To urge others to charge forward while escaping backward is a behavior that after September 2025, has a brand new definition called 'Hua Yu Hua'.
"This is not crisis public relations, because there is no crisis at all. Jia Guolong is angry and wants to confront the online critics. Reflecting on Jia Guolong, I feel the words of Mr. Lu Xun saying 'squeeze out the 'small' hidden under one's own cloak'. Marching forward and not living a life of compromise is Jia Guolong!"
After the Xibei incident, as a 'paid think tank' for more than a decade, Hua Yu Hua founder Hua Shan continuously posted multiple Weibo messages to support Xibei founder Jia Guolong's 'marching forward'.
If you call Luo Yonghao a fool or an industry dim lamp, he might not get angry and may even joke about it. However, if you call him a "network blackmouth", he will certainly retaliate. On the evening of September 14, Luo Yonghao angrily criticized Hua Yu Hua in the live broadcast, calling it "encouraging confrontation" and "pure nonsense", and stated that "companies hiring Hua Yu Hua have problems with their brains."
Originally, Luo Yonghao was prepared to end the "battle" after seeing relevant departments quickly introduce detailed standards for prepared dishes, coupled with friends' persuasion. Unexpectedly, the consulting company Hua Yu Hua, which Xibei paid for, acted particularly aggressively and fiercely upon seeing Xibei in a public relations crisis.
Hua Yu Hua simultaneously labeled Luo Yonghao as a "network blackmouth", intensifying the conflict, while also supporting Xibei and Luo Yonghao to confront each other to the end.
The awkward part is that when netizens thought Hua Yu Hua would join the battle as allies of Xibei, on September 15, news came that Hua Yu Hua's boss had already apologized to Luo Yonghao...
Hua Yu Hua quickly admitted defeat, as (Food Research Report) believes it was mainly afraid of getting into trouble and delaying earnings. It should be noted that Luo Yonghao had put in a lot of effort to thoroughly investigate Siemens in his conflict with them. This time, in the confrontation with Xibei and Hua Yu Hua, according to Luo Yonghao, he had not exerted much effort, merely having a meal at Xibei and posting a few complaints on Weibo.
Once Luo Yonghao takes a Siemens-like attitude towards Hua Yu Hua, then Hua Yu Hua's troubles will become significant...
As a well-known consulting company in China, the Hua Yu Hua team has fewer than 200 people, yet due to collaborations with Xibei, Mixue Ice City, Haidilao, Six Kernels Walnut, Dongpeng Special Drink, Jiang Xiaobai, and a series of brands, it earns over 300 million annually.
Among them, just Xibei alone brought Hua Yu Hua 60 million yuan in consulting fee income over a decade. Hua Shan candidly stated: "In the next decade, we won't be greedy; one or two billion will suffice."
It can be seen that when facing companies and entrepreneurs, Hua Yu Hua can easily manage and easily earn "one or two billion". However, when facing corporate crises, especially with tough figures like Luo Yonghao, Hua Yu Hua behaves like a rookie.
The question arises, why are Xibei, Mixue Ice City, and Haidilao eager to give Hua Yu Hua "money"? What qualifies it to "rise", and how does it manage these company founders?
01 The first step to rise is to undermine 'foreign theories'.
Compared to developed countries in Europe and America, China started its market economy later, and the exploration of marketing by enterprises also lagged behind Europe and America. Because of this, many marketing theories from Europe and America were introduced, becoming the focus of attention, reference, and study for Chinese entrepreneurs.
Among them, Al Ries and Jack Trout proposed the "positioning" theory in 1972, which caused a huge response globally and had a far-reaching impact. Related teams opened Ries and Trout strategic positioning consulting companies in China to help Chinese companies with marketing.
For example, "If you're afraid of getting heat, drink Wanglaoji" is a representative work of positioning theory and still has a strong influence today.
Hua Yu Hua was once a believer in positioning theory. In 2004, Hua Yu Hua was established in Shanghai, with Hua Shan holding 53% and Hua Nan holding 47%. The two brothers initially worked as executors for a strategic consulting company.
