1. Introduction

China has a long history of producing tea. It is reported that tea was employed as a medication during the Shennong period. Later, during the Tang Dynasty, it blossomed and became a national beverage. Tea is still favored by the majority of Chinese individuals. Numerous people from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and even the millennial age enjoy drinking tea. There are thousands of varieties of tea in China, with over 200 varieties of notable teas that may be loosely categorized into six categories: black tea, green tea, yellow tea, white tea, green tea (oolong tea), and dark tea. They can accommodate the preferences of nearly every consumer. In addition, China possesses the most advanced industrial technology. Since the Tang Dynasty, the court has baked tea, and there are several tea businesses. Numerous sellers make a living selling tea. Up till now, sencha technology has become more methodical. China has a big land area for tea plantation and a significant number of firms engaged in tea cultivation and processing due to its geographical location. The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences reports that there are over 80 million tea farmers and 70,000 tea firms in China. China has around 470 million tea users, with a market size of 360 billion yuan. In the vast Chinese tea market, only a few of enterprises have a size greater than 100 million [1]. Even though there are numerous tea companies, the tea market has never had a dominant brand with a clear edge. Numerous businesses of various sizes have contributed to the industry's explosion. Coupled with the unplanned administration of key departments, the tea business has always lacked a comprehensive industrial system and assembly-line production, and the sector is still in its infancy. Due to the aforementioned inadequacy of the industrial system, we can only utilize sensory language to determine the quality of a business. Unstandardized management makes the quality of tea on the market inconsistent, preventing buyers from selecting good tea. In addition, the chaotic industrial manufacturing has stifled innovation in the tea sector, and boiling tea remains a difficult process. In the current period of rapid economic development and increased speed of life, people, especially young people, have little time to patiently prepare and savor a cup of tea, thus the tea business is innovating toward more convenient procedures.

Xiao Guan tea marketing strategy study has always been a popular topic. Some scholars examine it from the standpoint of television advertising, some from the perspective of Internet marketing's present popularity, and still others from the perspective of brand visual identity. In essence, sales is the process by which merchants satisfy the wants of consumers, particularly in the context of "consumption upgrading." Therefore, this paper analyzes the marketing performance of Xiao Guan Tea from the standpoint of consumer demand in an innovative manner.

This paper utilizes a literature analysis and questionnaire survey to assess the marketing success of Xiao Guan Tea from the consumer's perspective. We initially obtained the data using a questionnaire that was completed by a set number of consumers, who were predominantly young and middle-aged. Then, we present the fundamentals of our leading role, Xiao Guan Tea. Then, we examine the benefits and drawbacks of Xiao Guan Tea on the tea market using the SWOT approach and focus on the analysis of Xiao Guan Tea's marketing strategies based on the conclusion stated from the preceding questionnaire. Finally, we assess the flaws in Xiao Guan Tea's marketing strategy and make suggestions to Xiao Guan Tea and other businesses in a similar scenario.

Marketing is an essential aspect of business. The success of Xiao Guan Tea exemplifies the significance of employing effective marketing methods. Therefore, analyzing the marketing techniques of Xiao Guan Tea is an important business practice. In an atmosphere of escalating consumption, meeting the individualized demands of consumers has become the most crucial aspect of sales. This paper explores the marketing strategy of Xiao Guan Tea from the perspective of consumer demand, which not only provides readers with a clearer understanding of the effectiveness of Xiao Guan Tea's marketing but also offers some insightful recommendations to service-sector businesses.

2. Analysis of Consumers’ Mental Activity of Tea Purchase

2.1. Questionnaire Design and Survey Mode

To better comprehend the desires and mental processes of consumers when purchasing tea, we surveyed a modest sample of consumers using a questionnaire. The design of a questionnaire is often divided into two sections: the first is the information section. The questionnaire is anonymous, and the information section consists primarily of the respondent's gender, age, degree of education, and monthly income. The second relates to the psychological actions of tea purchasers. This section consists primarily of five survey questions: tea consumption choice, tea consumption frequency, buying reason, acceptable price range, and purchasing channels.

