Sakura drinks, which were said to be “out of the beverage industry” last year, have turned around this year!

The cherry blossoms are in bloom.
The sharing of numerous punch in cherry blossom scenes and cherry blossom element drinks is active on social platforms such as friends circle and Xiaohongshu.
From March to April every year, the cherry blossoms bloom, and it is also the “cherry blossom season” that major brands are passionate about. Linked to the beauty of spring, it has a natural IP effect. Tea, coffee, desserts, snacks, and other products all use cherry blossoms as their marketing points to stimulate new consumption.
1、 What are the cherry blossom season drinks like this year?
From the current update of cherry blossom products, the coffee category has prepared for the cherry blossom season earlier and longer.
Starbucks is the first to launch three new “Yun Ying” series drinks.
“Yun Ying Light Cheese Latte, Yun Ying Early Blooming Ice Shock Concentrate, Yun Ying Early Blooming Star Ice Music, are the embodiment of cherry blossoms. One is to use cherry blossom flavor syrup, the other is to use cherry blossom pink chocolate chips to reflect the colorful meaning of falling cherry blossoms, and pink is the” soul “of cherry blossoms in color.”.
In the spring season, Ruixing is returning to the Luojia Cherry Latte and Cherry Blossom Iron. The products also use Cherry Blossom Flavored Syrup.
And the design of paper bags, cup bodies, and cup covers is used to create a romantic feeling in spring. The flowers and love of lines are combined with the auspicious deer, harmonizing the cherry blossom powder and the auspicious symbol color.
The expression of cherry blossoms in coffee is generally the addition of cherry blossom flavor syrup. This may be due to the fact that coffee is inherently more specific to the variety of coffee beans, with its rich aroma and complexity far exceeding the taste of real cherry blossoms. Therefore, the visual advantage of cherry blossoms plays a more important role in stimulating re purchase.
When it comes to tea products, the focus varies widely, with the main focus still being pink. But from products to packaging, the creative range is broader.https://www.slw-ele.com/
The Cherry Blossom Powder Litchi series from CoCo is made with the addition of litchi pulp, a pink and white color. The cup is printed with pink cherry blossoms on the body, matching the entire cherry blossom shape of the cup cover, as well as a cherry ring gift, which has received constant praise on social media.
Naixue Cherry Blossom Season, co named OATLY, launched the aggressive Cherry Blossom Cheese Strawberry and Cherry Blossom Cheese Latte, featuring a pink limited oatmeal cream top, plus Cherry Blossom Chocolate and Cherry Blossom Biscuit. Add a matching cherry themed paper bag and send cherry lollipops to reflect the cherry blossom elements in multiple ways.
Yihetang introduces Cherry Blossom and Roseberry PLUS, which is mainly made of strawberries and milk, paired with cherry flavored freezes. The entire glass blends into a pink color and forms a layered feel.
Some cherry blossom themed tea drinks will prompt “No cherry blossom ingredients” when they are being updated. The presentation of cherry blossom elements is generally directly or indirectly associated with their appearance.
For example, using strawberries can form a pink appearance, as they are also fruits produced in the March season, and their association with cherry blossoms is not inconsistent, belonging to indirect associations; The pink cream top and milk cover, coupled with cherry blossom shaped chocolates, cookies, and other decorations, directly reflect the visual effect of cherry blossoms.
The taste is still dominated by popular styles with high palatability, such as refreshing and sweet fruit.
Of course, there are also tea drinks made from real cherry blossoms.
We have observed that three new cherry blossom products launched by Grandpa without making tea all contain cherry blossom petals. The flagship Super Cherry Blossom Cookie Cup features a pink rose milk top paired with cherry blossom cookies; Cherry Blossom Elegant Dream, fresh milk tea with pink inside, romantic color; Cherry Blossom Daydream, a seasonal exclusive combination of cherry blossoms and longan fruit, has been featured for two consecutive weeks with different conventional combinations.
It is understood that on the the fourth day day when Grandpa didn’t make tea, the cherry blossom raw materials used to make the product were out of stock. Cherry Blossom Daydream has become the second best selling product after the double rose tea latte.
2、 Recognize the “cherry blossom flavor”, but still love cherry blossoms
During the same period last year, cherry blossom themed products were connected with keywords such as pink, girly feeling, and her economy, successfully improving the quarterly KPI, and also pushing the artificially created taste of “cherry blossom” to the C position.
