霸王茶姬：中國新式茶飲的國風突圍者

在中國競爭激烈的新式茶飲市場，霸王茶姬憑藉“國風+鮮奶茶”的差異化定位異軍突起，成為繼喜茶、奈雪の茶之後又一現象級品牌。自2017年創立于雲南昆明以來，其門店數已突破3,000家，2023年營收超50億元，更以“東方茶飲全球化”為口號進軍海外，在馬來西亞、新加坡等地掀起排隊熱潮。它的成功不僅在於產品創新，更在於將中國傳統文化與現代消費體驗深度融合，重新定義一杯奶茶的文化附加值。

1. 品牌定位：國風茶飲的破局之道

（1）文化符號的視覺重塑

霸王茶姬從命名到門店設計，全方位植入中國元素：

品牌名：取自項羽典故“霸王別姬”，暗喻茶飲市場的“突圍者”身份。

視覺體系：採用京劇臉譜、水墨書法、黛青色為主色調，門店仿照茶樓設計，服務生著漢服，營造“穿越千年的茶空間”。

產品命名：如“伯牙絕弦”（茉莉雪芽鮮奶茶）、“桂馥蘭香”（桂花烏龍）等，借用古詩詞提升文化格調。

這種鮮明的國風形象，在“西式小清新”主導的茶飲市場中獨樹一幟，尤其吸引25-35歲對傳統文化有認同感的都市青年。

（2）產品策略：回歸茶的本味

當同行靠“水果+芝士”堆砌口感時，霸王茶姬反其道而行，主打“原葉鮮奶茶”：

茶底優勢：選用雲南滇紅、福建白毫銀針等名茶，現泡現萃，強調茶香而非甜膩。

健康標籤：減少糖漿與添加劑，推出“零卡糖”選項，迎合養生趨勢。

爆款邏輯：SKU精簡至20款以內，集中資源打造明星產品（如“伯牙絕弦”占營收40%）。

這種“少而精”的模式降低了供應鏈複雜度，也強化了“專業茶飲”的品牌認知。

2. 市場擴張：從西南一隅到全球佈局

（1）差異化區域滲透

西南根據地：依託雲南茶葉資源，率先在昆明、成都等城市密集開店，單店月均銷量超1.5萬杯。

下沉市場突破：避開喜茶、奈雪紮堆的一線城市，主攻二三線城市商圈，客單價定在15-20人民幣區間（低於喜茶30元）。

海外試水：2022年進入馬來西亞吉隆玻，單店日銷破千杯，隨後拓展至新加坡、泰國，主打“東方茶文化”吸引華人群體。

（2）聯名行銷破圈

文化IP聯動：與敦煌博物館合作推出“飛天系列”杯身設計，與遊戲《原神》聯名角色主題茶飲。

明星代言：邀請青年演員張新成擔任“茶文化推薦官”，強化國風年輕化形象。

3. 市場評價：讚譽與爭議並存

正面回饋

行業認可：獲評“2023年中國茶飲十大品牌”，被資本估值超100億人民幣。

消費者口碑：小紅書“霸王茶姬”相關筆記超50萬條，用戶稱讚“茶香濃郁不膩”“包裝有收藏價值”。

文化輸出：海外門店成當地網紅打卡點，馬來西亞媒體稱其“用一杯奶茶讓世界嘗到中國味道”。

爭議與挑戰

同質化隱憂：隨著茶顏悅色等品牌跟進國風策略，產品差異逐漸模糊。

加盟管理風險：2023年加速開放加盟後，部分門店被曝偷工減料、衛生問題。

全球化考驗：海外市場面臨當地語系化調整（如東南亞偏好更甜口味），需平衡“中國風”與在地需求。

4. 未來戰略：茶飲界的“東方星巴克”？

霸王茶姬創始人張俊傑曾表示，目標是成為“茶飲界的星巴克”——不僅賣產品，更輸出生活方式。其下一步佈局包括：

第三空間升級：在旗艦店增設茶道體驗區，提供茶器零售。

供應鏈深耕：在雲南自建有機茶園，把控上游品質。

數位化會員：通過小程式積累2,000萬會員，推送定制化茶飲推薦。

結論：國潮紅利下的長期考驗

霸王茶姬的成功，本質是踩准“Z世代文化自信+健康消費升級”的雙重風口。它以茶為媒，將古典美學轉化為現代消費符號，證明傳統文化在商業領域的巨大潛力。然而，茶飲行業反覆運算極快，能否持續創新、避免“曇花一現”，將是其從網紅品牌走向百年老店的關鍵。正如網友調侃：“喝霸王茶姬像在品歷史，但消費者最終還是要為好喝買單。”

BAWANG CHAJI: The Guochao Tea Brand Leading China’s New-Style Beverage Revolution

In China’s fiercely competitive new-style tea beverage market, BAWANG CHAJI has emerged as a breakout brand through its unique positioning of “Guochao (Chinese cultural aesthetics) + fresh milk tea.” Following in the footsteps of industry giants like HEYTEA and Naixue’s Tea, it has become a new cultural phenomenon. Since its founding in Kunming, Yunnan in 2017, BAWANG CHAJI has expanded to over 3,000 stores, surpassed 5 billion RMB in revenue in 2023, and begun its global journey under the slogan “Oriental Tea for the World”, sparking long queues in markets like Malaysia and Singapore. Its success lies not only in product innovation, but in seamlessly integrating traditional Chinese culture with modern consumer experiences—redefining the cultural value behind a cup of milk tea.