After sending out the surveys and eliminating those that were irrational, a total of 500 legitimate questionnaires were received. Men accounted for 65%, or a total of 325 individuals, while women accounted for 35%, or a total of 175 individuals. Approximately 60% of the entire sample consists of individuals between the ages of 21 and 30, followed by those aged 30 to 40 and those under 20. The samples primarily involve young and middle-aged people. The majority are university graduates, college/senior high school grads, and below; their monthly salary ranges from $3,000 to $6,000.

2.2. Questionnaire Conclusions and Psychological Analysis of Consumers Purchasing Tea

Tea consumers' decision of drinking tea. We are primarily interested in determining whether customers drink more tea because of their own preferences or because they are influenced by family and friends. According to the results of the collected surveys, 33.6% of consumers choose to drink tea owing to subjective desires, 79.2% of consumers choose to drink tea due to the influence of relatives and friends who like to drink tea, and 89.4% of consumers have relatives and friends who drink tea. In addition, 44.8% of consumers will opt to purchase tea because of excellent tea marketing, but only 29.8% of consumers will purchase tea due of its quality.

We conclude from the aforementioned survey results that young people's desire to drink tea is primarily impacted by their family and friends. Most young individuals are surrounded by tea-loving elders. They consume tea and will also promote it to young individuals. Their practices will also influence the local youth. In addition, magnificent commercials for tea will entice young people to purchase tea, and the time-honored tea culture that permeates the advertisements will affect young people and influence their purchasing decisions. Lastly, it is important to note that the quality of tea does not influence young people's decision to drink tea for the first time, as they may lack the ability to differentiate between good and bad.

Tea consumers’ frequency of drinking tea. In the frequency of tea intake section, we included the following options: never drinking tea, drinking tea once a week, drinking tea once a month, drinking tea three or more times a week, and drinking tea every day. According to the survey results, 4.6% of consumers never consume tea, 24.4% enjoy tea once per month, 32% consume tea once per week, 22.8% take tea more than three times per week, and 16.2% consume tea nearly every day. According to the results of the survey, the majority of consumers have the habit of drinking tea, and the number of people who drink tea at different frequencies remains relatively stable, with the number of people who drink tea once per week being the largest, followed by the number of people who drink tea once per month. The frequency with which customers consume tea will have direct effects on their frequency and desire to purchase tea, and indirect effects on the sales of tea merchants. The results indicate that the number of young people who consume tea on a daily basis is low. The main reason for this is that young people's work schedules make it impossible for them to take the time to brew and taste tea every day. Under consideration of the large number of young consumer groups and their occupational features, businesses should also develop innovation marketing strategies to fulfill the demands of young people. Enterprises should simplify tea-making techniques in order to attract more youthful consumers and increase their frequency of purchases.

Tea consumers’ motivation of drinking tea. Motivation refers to the desire or concept that compels individuals to purchase in order to satisfy specific wants. This section has fill-in-the-blanks and multiple-choice questions. 53.2 percent of respondents purchased tea for their own preferences, 22.4 percent for beauty, 46 percent for gifts, and 39.2 percent for health care, according to the results of the survey. Based on the information presented, we may conclude that people's motivations for purchasing tea are diverse. In addition to their own interest in drinking tea, consumers' incentives for purchasing tea will include presenting tea as a gift and the health benefits of tea. This serves as a reminder for businesses to pay more attention to the specific needs of consumers and to develop suitable marketing strategies.

Acceptable pricing range for tea consumers. The results of the survey indicate that 72% of consumers are willing to purchase 500g of tea for 300 yuan or less, 11% are willing to purchase it for 100 yuan or less, and nearly none are willing to purchase it for more than 300 yuan. Due to the lack of uniform management of the tea market, the price disparity of tea is also substantial, which will influence consumers' purchasing intent to some degree.

