Why is Snow King always forgiven?

Text | Li Xiaoxia

Editor | Qiao Qian

Missfresh, which has just been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, still hasn't escaped food safety issues.

According to the "Special Report on March 15th" by Hubei Economic TV, food safety issues at a Missfresh store in Yichang were exposed. The store had problems such as the illegal use of overnight fruit slices. Although it didn't make it onto the CCTV 315 list, due to Missfresh's high recognition, this incident still attracted a wave of attention.

However, the public didn't throw stones at Missfresh. More people chose to stand by the brand, using understanding, tolerance, teasing, and abstraction to help the enterprise resolve the storm:

It only costs 4 yuan a cup, and they actually use real fruits;

Sorry, it's my fault. Why are they using overnight fruits? It's because I bought too late;

He doesn't even mind my poverty, why should I mind the overnight fruits;

I also put the lemons I can't finish in a day in the fridge;

King Xue, be more careful next time and don't get caught;

I heard that Missfresh has quite strict management. This is okay, not a big deal;

This is just the illegal operation of an individual store...

Behind such a completely opposite attitude, there is of course the contrast effect of the coordinate system. In the desensitization training with frequent food safety issues, when giant risks such as inferior meat and excessive pesticide residues hover overhead, Missfresh's problems have instead become the most insignificant ones. Consumers are more willing to downgrade it to a minor flaw like "the kitchen at a friend's house isn't clean enough". It's not hard to understand why some netizens commented: "After seeing other 315 exposures, I forgive you, Missfresh."

Missfresh has not been exposed to such minor flaws for the first time. However, every time, the reactions from all parties are the same, showing tolerance and support.

Today, in a context where enterprises can easily push the public to the opposite side with a slight slip, few brands can weave such a strong bond with users as Missfresh.

Of course, we can attribute the close relationship behind it to the power of low prices.

Missfresh was founded with a similar logic to the birth of Pinduoduo. They both meet the unmet needs with high cost - effectiveness, achieving the universality of consumer equality. One enables consumers in county - level areas to drink freshly made tea, and the other allows people in Anqing, Anhui to have kitchen paper and fresh fruits.

Especially when the economy is poor and the bubble of consumption upgrading is ruthlessly pricked, people need an outlet for happiness more than ever. Missfresh, which dances with the times, seems to form a new type of social contract with consumers. The brand provides low - price comfort, and consumers reciprocate with tolerance and understanding.

So, when insignificant problems arise, "being cheap" becomes the brand's disclaimer. To some extent, this can also explain why Nongfu Spring, which is more expensive than Wahaha, and Zhong Xuegao, which is called the "ice - cream assassin", have become the targets of criticism.

However, the public's protection of Missfresh cannot be fully summarized by low prices. Its brand assets are also built on the IP brand building that conforms to social emotions and the spread of impressions such as "helping the world even when poor".

There's no need to mention the success of King Xue. A chubby white guy who is a commoner, social, down - to - earth, and sometimes a bit of a "spirited young man", can he have any bad intentions? When King Xue, rather than the suit - wearing founder, rang the bell at the IPO site, it upgraded the brand from functional consumption of tea drinks to symbolic consumption of "a commoner's counter - attack", further strengthening the resonance among the public.

During the process of deepening public favorability, there is a catalytic story that has elevated Missfresh's image. That is, during the catastrophic rainstorm in Zhengzhou in 2021, Missfresh's headquarters was flooded. But while saving itself, the company also donated 26 million yuan for disaster relief.

Later, a customer left 5 yuan at a store in Henan and left a note saying: "Thank you, King Xue, for donating 26 million yuan to Henan even when you were in trouble. I also want to do my bit." The signature was A Ju.

After that, every time there was an earthquake, flood, or other disasters across the country, Missfresh would actively donate money in the names of King Xue and A Ju.

When a 3 - yuan lemonade is put together with tens of millions, the knot of consumers' trust and emotion towards the brand is tied. Just as people supported the down - on - its - luck Hongxing Erke with wild consumption after its generous donation.

Back to the food safety issue, Missfresh hasn't had any major accidents, so users can continue their "safe adventure" with confidence while joking about it.

This of course cannot be separated from its forward - looking investment in the supply chain.

Zhang Hongfu, the CEO of Missfresh, once recorded the melamine incident in 2008 in his entrepreneurial diary. "Given that the food safety accident at that time was so serious and bad, within one or two years, all local enterprises involved in dairy products would almost be investigated, with production reduced or halted. And the small enterprise we cooperated with couldn't continue production either. (Our partner never used Sanlu. He was quite particular and thought Sanlu tasted bad. He only used Bright at that time.)"

Looking back, this incident can be seen as the driving force for Missfresh to build its own factory later. Because the unstable supply problem troubled them for a full three years. "So at that time, during countless moments when we were extremely pained by raw material problems, we thought that if we had money one day, we must build a modern factory, use the best raw materials, develop the best products, supply them to the stores at the lowest price, and present the safest products to consumers."

At the same time, it also forms a closed - loop for Missfresh's price competitiveness.

The castle wasn't built overnight. Nearly thirty years have passed since Zhang Hongchao opened "Cold Current Shaved Ice" in 1997, and eighteen years have passed since the opening of Missfresh's first ice - cream store.

Under the combination of time, brand, price, etc., Missfresh has finally opened 46,000 stores, with an annual revenue of over 20 billion yuan and a market value of HK$153.1 billion (as of the close on March 14th).

And, the collective tolerance of consumers that many brands dream of.