Innovation pays off for old, honored brands

Fresh ideas

Shang thinks that laozihao requires fresh ideas for product content and marketing while retaining their original characteristics, quality and reputation to survive amid constantly changing market needs.

The collaboration with Bon Cake is aimed at combining traditional tastes and stylish afternoon tea snacks, in line with the lifestyle of the younger generation, Shang said.

It took four months of experimentation before the cakes were ready to market.

Huang Chenhao, deputy research and development manager at Bon Cake, said: "It was relatively easy to cater to traditional Chinese tastes in making Western desserts. The only thing we had to focus on was whether the public would accept the taste."

The key was to retain the traditional taste as much as possible.

Huang said: "During our collaboration, we have experienced the craftsmanship of these time-honored brands. They take special care with every step, from raw materials to the production process, so we now understand how just one minor mistake may have an impact hundreds of kilometers from the point of production."