch brand.
In July and November 2020, ffit8 successively obtained two rounds of financing, with each worth tens of millions of yuan.
ffit8 Figured Out China’s Untapped Protein Bar Market
ffit8 stands out because it starts with protein bars, a category that has long been untapped in the Chinese market. Protein bars have been all the rage across Europe and the United States. The opportunities presented by the West and East innovation lag phenomenon precipitate the popularity of ffit8 in the Chinese market.
Before ffit8, the Chinese market has almost no explicit recognition of protein bars. The only similar one is energy bars and nut bars represented by Snickers and BE-KIND. However, energy bars are very different from protein bars. The main ingredients of energy bars are a large amount of chocolate and sugar. The high energy comes mainly from high carbohydrate water, but not high protein content.
Human beings living in modern society have got rid of the problem of “energy shortage”. On the contrary, “energy surplus” often plagues modern young people. Excess energy brings obesity and a host of health problems.
Modern people also lack enough protein. An Outline for China’s Food and Nutrition Development (2014-2020), issued by the General Office of the State Council, suggests that Chinese people should aim for a daily protein intake of 78g per person, compared with only 58g per person per day. The “High Protein” concept epitomizes great potential, especially in recent two years due to Chinese consumers’ increasing healthy awareness aroused by the epidemic.
ffit8 Made Protein Bars Appeal to a Mainstream Audience
ffit8 also redefined the target consumer group of protein bars. Protein bars introduced from abroad used to be niche products only for the fitness group. In comparison, ffit8 aims to pass on protein bars’ high protein and low sugar traits to a wide range of young people and sedentary workers. It positions itself as “the first protein bar for young people” and underscores the nutritional supplement concept instead of muscle building function. The “Protein bar for the masses” position injects greater impetus for the brand’s growth.
A broader consumer base demands more receptive tastes. ffit8’s protein bars are available in banana, coconut, and other popular flavors. It also found through consumer research that Chinese consumers, especially male consumers, prefer salty flavors. Therefore, it offers various savory protein bars, from beef to salted egg yolk and Sichuan spicy hotpot, ahead of the curve to break the traditional sweet logic of western-style protein bars.
ffit8 also leverages technology to remove most of the lactose to fit Chinese people’s lactose intolerance. It has set a goal to become a protein company and create convenient protein-fortified food products for China’s younger generation.
ffit8’s marketing offers a reference way
Engaging in Luo Yonghao’s live-streaming
In 2020, when live-streaming swept the country, ffit8 chose to collaborate with Luo Yonghao, the internet celebrity and also the founder and chief executive of smartphone company Smartisan, as its live-streaming debut. The live-streaming set a record of selling more than 45,000 boxes of ffit8 protein bars.
Crossover collaboration with variety shows
ffit8 launched the co-branding beef-flavored protein bars with China’s first hip-hop TV show, The Rap of China (中国新说唱). It also rolled out the Sichuan hot pot flavor by collaborating with the pop-culture reality show Fourtry (潮流合伙人). The collaboration helps ffit8 reach young people in the hip-hop and street wear circles and boost social media fame.
Festival marketing
Recently, the brand launched the Women’s Day limited version called “you are so beautiful today.” The new rose walnut flavored protein bar adds female-friendly ingredients, including fish collagen peptide, conifer cherry, red rose petals, walnuts, red beet without the extra sugar. It meets women’s multiple needs of weight management, beautifying, and nurturing, and is a stellar example of combining festival with production innovation.