Purchasing channels for tea consumers. According to the results of the survey, 72% of consumers prefer to purchase tea in offline stores, 23% prefer to purchase tea on the Internet, such as Tmall, Jingdong, and other flagship stores, and less than 5% choose to purchase tea at the birthplace of tea. According to the results of the poll, despite the increasing growth of Internet-based shopping, the majority of consumers choose to purchase tea from brick-and-mortar businesses rather than trust the quality of online tea. This also demonstrates that the investment of tea companies in the network purchasing channel is insufficient, and that online tea quality is inconsistent. Businesses must address this issue if they wish to expand sales further.

2.3. The Change of Consumer Consumption Status Quo

Concept of “consumption upgrade”. People's consumption patterns and consuming habits have experienced earth-shaking changes due to the rapid growth of the economy and the quick improvement of productivity. This transformation is summarized by the term "consumption upgrading." In general, consumption upgrading refers to the improvement of consumption structure. It refers to the improvement of the structure and level of all types of consumption expenditures within the overall consumption expenditures. It displays the consumption level and growth trend immediately. Consumption upgrading can be summed up as customers' willingness to pay more for things with greater added value. In other words, people no longer choose a product based on its cost-effectiveness or low price, but rather spend extra to suit their preferences.

Features of consumption upgrade. From the pursuit of cost-effective to spiritual pursuit. In the past, consumers were more concerned with the prices of goods than with their true value and quality. Consumers will consciously attempt to discover the optimal price-to-quality ratio, i.e., they will incline to select the products with the highest cost performance. Now, consumers' pursuit in the acquisition of things has evolved from a focus on cost performance to a spiritual focus. Spiritual pursuit necessitates that consumers have higher expectations for product packaging and the sensory and spiritual experiences products evoke. Even these elements are now deciding considerations in their product purchases [2]. Consumption evolves from elementary to complex.

From the consumption of daily necessities to flexible consumption. In the past, because the majority of people were poor and had low productivity, those with limited funds would prioritize the basics necessary to meet their fundamental needs. Nowadays, however, the level of productivity has dramatically increased, and the demand of consumers is no longer satisfied by these simple items, but by those that can provide them with spiritual satisfaction, such as their own hobbies, interests, and some highly lavish forms of entertainment. This is the key trait of the "consumption upgrade" from consumption of daily essentials to flexible consumption [3].

From mass consumption to personalized consumption. Mass consumption indicates that people in the past sought similar goods. For instance, when individuals purchased computers in the past, practically all of them used Internet speed as a criteria to determine the quality of a machine or whether they would purchase it. Now, however, when people purchase computers, some consumers will prioritize the performance of computers to support their professional work completed by computers, some consumers will prioritize the lightness of computers, so computer manufacturers will release "ultra-thin notebook computers" to meet the needs of consumers to carry around, and other consumers will prioritize the capacity to store large amounts of data. The transition from popularization to individuation consumption demand indicates the diversification of Chinese consumers' consumption demands [4].

3. Analysis of Marketing Strategy of Xiao Guan Tea

3.1. Product Introduction

Mr. Du Guoying, a renowned marketing specialist in China and the founder of 8848, Bei Bei Jia, established the Beijing Xiao Guan Tea Co., Ltd. in 2014. With the objective of "creating good tea in China and manufacturing good tea in China," Xiao Guan Tea Company positions itself as a high-end tea producer by integrating tea industry resources with new ideas, adhering to unique raw materials, and mastering tea production technology.

After traversing hundreds of thousands of kilometers across the country over the course of three years, Xiao Guan Tea has given guests with ten modern teas made by eight inheritors of tea's intangible cultural legacy.

