Case study
Langnese: repositioning Germany's top honey brand for growth in China.
Langnese wanted to grow in China. We ran consumer research, rebuilt the positioning, and designed a social strategy that opened new channels and new audiences.
Client
Langnese
Industry
Food / FMCG
Services
Platforms
The client
Over 100 years in the business. Ready to grow in China.
Langnese is Germany's leading honey brand. Over 100 years in the business. Distribution in China was in place, shelf space secured, retail relationships established.
But the brand knew it could do more. The opportunity was there. They needed a sharper positioning and a social strategy built for Chinese consumers.
Langnese in China. Product range, Douyin livestream, and Tmall store.
What we found
The market had changed. Langnese was selling the same way it had for years.
We dug into everything. Mapped distribution from import to shelf. Analyzed how Chinese honey brands were showing up on RedNote, Douyin, WeChat, and Tmall. Ran consumer research in tier-one and tier-two cities.
In tier-one cities, generic health messaging was not working anymore. Every honey brand talks about health. Local competitors had gotten sharper at packaging, pricing, and social content. In tier-two cities, consumers did not understand why they should pay a premium for imported honey when domestic brands cost half as much.
What we did
Nine growth pillars. Built to execute immediately.
We built a framework covering repositioning, distribution, product formats, and social content. Nine growth pillars in total.
Consumer groups nobody was talking to
Young professionals putting honey in coffee and smoothies. Parents looking for natural sweetener alternatives. Cooking enthusiasts using honey as an ingredient. Each group got specific consumption occasions built around their routines.
Repositioned around real selling points
Not "German quality" as a headline. Concrete reasons tied to specific use cases. Why the flavor profile works in certain recipes. Why the texture holds up differently in hot drinks. Real selling points, not country-of-origin claims.
Social strategy rebuilt platform by platform
RedNote for recipe integration and daily routines. Douyin for quick demonstrations of new use cases. WeChat for brand storytelling. The strategy was not about reminding people Langnese exists. It was about changing how they think about using honey.
New channels and new product formats
We opened new distribution channels in regions with zero presence. And recommended new product formats: smaller sizes for trial, single-serve for offices, packaging redesigned to communicate the new positioning at shelf.
All nine pillars agreed on by brand and distributor, built to execute immediately.
The outcome
New positioning. New channels. New growth.
The repositioning worked. New channels opened. Distributors got on board.
Retailers saw it in the numbers. Langnese stopped being "that expensive German honey" and started showing up in morning smoothies, weekend baking, and kids' lunchboxes. Actual reasons to buy, tied to how people actually live.
Your turn
Need strategic consulting for your brand in China?
Fixed scope. Fixed price. Team on the ground.
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