But why do positioning consulting companies only output strategies and earn money while standing, while execution companies have to earn money on their knees?
To become a company that earns money like a positioning consulting company, one must step on positioning consulting companies.
It is noteworthy that positioning theory is a theoretical system, which includes not only brand positioning but also brand language, visuals, and more. In 2012, (Visual Hammer) was published, proposing the "language nail + visual hammer" marketing strategy, which is a manifestation of the positioning theory system.
But have you noticed? Whether it's language nails or visual hammers, they are overly theoretical with a high understanding threshold, which is not conducive to promotion in the Chinese market.
If we replace language nails and visual hammers with "super symbols" (or say hot products), domestic entrepreneurs are more likely to accept it.
In 2014, Hua Yu Hua published a book titled (Super Symbols are Super Ideas), where "super symbols" were the main tactics of the two brothers in strategic marketing.
Compared to the trust certificates of positioning theory, consumer mindset, language nails, visual hammers, and other claims, super symbols are more straightforward, localized, and align better with the needs of the Chinese market.
To promote this strategy, Hua Yu Hua must first form differentiation—similar to how a martial arts champion must aim to fight the strongest opponents, they targeted the most influential positioning theory.
In simple terms, it's about aggressively undermining.
Hua Shan has directly pointed out that there is not a single correct word in positioning. In public, he stated: "I believe that in the past 20 years, there have been two theories that have had the greatest impact on and caused the most damage to China's marketing community. The first is positioning..."
Positioning theory advocates that enterprises with sentiment and ambition should occupy the market position of "number one in a certain field". Hua Shan believes this idea is unrealistic; it's a "wish", not a strategy.
He also stated: "(Positioning) everyone is familiar with it, so why do I say it is wrong? Firstly, its premise is completely wrong; this book's premise is based on the past era of customer orientation, which has passed. Now it is the era of competition orientation; then it claims that the era of product homogenization has arrived, so we can only compete for consumers' mindsets. These are its two premises, but both are wrong."
Undermining positioning theory, labeling it with tags like "greatest destruction" and "completely erroneous premise", objectively benefits Hua Yu Hua in competing for the strategic consulting "big cake" and also aids in the promotion and implementation of the "super symbol" theory.
Hua Yu Hua believes that "the era of customer orientation has passed, and now it is the era of competition orientation", which many large enterprises do not recognize. For instance, excellent companies like Huawei and Alibaba, which are "number one in a certain field", still firmly believe in "customer first".
How can Hua Yu Hua's theoretical system be so "unambitious" and still attract clients?
02 Using "local methods" to manage small and medium enterprises.
In comparison, companies like Trout serve more large companies and even international giants, mainly focusing on strategic levels. Hua Yu Hua primarily targets small and medium enterprises, using "big, bright, many" and constant repetition as local methods to shape super symbols.
Compared to international giants, small and medium-sized enterprises are more "pragmatic"; I don't want to be number one in a certain field in the future, I just want to become a hot product right now. What small and medium enterprises need, Hua Yu Hua can provide.
Hua Yu Hua's so-called "big, bright, many" means the logo should be large enough, the colors and lights bright enough, and images, music, and videos should appear or play as much as possible and repeatedly.
Continuously doing these things, through simple, clear, and down-to-earth brand symbols, attract and enhance people's attention, forcing consumers to remember the brand.
In the book (Super Symbols are Super Ideas), Hua Yu Hua wrote: "As long as you can make enough people remember your name, you can succeed. Getting consumers to react immediately is more important than a unique selling proposition."
From this concept, in 2013, after starting a partnership with Xibei, Hua Yu Hua distilled the "I ♥ Youmian" super symbol, which, in Hua Yu Hua's words, "changed the appearance, packaging, products, experiences, and even the reasons customers come to Xibei".
It is worth mentioning that when Hua Shan first met Jia Guolong, the latter was straightforward: "I am a loyal believer in positioning theory; if you are too, we will cooperate; if not, we won't cooperate."