1. Brand Positioning: Breaking Through with Guochao Tea

(1) Visual Rebranding of Cultural Symbols

BAWANG CHAJI embeds Chinese cultural elements throughout its brand—from name to store design:

• Brand Name: Inspired by the Chinese legend Farewell My Concubine (“霸王别姬”), symbolizing a bold challenger in the tea market.
• Visual Identity: Featuring Peking opera masks, ink calligraphy, and dark jade green as the signature color; store interiors mimic traditional teahouses with staff dressed in Hanfu, creating a “time-traveling tea space.”
• Product Naming: Tea names like Boyá Juexián (Jasmine Snow Bud Milk Tea) and Guì Fù Lán Xiāng (Osmanthus Oolong) draw from classical poetry to elevate the brand's cultural sophistication.

This strong Guochao identity stands out in a market dominated by “Western minimalism,” especially appealing to urban youth aged 25–35 who identify with traditional Chinese culture.

(2) Product Strategy: Returning to the Essence of Tea

While competitors focus on layered flavor profiles with fruit and cheese, BAWANG CHAJI takes a purist approach by promoting “original leaf milk tea”:

• Tea Quality: Uses premium leaves like Yunnan Dianhong and Fujian Silver Needle, brewed fresh to emphasize fragrance over sweetness.
• Health Positioning: Reduces syrups and additives; offers zero-calorie sweetener options in line with wellness trends.
• Blockbuster Logic: Limits SKUs to fewer than 20, focusing resources on star products (e.g., Boyá Juexián accounts for 40% of revenue).

This “fewer but better” model simplifies supply chain operations while reinforcing its image as a professional tea brand.

2. Market Expansion: From the Southwest to the Global Stage

(1) Differentiated Regional Penetration

• Southwest Stronghold: Leveraging Yunnan’s rich tea resources, the brand first established dense store networks in cities like Kunming and Chengdu, with an average monthly sales volume of over 15,000 cups per store.
• Lower-Tier Market Breakthrough: Avoiding the first-tier cities crowded by HEYTEA and Naixue, BAWANG CHAJI targeted second- and third-tier urban shopping areas, setting price points at 15–20 RMB per cup (lower than HEYTEA’s 30 RMB).
• Overseas Pilots: Entered Kuala Lumpur in 2022, with daily sales exceeding 1,000 cups per store. Expanded to Singapore and Thailand, leveraging “Oriental Tea Culture” to appeal to the Chinese diaspora.

(2) Crossover Marketing and Viral Growth

• Cultural Collaborations: Partnered with Dunhuang Museum to launch “Flying Apsaras” themed cup designs; collaborated with the game Genshin Impact for character-themed drinks.
• Celebrity Endorsement: Appointed rising actor Zhang Xincheng as “Tea Culture Ambassador” to boost the brand’s youth appeal.

3. Market Reception: Acclaim and Controversy

Positive Feedback

• Industry Recognition: Named one of the “Top 10 Tea Brands in China (2023)” with a valuation exceeding 10 billion RMB.
• Consumer Word of Mouth: Over 500,000 posts on lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu praise its “rich tea aroma without being cloying” and “packaging with collectible value.”
• Cultural Export: Overseas stores have become must-visit social media hotspots; Malaysian media described the brand as “bringing a taste of China to the world through milk tea.”

Challenges and Concerns

• Homogenization Risk: As other brands like Chayan Yuese adopt similar Guochao strategies, BAWANG CHAJI’s product differentiation could blur.
• Franchise Management Issues: Following rapid franchise expansion in 2023, reports emerged of quality cuts and hygiene concerns in some stores.
• Globalization Challenges: Overseas success depends on adapting to local taste preferences (e.g., sweeter flavors in Southeast Asia) while maintaining an authentic Chinese brand identity.

4. Future Strategy: Becoming the “Oriental Starbucks” of Tea?

Founder Zhang Junjie has stated his ambition for BAWANG CHAJI to become the “Starbucks of tea”—not merely selling products, but exporting a lifestyle. Next steps include:

• Upgrading the “Third Space”: Introducing in-store tea ceremony areas and retailing traditional tea wares at flagship locations.
• Deepening the Supply Chain: Building organic tea plantations in Yunnan to control quality at the source.
• Digital Membership System: Leveraging WeChat mini-programs to grow a 20-million-member base with personalized tea recommendations.

Conclusion: Riding the Guochao Wave, Facing Long-Term Tests

BAWANG CHAJI’s success is fundamentally built on its timely capture of Gen Z’s cultural confidence and rising health-conscious consumption. By using tea as a medium, it transforms classical aesthetics into modern consumption symbols—proving the commercial potential of traditional culture. Yet the tea beverage industry evolves rapidly. Whether BAWANG CHAJI can sustain innovation and avoid becoming a fleeting trend will determine its journey from viral brand to timeless legacy.

As one netizen aptly put it:“Drinking BAWANG CHAJI feels like tasting history—but in the end, it still has to taste good.”