On December 18th at 3 pm, the Sichuan Tobacco Corporation's new product launch event for Kunfu 3.0, a heat-not-burn product, with the theme "Three Lives, All Things. Creating and Enjoying the Future," was held at the Zhu Bingren Copper Non-Heritage Lifestyle Museum in Kuanzhai Alley, Chengdu.
Source: Staff on-site at the 2FIRSTS press conference.
2FIRSTS had the privilege of being invited to the event and conducted an exclusive interview with the team behind the new product, including Dr. Han Donglin, the head of the heating appliances department, product designer Xie Li, and materials researcher Guo Linqing from the product research and development department. They discussed the technology used in the new product and plans for international expansion in the future. The following is a summary of the interview.
Can you highlight the key features of this new product compared to its predecessor?
Dr. Han Donglin explains that the new product's main innovation lies in its heating method - using air flow heating, which is a non-contact method similar to infrared and microwave heating. This method is better for evenly heating tobacco and efficiently extracting the tobacco fragrance and active ingredients. Additionally, the non-contact heating results in no residue or cleaning required, making it more convenient. The new product also features an intelligent chip to optimize the battery system.
Dr. Han Donglin introduces the product | Image source: Sichuan Zhongyan New Tobacco Products Center
What is the target market for the new product 2FIRSTS?
Dr. Han Donglin stated that our main target markets are Southeast Asia, Russia, and Europe. The earlier generations of our product line have already achieved great success in major markets such as Spain and Malaysia, with users who have adopted our products giving them high praise.
Can you please provide details on the shipment data?
Dr. Han Donglin stated that it is still not the end of the year and the data given is currently being updated. The public can expect to see the latest data from China National Tobacco (International) Limited, Hong Kong at the end of the month, which will include the shipping data of all participating tobacco companies.
Are there any differences in taste preferences between the Spanish and Malaysian markets in terms of 2FIRSTS?
Dr. Han Donglin explains that both markets have long-established brands, mainly from multinational tobacco giants that entered the markets earlier. As a result, the taste preferences in both markets still mostly follow the tobacco flavors of these giants. Therefore, the taste research and development in China Tobacco Sichuan Co., Ltd. is still in the experimental stage. As the market share increases, the company plans to introduce tobacco products with Chinese characteristics.
2FIRSTS: You just mentioned that we are currently in the trial phase. What will be our strategy for overseas expansion in the future? Translated: During a conversation with 2FIRSTS, the topic of the company's current trial phase was discussed, and they were asked about their plans for overseas expansion in the future.
Dr. Han Donglin: Our overall strategy for overseas expansion is to "follow and parallel, then surpass". At the same time, we will focus on identifying and addressing user pain points, in order to continuously attract users.
What is the pricing strategy for our Kung Fu series overseas? How does it compare to other competitors?
Dr. Han Donglin stated that their target audience is middle to high-end consumers. Therefore, they do not engage in price wars and their Kung Fu products are not solely attracted by their price, but by the continuous strengthening of the brand’s image.
Are there any recent breakthroughs or developments in tobacco research and development that you can share with us, 2FIRSTS?
Guo Linqing announced the successful development of a new generation of unstructured heated cigarettes that are expected to appeal to traditional tobacco smokers with its taste. The unstructured heated cigarettes will also expand the company's tobacco product line and provide consumers with more options. This announcement is a significant development for the company.
Guo Linqing introduces the wide and narrow brand of cigarettes | Source: Sichuan Tobacco's New Tobacco Product Center
Can you briefly explain the terms "ordered" and "unordered" heating of tobacco rolls that you mentioned earlier?
Guo Linqing explained that when referring to the "orderly" and "unordered" aspects of cigarette smoking, this actually pertains to the arrangement of the heating and smoking segments within the cigarette. In orderly smoking, the tobacco shreds are arranged axially in an ordered manner, which differs greatly from traditional tobacco. In contrast, in unordered smoking, the tobacco shreds are randomly arranged, similar to traditional rolled cigarettes and more closely resembling traditional tobacco.
Are there other new tobacco-related products being developed at the Sichuan Tobacco New Tobacco Products Center?
Dr. Han Donglin focuses mainly on the research and development of heated tobacco products, while also actively monitoring the development of new aerosol technologies.
The creative team behind the Kung Fu series also showcased other tobacco-related products they had designed, such as ashtrays that absorb cigarette smoke and emit fragrances, as well as herbal vaporizers.
The full content of this exclusive interview will be released tomorrow in video format. Stay tuned for more details.
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