But at the same time of being sought after by the public and consuming in a large amount, it was frequently roast. The reverse “out of the loop” of some cherry blossom flavored foods has to some extent affected consumers, equating cherry blossom flavor with bad drinking, and even making statements such as “out of the beverage industry.”.
In fact, the taste of cherry blossoms mainly comes from benzaldehyde, which is a bitter almond flavor that can be interpreted as having a slightly bitter light aroma. In the field of food ingredients, there are few varieties of edible cherry blossoms, and they taste almost tasteless. Therefore, the “cherry blossom flavor” on the market can be said to be the cherry blossom flavor that is prepared by different people and considered by themselves.
Therefore, it can be said that “cherry blossom flavor” drinks have no fixed flavor.
However, consumers’ disapproval of some “cherry blossom flavor” is not a denial of cherry blossoms. When the cherry blossoms bloom again, it is clear that everyone has selectively forgotten what they said in the past.
The cherry blossoms are still in full bloom, and the cherry blossom element drink with excellent appearance and atmosphere still touches the hearts of consumers. This time, the focus of brands on cherry blossoms is no longer on the taste.
In addition to the product dimension, this year, more emphasis is generally placed on the spiritual added value of cherry blossoms.
The flowering period of cherry blossoms is very short, ranging from opening to scattering for about a week. This sudden opening and fluttering characteristic is appreciated and recognized by the Japanese, who believe that life is short, and to live is to be as brilliant as cherry blossoms. At the annual Sakura Festival celebrations in Japan, people dress in traditional costumes with a sense of ceremony and meet with family and friends to enjoy the flowers together.
In addition to the extremely ornamental value of cherry blossom itself in form, its moral connotation has also been understood by more people in China with the spread of Japanese literature, animation, anime and other cultures.
Cherry blossom has gradually become a “visual symbol” in spring because it satisfies people’s imagination of a better life.
The same is true for tea and coffee products. The addition of cherry blossom elements and seasonal limited launches aim to create a dreamy atmosphere and bring happiness to consumers.
A brand side talked to us, “Why do we launch cherry blossom products every year? In fact, it’s not that everyone is not optimistic about it, so we won’t sell it. But at this time, there should be this product. The brand is young and the product is diversified, which not only follows the needs of the public, but also leads the public to move forward.”
3、 The cherry blossom season is limited, focusing on creating a sense of atmosphere
Unlike Japan, cherry blossoms have become a culture that permeates every aspect of life, including diet, literature, tourist attractions, and even street names. Most Chinese people have a direct or mundane impression of cherry blossoms, which means a beautiful spring day, card taking, food sharing, and happiness first.
Focusing on these needs, sharing these beauties, and taking advantage of the cherry blossom season to “go out of the loop”, we have also seen a more mature approach to tea drinking than ever before.
For example, seasonal exclusives are based on cherry blossom elements to bring classic products back or recreate them on recently launched products. Exclusive models stimulate consumption, while classic models reduce costs and increase efficiency.
On the one hand, reduce R&D investment and avoid SOP complexity; On the other hand, products that are only bound to cherry blossoms in terms of product atmosphere and not completely marketed with cherry blossom flavor can continue to sell well even after the season has passed.
Like the Nai Xue Cheese Strawberry series with Cherry Blossom Chocolate and Biscuits, Rui Xing’s return to Luojia Cherry Blossom Latte is all based on this principle.
Changes in consumer tastes have forced the development of tea drinks to accelerate, but classic models have always occupied an important market, and the research and development costs of new products need to be weighed against revenue forecasts. Skillful approach, as well as through different marketing methods, comprehensively superimposed “cherry blossom BUFF”.
The basic approach is to make differences based on design, such as adding cherry blossom elements to the product, edible small materials, and embodying cherry blossoms on packaging materials, as well as providing small gifts in the shape of cherry blossoms, such as hair cards and badges.
There is also scene correlation method, such as Gu Ming not launching cherry blossom tea drinks, but launching exclusive activities for the cherry blossom season. Guming collaborated with Hubei Cultural Tourism to present a 1-cent “Chuying Letter” coupon package to consumers to send a 1-cent greeting from Cherry Blossom Cultural Tourism and invite everyone to have tea and enjoy the cherry blossoms.
Associate the brand with consumers in the Sakura Appreciation atmosphere.
Admittedly, the essence of the cherry blossom theme is a marketing campaign, but it does bring what consumers want.