The so-called inheritors of tea's intangible cultural heritage are the most distinguished and esteemed tea masters in the tea industry. Rare raw ingredients and skilled craftsmanship are not only reflective of the master but also of Chinese tea. In addition to the workmanship, a three-minute commercial for Xiao Guan tea aired on CCTV. The finest tea, the most gorgeous packaging, and the most cutting-edge tea industry processes offer Xiao Guan Tea a distinct allure that distinguishes it from other tea businesses. In conclusion, Xiao Guan Tea integrates traditional tea culture with contemporary industrial technologies with an innovative business strategy. It effectively addresses the three pain points of tea consumption, namely buying, drinking, and gifting, as well as creating a consumption scene and integrating traditional tea into people's lives [5].

3.2. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Xiao Guan Tea by SWOT Analysis

Analysis of Xiao Guan Tea ‘s advantages. Xiao Guan Tea adheres to the tea in its birthplace and collaborates with eight inheritors of intangible cultural heritage to produce the finest tea using the finest raw materials and the finest tea-making techniques. In addition, the tea company has commissioned the Japanese designer Hideo Kamihara to create an innovative aluminum can packaging to preserve the maximum flavor of the tea during shipping.

We indicated at the beginning of this post that the tea market is worth up to 360 billion yuan, however there is not a single company listed on the A-share market. The unexpected appearance of Xiao Guan Tea challenges the current quo that there is no dominant brand in the tea market and establishes an industry standard, which will be a significant benefit for small-pot tea.

Xiao Guan Tea opened locations in cities across the nation, opened 70 stores in 2016, expanded to more than 400 stores in 2017 as a result of advertising, and now has a total of 3,504 franchised stores.

In addition to its extensive physical sales network, Xiao Guan Tea has followed The Times' lead by building flagship stores on many online purchasing platforms. Due to the homogeneity of its items, buyers may assume they have access to more convenient online buying options.

Analysis of Xiao Guan Tea ‘s disadvantages. The tea industry has a long history, and traditional ideals are deeply ingrained in the minds of people. In the survey, the number of respondents who prefer offline tea purchases vastly outnumbers those who prefer online tea purchases, indicating that the old business model and concept of the tea industry are deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people. The blend of traditional culture and fashion presents Xiao Guan Tea with both potential and challenges. For instance, many middle-aged and elderly tea enthusiasts are resistant to the change.

Xiao Guan Tea is marketed as "premium tea." Xiao Guan Tea tends to establish a high price, which prevents many white-collar and blue-collar employees with low earnings from purchasing it. As a result, it loses a big number of consumers who enjoy tea.

Analysis of Xiao Guan Tea’s risk. The market for tea has a low barrier to entry, and offline outlets can be built with a modest financial investment, resulting in a huge number of rivals. With thousands of years of inheritance and accumulation, the tea industry's industrial chain has matured and the industry as a whole has tended to be well prepared. No matter what products new businesses introduce to the market, they will encounter intense competition.

Although tea is one of the three most popular beverages in the world, due to its complicated drinking process, many consumers opt for tea alternatives or items that can be consumed quickly, such as black and green tea from Master Kong. Some milk tea establishments will combine traditional tea with innovation and introduce new milk tea varieties. These beverages will become potential tea industry competitors.

Analysis of Xiao Guan Tea’s chances. Xiao Guan Tea is the first company in the tea industry to establish its own independent brand. If it can capture the hearts of consumers, it will successfully fill the market gap, become the industry leader, establish the industry standard, and dominate the market.

Under the influence of "consumption upgrading," consumers' consumption level rises steadily, and their attitude toward luxuries such as Xiao Guans Tea will shift drastically. Many consumers will not only accept it, but also be drawn to it by its elegant packaging and portability. It will be the gift of choice for family and friends during the holiday season [6].