Jia Guolong claims to be a loyal believer in positioning theory, not just talking nonsense; he has practical experience—In February 2011, Trout positioned Xibei as "Northwest Folk Cuisine"; in November of that year, Ries positioned Xibei as "Northwest Cuisine"; in 2012, Ries once again positioned Xibei as "Lamb Cooking Expert".
Why did Jia Guolong choose to abandon these two companies and select Hua Yu Hua?
Firstly, in his view, Hua Yu Hua's set of super symbol tactics is not much different from positioning theory. One compelling evidence is that when Hua Shan said he is not a believer in positioning theory, Jia Guolong responded, "What you say is not true; in fact, you are."
In other words, Jia Guolong had the cognitive foundation of positioning theory before collaborating with Hua Yu Hua.
Secondly, unlike the "Northwest Folk Cuisine", "Northwest Cuisine", and "Lamb Cooking Experts" proposed by positioning theory, Hua Yu Hua's "I ♥ Youmian" is easier to spread, more recognizable, and more in line with Jia Guolong's expectations at the time.
However, looking back, Xibei's brand has also shrunk from the original positioning of Northwest Cuisine to Youmian, narrowing its business scope. Over approximately a decade, (Food Research Report) repeatedly dined at Xibei, and the main impression of Xibei is "this is a noodle restaurant" that also sells other items, with Northwest Cuisine no longer being prominent.
From Northwest Cuisine to Youmian, whether such adjustments helped or harmed Xibei is hard to say. However, according to an article from Hua Yu Hua's public account, after their first proposal, Jia Guolong commented: "Today's first proposal is worth ten million!"
For Hua Yu Hua, regardless of how Xibei ends up, it has already won immensely.
Hua Yu Hua not only earned money from Xibei but also gained 15 clients in the catering industry through Xibei, making Hua Yu Hua the largest consulting company in the catering industry.
While helping companies create super symbols, Hua Yu Hua is also working hard to market itself, transforming itself into an IP.
For instance, (Super Symbols are Super Ideas) is published by the "Reading Client" company controlled by Hua Yu Hua, along with a series of books like "Hua Shan Explains Sun Tzu's Art of War", "Explaining the Analects", and "Explaining Wang Yangming's (Instructions)". An engineering student specialized in internal combustion engines suddenly became a master of Chinese studies.
What has attracted widespread attention is that Hua Yu Hua spends 30 to 40 million annually to advertise itself, with personal photos, company business, and contact numbers appearing in aviation magazines and airport billboards, and books it publishes displayed on airport bookshelves, creating an atmosphere that suggests "successful people" are all collaborating with Hua Yu Hua.
"Local methods" shape super symbols, and self-marketing amplifies the influence of super symbols. The two complement each other, making companies "willing" to honestly create super symbols, allowing Hua Yu Hua to successfully manage small and medium enterprises.
Letting small and medium enterprises ignore product strength and consumers while focusing more on brand symbols is strategically short-sighted in the long run. However, the catering industry is indeed highly competitive. For many catering enterprises, the current path seems more important than the future.
In addition, Hua Yu Hua has a secret weapon.
03 Not necessarily effective, must accept huge consulting fees going to waste.
Does Hua Yu Hua's super symbol strategy really have an effect?
From the perspective of companies like Xibei and Mixue Ice City, the involvement of strategic consulting does indeed have a certain effect.
In 2014, at a meeting between Hua Yu Hua and Xibei, Jia Guolong mentioned that Xibei's goal is to ensure every dish is delicious, achieving "order with your eyes closed, everything is delicious."
Hua Shan heard this and "slapped the table, saying this was well said," supporting it from the standpoint of a consulting company. After that, "order with your eyes closed, everything is delicious" became a brand selling point that Xibei deliberately enhanced.
Objectively speaking, this past decade has been the decade of Xibei's brand upgrade and store expansion. During this process, the creation of the "I ♥ Youmian" super symbol and the implementation of the "delicious strategy" have played a certain role.
