“The concept of the U.S. steamer comes from microwave ovens. It started with the intention of adding a steam mode to the concept of microwave ovens, degreasing and salt reduction to create a healthy living environment,” said Xiaowei Zhu, the domestic leader of U.S. embedded kitchen appliances, to China National Grid.
We can endure loneliness in order to make good products. In Zhu Xiaowei's more than ten years experience as a steamer, and in the past, they all embody the persistence and faith of ten years.
The technical difficulty of steaming with micro steaming needs to be overcome
Compared with microwave ovens and ovens, the steamer is a rising star and the performance of the fast-growing market in recent years is no less impressive. According to data from Ove Cloud Network, in 2017, the steamer (electric steamer) market has reached 538,000 units, which is the same Growth of 56%; sales amounted to 3.4 billion yuan, an increase of 55.7% year-on-year. China Yikang data also showed that the demand for steamer (electric steamer) in 2018 is expected to soar to 550,000 units in 2017 from 432,000 units. According to Zhu Xiaowei, the steamer is now developing rapidly. The steamer product that was launched from the platform last year was over the oven or even with the oven. Even if it is slightly insufficient, this year's steamer will definitely exceed the oven size. This can't help guessing: Will micro steaming be 'negative'?
In actual fact, micro-steaming is based on different market needs and continues to develop. The relationship between the three in the eyes of Zhu Xiaowei should be complementary. He said that the taste and nutrition of micro-steaming are different. , Demand is also different, microwave oven is a short and fast demand; oven is to meet the taste and sharing needs; steamer degreasing and salt reduction is a health requirement.
However, even if they complement each other and develop a common relationship, the steamer at the initial stage still has technical difficulties and industry pain points that cannot be ignored. The experts in the United States believe that the user's pain point is the pain point of the company, which mainly includes scale. The impact on the product's life, the choice of installation location, the choice of installation methods, and the simple and practical aspects. The problem of odor cleaning in the cabinet after scale and steamer is steamed is also one of technical difficulties in Zhu Xiaowei's view; in addition, steaming There is no real industry standard for the box, so there will be a lot of no-name or small OEMs. This will also have a certain impact on the steamer brand. 'Only by solving these problems, the steamer can really develop quickly. , Including later tends to stability, and really bring people a happy life. ' During the interview Zhu Xiaowei more than once referred to industry standards, he expressed the hope that the China Household Electrical Appliances Association can establish industry standards as soon as possible, 'steamer is indeed very hot, But I hope it is not a short-lived fire, but it can be sustainable. I hope there are corresponding rules to promote the flourishing of this industry. Show. '
Let users get to the product point billions of advertising investment
Nothing was achieved overnight. The emergence of new things still required a gradual process. The beauty steamer was also like this. Zhu Xiaowei said frankly, when he first started to promote, he could not be interested in consumers because they would think that the marketing staff only wanted to fool him. It's hard to get customers to experience the product and get it to the product point. 'Going from zero to one is the hardest part of the industry right now, especially the steamer can only be steamed out of the dish, or some The taste of something allows users to experience and experience.
Difficulties in market promotion of steamer products are difficult to achieve. However, it is precisely because of this that they only need to be popularized and promoted. On May 31, the 2018 China steamer industry was sponsored by the China Household Electrical Appliances Association and hosted by China National Grid. "The Summit Forum" is intended to read the story of products that belong to the steamer from the microscopic perspective of the industry and the market, to make more companies speak out, to expose more media, and to allow more knowledge to be learned. Popularize, let more consumers understand.
Yu Mei’s point of view was devoted to publicity: embedded kitchen advertising, steamer advertising, oven advertising; high-speed rail, airports, billboards along highways, including local radio stations, food programs, etc. Advertising was advertised. Zhu Xiaowei told China National Grid that Midea plans to invest billions of dollars in advertising costs this year on kitchen appliances.
Jiang Feng, chairman of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association, said that the kitchen appliances, represented by the micro-steaming of smoke stoves, are expected to become the 'new six major items' of the Chinese kitchen. Zhu Xiaowei said that the United States highly approves this statement and has spared no effort to build beautiful kitchens. The promotion and promotion of the six big-ticket kits, such as the advertisement of the 'home-blessing' advertisements put on CCTV, was also sponsored and promoted by the e-commerce platform “Twelve Porch Flavors”. According to Zhu Xiaowei's introduction, the kit is now set up. The long-term plan for the future is to connect all the home appliance categories in the United States with packages and build the entire system of refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, water heaters and kitchens. , 'Of course this process will be slow, it will take some time'.
The third generation of pure old steamed products will be listed this year
The product development will inevitably be replaced and upgraded. Zhu Xiaowei believes that the steamer product replacement can be divided into three generations: The first generation product is produced by some OEM manufacturers or domestic small OEMs. Only a single area increases the capacity, but the steam engine has not changed. Boiler-type products; second-generation products are steamers with built-in steam generators. Although the marketing of such products is very good for the concepts of steaming, their generator devices need to be used after they have been used for some time. Replaced, it can be said to be an immature second-generation products; three generations of products is now on the market said to use pure steam generator to do the steamer, but now on the market there is only a single file of such products.
At present, Midea's steamer products include 26-liter entry-level products, which are products dominated by the concept of youthfulness, and 34-liter steamers and 50-liter steamers that are developed to meet the needs of various regions. According to Zhu Xiaowei, the large capacity steamer A table can be steamed to meet the needs of a large family. In terms of product performance and needs, there are also two product lines for the layout of the United States. One is the younger one in the middle; the other is the professional one – only steamed. box.
When it comes to professional 'steaming', I have to mention that the new steamer will be listed this year - a pure steamed professional steamer product, Zhu Xiaowei said, this product from the box, cooking curve, There are certain breakthroughs in steam generators and so on. 'It will cover all product lines and use a third-generation high-powered steam generator to implement healthy and fast steamers.' Specially established steam group to do research on these steams. 'We are very approve of this explosive models, this year will be listed and spread out in large areas', Zhu Xiaowei promised to.
This should also be in line with Midea’s offline layout this year. Zhu Xiaowei said that this year's US steamer products will be spread across a large area for consumers to see. At the same time, he will use the biggest advantage of the United States – smart to stay ahead of the market, This way to improve the proportion of the United States's embedded market, 'put up the share, get the domestic market back!'
After the industry first 'own' to make the steamer popular
Businessmen always want to make profits, but the United States has a saying called 'Create a happy life for mankind'. Zhu Xiaowei has been puzzled for some time. He feels this sentence is contradictory. 'Now I figured it out, from investors to business. From the store owner to the consumer, the chain of interests between them is complete. The enterprise and the dealer get the benefits. The consumer uses the corresponding money to buy products with higher cost performance and meet the needs of life. The complete coordination of the entire system's interest chain is the most harmonious.'
Steamer brand beauty still follows the group's brand idea, 'We will be the popularizer and carry forward the embedded steamer'. Zhu Xiaowei finally stressed to China National Grid that he believes steamers are healthy compared to traditional cooking methods. , It is a healthy lifestyle with low oil and low salt. For the steamer, it is necessary to speak out concepts first and then talk about their own brand characteristics. For example, my large volume, your big steam, his intelligence, and no maturity in the industry. It must be the industry first and then myself, instead of talking about my large volume in the beginning. When the customers do not realize the steamer industry, your large-volume significance is not big. Only the cake is bigger. All The person who divides the cake will get better. '