3.3. Analysis of the Marketing Strategies of Xiao Guan Tea for Consumers by SIVA

Solution. SIVA theory emphasizes that businesses should not only consider how to supply products and services to consumers, but should also examine consumers' deep requirements through in-depth research and provide relevant solutions [7]. Mr. Du Guoying, the inventor of Xiao Guan Tea, is a highly astute businessman and marketer. He always has a profound understanding of the needs of consumers. From Bei Bei Jia, Xiao Guan Tea to 8848, the company has been able to establish a presence on the market due to his exact positioning of client groups and focused solutions to customers' pain concerns. Based on the foregoing consumer psychology analysis, we infer that the majority of young consumers do not have a liking for tea and are mostly motivated to drink tea by their elders. Du Guoying discovered the same conclusion after years of research. He was aware of the enormous consumption potential of young consumers in the tea market, so he strategically positioned the high-end tea product Xiao Guan Tea towards the young business elite group, who have higher incomes and more social activities, and Xiao Guan Tea can provide them with high-end, commercial and high-quality tea for social gifts and the enjoyment of daily life. In addition, the questionnaire survey of consumer psychology analysis revealed that the process of producing tea is complicated, which is why the majority of young customers eat it less frequently. Xiao Guan Tea ingeniously devised the "one can, one bubble" method of consuming 4g of tea from an one can, which substantially facilitates young users.

Information. SIVA theory emphasizes the importance of supplying consumers with comprehensive information to support their purchasing decisions. In addition, businesses should give consumers with objective, timely, and comprehensive information. According to the aforementioned consumer psychology analysis, the acceptable price range for the majority of young customers is 300 yuan 500g (which is far lower than that of a Xiao Guan Tea). However, under the general context of "consumption upgrading," businesses can also increase customer acceptance of their products if they do well in marketing. Xiao Guan Tea's marketing strategy is mostly advertising marketing, with CCTV advertisements being the most prevalent. A good scene ad should include the following elements: (1) Identify appropriate situations for products, attempt to meet consumers' fantasies, seize consumers' needs, and satisfy these needs; (2) emphasize the product's main functions. The fewer the basic activities, the more effectively advertising can achieve its goal of strengthening consumers' memories, and the more concentrated the core functions, the stronger consumers' memories. And this fundamental characteristic must address consumer pain issues. (3) Advertising channels: advertising channels are determined based on the life situations of target consumers in order to ensure precision marketing [8]. Xiao Guan Tea's advertisement is a wonderful example of scene advertising. It chose to debut on such a large platform as CCTV, so consolidating its reputation and positioning as a premium brand. Second, it placed the scene in the presidential suite, private aircraft, the president's office, and other locations to satisfy the desires of a large number of customers. The focus then shifted to the business party. After the party, buyers brought the Xiao Guan Tea to their delighted buddies. These scenes precisely address the three client pain points of purchasing, drinking, and delivery, achieving precision marketing. Through the lens, the small teapot continually emphasizes the master technology of the product and the materials of the original site, highlighting the product's core function and allowing more young consumers to break the stereotype of tea as "pedantic" and establish a new impression that tea is fashionable.

Value. In the context of consumption upgrading, consumers are no longer concerned with price, but rather with the product's worth and psychological happiness. The tea market has experienced significant price and quality fluctuations, causing consumers to mistrust the products. Xiao Guan Tea costs 50 yuan per 4g can and 1,000 yuan per package of 20 cans. The uniform price inspires greater consumer confidence. Although the price is not inexpensive, it is appropriate for the product's location. In the preceding analysis of consumers' motivations for drinking tea, we mentioned that people no longer purchase tea solely for recreational purposes. However, many young consumers purchase tea for the purpose of gift-giving and face-saving, which is satisfied by the upscale brand image of Xiao Guan Tea.