For instance, in 2018, Hua Yu Hua created the "Snow King" super symbol for Mixue Ice City, while also determining the red and white color scheme. Since then, from brand image to product packaging, store design, and surrounding materials, everything has centered around "Snow King", gradually becoming an IP driven by marketing promotion.
However, we must recognize that Hua Yu Hua's collaboration with Xibei, Mixue Ice City, and other companies is precisely because they are in the early stages of rising; super symbols only play a supporting role. The case of Haidilao can better prove this point.
Although Hua Yu Hua designed the "Hi" super symbol for Haidilao, with the "i" designed as a chili pepper, reflecting the brand's regional characteristics and symbolizing the spiciness and excitement of hot pot, the effect was not very significant.
This is because Haidilao is known for its attentive service, and the impact of a new logo is relatively limited.
This also indirectly illustrates that strategic consulting is just a support for business operations and not everything, nor the most critical factor. For companies, the most crucial aspects are product quality, service, and supply chain construction capabilities.
Additionally, different brands are at different stages of development, and the effectiveness of consulting services varies accordingly.
Li Ziyuan provided a negative case. In 2023, Hua Yu Hua created the slogan "Is youth sweet? Drink a bottle of Li Ziyuan" for Li Ziyuan, and launched the "Li Ziyuan Classmate" IP, which was described by netizens as "self-entertaining" for ignoring the growing resistance of young people to sweetness and their aversion to sugar.
The outcome is not hard to predict; Li Ziyuan has continuously struggled to break through the revenue "ceiling" of 1.4 billion yuan. Last year, advertising costs skyrocketed by 20%, while net profit attributable to the parent company fell by 5.5%, with shareholders accelerating their exit, making Li Ziyuan's transformation path increasingly difficult.
At different brand levels, according to Hua Yu Hua's practical experience, it mainly addresses the market demand in the mid-to-low end, thus creating path dependence, solidifying tactics, and struggling to pursue the high-end route.
Take the Hong Kong-style tea restaurant "Goose Madam", which once had the halo of a "Michelin one-star"; it initially aimed to attract more high-value users, but Hua Yu Hua advocated for "going against the tide", strongly promoting the slogan "Goose Goose Goose", repeatedly playing "Goose Goose Goose, Goose Madam", bombarding with "Goose Goose Goose" symbols, which scared away many consumers, rendering the super symbol strategy ineffective.
Interestingly, Hua Yu Hua emphasizes that it will not "guarantee your success". Hua Shan declares: "For client cooperation, we require clients to accept the potential of consulting fees going to waste before we start cooperating. There is no chance-taking mentality, and only then can we work steadily."
Party A spent hundreds of millions on consulting fees, which may not be effective, so they must accept the possibility of wasting money; this is Hua Yu Hua's true skill.
Hua Shan once said: "Among our clients, 100% are private enterprises, where the boss has the final say. As long as there are private enterprises in China, nothing can stop me from making money."
Therefore, regardless of how sincere netizens are in their advice, as long as the business owners still believe in Hua Yu Hua, more magical phenomena of Xibei hard confronting Luo Yonghao will emerge.
Luo Yonghao is indeed a celebrity, but judging from his actions of eating a meal at Xibei after getting off the plane and posting a Weibo complaint about prepared dishes, Luo Yonghao, like Yu Donglai, is just a business elite wanting a meal of "安心饭" (peace of mind meal), one of the core users that mid to high-end catering enterprises need to carefully maintain.
From the fact that Luo Yonghao did not take a hard stance against Siemens and chose to back down after friends' persuasion, it can be seen that Luo Yonghao is just a consumer who spent money, wasn't satisfied, had a bit of temper, and could listen to advice.
Objectively speaking, many people's consumer attitudes may not even be as strong as Luo Yonghao's. If the food and service of catering companies cannot impress such consumers, and if their crisis management attitude repeatedly "injures" such consumers, catering companies should reflect on whether their strategic consulting is problematic.
Article | Food Research Report $SOL