In the summer of 2024, "Ice Cup" swept the consumer market as a dark horse. There are over 500000 notes on topics related to Xiaohongshu, and the search volume for "edible ice cups" in the Meituan ice cream category has increased by 380% year-on-year. The enthusiasm of young people to share "ice cup blind boxes", "ice cup DIY" and other gameplay on social media continues to rise. This seemingly accidental consumption boom is actually the inevitable result of the collision between the food industry and young culture. For ice cream practitioners who have access to cold chain resources and channel advantages, how can they transform the "ice cup heat" into a sustainable growth curve?
Decoding Ice Cup Hotspots: The Deep Logic of Young People's Consumer Behavior
The ice cup is not a new invention, but its explosive growth after 2023 is due to three key factors:
1. Social currency attributes: from "eating ice cream" to "showing off ice cream cups"
Young consumers are no longer satisfied with "quenching thirst", but are more pursuing experiences that are "photographable and spreadable". The container of the ice cup itself has both visual appeal and interactivity - the semi transparent ice cup is embedded with fruits, jumping candies, crisps, and even mini props (such as shells and stars). When paired with ice cream, the empty cup can also be reused as a decoration or DIY material. The "2024 Ice Cream Consumption Trend Report" jointly released by Meituan and Kantar shows that products with the "edible cup" label have a 67% higher user active sharing rate than regular ice cream.
2. Balance between environmental protection and user experience
With the upgrading of the "plastic restriction order" and the increasing awareness of environmental protection, edible containers replacing plastic cups have become a consensus in the industry. But consumers' acceptance of environmentally friendly products is often linked to experience: ice cups can not only solve environmental pain points, but also strengthen memory points through the fun of "eating the container". The search volume of the "plant-based edible ice cup" launched by a leading brand on social media increased by 210% month on month, confirming the strong demand.
3. Scene penetration: from single items to "slightly tipsy+dessert" combinations
The capacity design of the ice cup (usually 80-120ml) makes it easier to combine with categories such as alcoholic beverages and coffee. This combination of "slightly tipsy+dessert" and "afternoon tea+social" scenes is driving the evolution of ice cream cups from seasonal products to year-round necessities.
Dual advantages of cold chain and channel: building competitive barriers
For ice cream owners who already have cold chain logistics and channel networks, the core competitiveness of the ice cup track lies in "reducing costs and increasing efficiency".
1. Supply chain optimization: Using existing cold chains to reduce marginal costs
Ice cream cups are mostly made from low-fat ingredients such as fruit and vegetable juices and plant-based ingredients, which overlap with resources such as milk fat and syrup used in ice cream production.
Flexible production: Utilize existing refrigeration equipment to quickly switch the production capacity allocation between ice cups and ice cream, and adjust the ratio according to seasonal demand.
Warehouse integration: Ice cups typically require storage temperatures below -18 ℃, and can share the cold chain logistics network of ice cream to reduce storage costs.
2. Channel "scenarization" upgrade: from shelves to experiential scenarios
Traditional ice cream sales channels (supermarkets, convenience stores) are still the foundation, but the explosive growth of ice cream cups comes from emerging channels:
Instant retail platform: Collaborated with Meituan Flash Shopping and Dingdong Maicai to launch "15 minute ice cup delivery", focusing on the scene of "family desserts after work".
• Private domain operation of social media platforms: Establish brand mini programs, provide DIY ice cup kits (such as replaceable jam packs, styling molds), and attract users to engage in UGC content fission.
Cross border collaboration: Collaborate with cultural and creative brands to launch the "Ice Cup Blind Box", where users can scratch off the coating on the cup surface to obtain hidden patterns and attract secondary dissemination.
Product Innovation: Creating Differentiation in "Eating Methods" and "Gameplay"
The homogenization competition of ice cups has begun to emerge, how to break through?
1. Innovation in Eating Logic: Breaking the Inherent Cognition of "Cup as Container"
Layered deconstruction method: A certain brand has launched a "three-stage ice cup", with a jumping sugar smoothie on the upper layer, a flowing chocolate layer on the middle layer, and a bottom ice cup made of oat chips. Users need to gradually consume it from top to bottom to enhance the fun.
• Detachable design: Cooperate with environmentally friendly material companies to design the ice cup as a detachable cup body and lid. After disassembly, the lid can become a mini jelly container, enhancing its reuse value.
2. Regional flavors: Creating popular products with "niche ingredients"
• Localized food material experiment: "Old friend foundation make-up material ice cup" was launched in Guangxi market, and the cup body was blended with the flavor of Luosifen sour bamboo shoots; Cooperate with local enterprises in Xinjiang to create "Sea Buckthorn Juice Ice Cup" and enhance regional recognition.
• Niche ingredient combination: Referring to the logic of molecular cuisine, combine ice cream with an ice cup to create a composite taste - such as a "wine heart ice cup" (with rum soaked cherries in the cup body) or a "tea frozen ice cup" (with the cup body embedded in the tea frozen layer).
3. Social currency design: Let users actively become promoters
AR interactive function: Cooperate with technology companies to print recognizable patterns on the surface of ice cups. Users can scan and trigger AR mini games, and points can be exchanged for new product tasting coupons.
Environmental joint plan: For every cup sold, a portion of the proceeds will be donated for tree planting. Users can track "exclusive trees" through the mini program to enhance brand favorability.