Channels. SIVA theory emphasizes that businesses should provide consumers with simple and quick purchasing options to create a pleasant shopping experience [7]. From the above consumer psychology studies, we may conclude that consumers are more likely to select and purchase offline than online. This conclusion provides two insights: Provide excellent service to offline retailers. Develop internet sales channels actively. Apple's design team creates a variety of consumption experiences for costumers, including as viewing, selecting, smelling, tasting, and purchasing tea. There will be online sales on Tmall and Jingdong retailers. Moreover, spring tea will be pre-sold in partnership with Logical Thinking [2]. The mix of online and offline sales channels creates a positive buying experience for consumers.

3.4. Shortcomings of Xiao Guan Tea in Marketing Strategy

People's Daily released a microblog titled "People's Micro Comment: How many secrets are buried in a Xiao Guan Tea" on January 20, 2019, which sparked a heated debate among internet users. The 2018 official sales volume for Xiao Guan Tea was 2 billion Chinese Yuan. If there were no breaks throughout the year, each master employed by Xiao Guan Tea would have to fry 1446 jin of tea per day to meet the sales volume [9]. However, according to typical standards, a person can only stir-fry five jin every day. Therefore, netizens questioned if Xiao Guan Tea was indeed "made by a master" as advertised, and Xiao Guan Tea asserted that "made by a master" refers to collaboration with the master, not to the master's involvement in the production process. After the revelation, sales of tiny Can Tea plummeted, and the majority of buyers felt duped. Although Xiao Guan Tea later issued a statement denying the rumor that it was co-produced with the master, the brand's reputation among consumers was nonetheless diminished. The issue with Xiao Guan Tea is also the conflict between the increase of product quantity and the incapacity to expand production scale, a difficulty that many businesses unavoidably encounter in a later phase. In addition, the issue of excessive marketing was also present in Xiao Guan Tea. The company spent a fortune producing documentaries and advertising on multiple platforms and satellite television. Although this has substantially enhanced the Xiao Guan Tea's popularity and sales, as a quality-based business, excessive marketing will cause some consumers to dislike it.

3.5. Improvement Measures for Marketing Problems of Xiao Guan Tea and Other Similar Companies

In light of a series of issues in the late marketing of Xiao Guan Tea, which are shared by many businesses in other industries, this study proposes a number of remedies.

Marketing enables businesses to generate revenues. Nevertheless, excessive promotion is not prudent. Once "excessive marketing" develops, it will negatively affect both the enterprise's brand image and product sales. If a business wants to be large and sustainable, it must prioritize product quality improvement as its primary objective. If the product's quality is subpar, any good marketing strategy is a fake. Enterprises' impact can continue to grow with the aid of high-quality products and effective marketing strategies [10].

Marketing techniques include documentaries, short movies, advertising, and the increasingly popular live streaming. But regardless of the marketing form, the marketing content must not mislead consumers. Once consumers discover that the product differs from the advertising content of a business, the loss of one or two customers is negligible, the impact on the company's brand image is irreversible, and eventually there will be no consumers willing to pay for the company's products.

4. Conclusion

This study investigates the psychological activities of consumers when they purchase tea by a questionnaire survey, and then evaluates the marketing strategy of Xiao Guan Tea from the consumers' perspective, drawing the following conclusions. Xiao Guan Tea has designed novel packaging, simplified the tea brewing procedure, and precisely combined traditional tea with fashion in order to address the low frequency and low interest of young consumers in consuming tea. Xiao Guan Tea invested a substantial amount of money to film a documentary, successfully establishing a high-end product image and standardizing product quality and pricing in response to consumers' inability to identify tea quality and the rising demand for tea as a gift and for other purposes. Thirdly, because consumers fear online sales channels and prefer to purchase tea offline, Xiao Guan Tea has enhanced its offline stores and increased its online sales network.

Marketing is a topic worthy of in-depth study. We may constantly find various marketing methods from various perspectives. Regarding Xiao Guan Tea, its marketing approach can also be evaluated based on corporate culture and the tea market. In the meanwhile, we may also do horizontal comparisons between organizations of the same type to see the impact of different marketing techniques across industries; this will also be the focus of the author's future research.