Analysis of Brand Differentiation Strategies Amid the Proliferation of IP Collaborations

Based on the latest industry data and case analysis, I will provide you with an in-depth interpretation of this brand collaboration strategy issue.

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According to data from NetEase Data Reading’s 2024 Milk Tea & Coffee Brand Collaboration Consumption Survey, the main reasons for declining consumer interest in brand collaborations focus on two aspects:

, and [1]. This means that simple IP labeling-style collaborations are experiencing diminishing marginal returns.

From a data perspective, the frequency of collaborations in the tea and coffee industry remains high in 2025. Among leading brands, Luckin Coffee tops the list with 23 collaborations, followed closely by Jasmine Milky White (19 times) and CHAGEE (18 times)[2]. However, some brands have begun scaling back collaboration efforts —

, and NAYUKI has significantly extended its collaboration cycle, sending a clear signal of strategic adjustment[2].

Liang Xing, Chairman of Henan Huaguan Cultural Technology Co., Ltd., pointed out that the risk of large-scale IP collaborations does not lie in “a large number of collaborations”, but in

[3]. If all collaborations remain superficial without differentiated design for different groups and scenarios, it is easy to cause consumer aesthetic fatigue.

Specific tiering strategies include:

• Core Fan Groups
  : Create scarcity and a “collectible feel” through limited-edition derivatives and numbered collaborative products
• General User Groups
  : Emphasize practicality and scenario-based design, covering daily stationery and home goods
• Potential User Groups
  : Focus on breakthrough appeal and topic buzz, collaborating with non-traditional categories to attract attention

2025 marketing trends show that brands are identifying alignments between IPs and consumers’ inner “small emotions” to internalize deep emotional labels and strengthen emotional connections[4]. For example:

• Luckin Coffee × Line Puppy
  : Continuously deepens the “healing” emotional value, forming a “five-generation” series of collaborations that still resonate with consumers
• Heytea × Chiikawa
  : With the theme of “a little sweetness”, it creates a simple and light healing atmosphere, becoming young people’s “electronic ibuprofen”, with some stores experiencing stockouts during the campaign[2]
• M&G Stationery × Little Monsters of Langlang Mountain
  : Captures the “anti-involution” sentiment, sparking widespread resonance[4]

Pop Mart’s collaboration with Zootopia 2 pioneered a two-way embedding model: on one hand, it launched hundreds of new collaborative products and offline IP-themed stores; on the other hand,

, with unique billboards designed in the scenes[3]. This in-depth collaboration breaks through the boundaries of traditional collaborations.

Cotti Coffee’s collaboration with the intangible cultural heritage Yunjin (Nanjing Brocade) has become a successful case of achieving great results with limited resources. A Cotti representative stated: “Against the backdrop of national confidence, there are many untapped resources in China… people have a greater interest in art, fashion, intangible cultural heritage, and national culture”[2]. The Peony and Crane series sparked an online customization trend during the National Day period, with fridge magnets praised for “top-tier texture and stunning details”.

Element	Specific Measures	Case Reference
Audience Tiering	Design differentiated products for core/general/potential users	Pop Mart’s tiered licensing model for star IPs[3]
Frequency Control	Focus resources on high-impact collaborations to avoid over-marketing	Heytea’s active slowdown to only 5 collaborations throughout the year[2]
Quality Stability	Establish a full-chain quality traceability system	The Kweichow Moutai Latte incident exposed quality control issues[5]
Data-Driven	Build a unified user data platform to enable precise push notifications	Optimization space in Luckin’s digital operations[5]

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In the past, brand collaborations often adopted an

, collaborating with whichever IP was popular without systematic planning. Research indicates that companies should , forming a focused matrix of high-quality collaborations in core areas[5].

: Collaborations are not a panacea, but an integral part of brand strategy. Brands need to clarify the positioning of collaborations in their overall strategy — is it for brand elevation, user breakthrough, or sales conversion? Different goals require different selection criteria.

The “pre-packaged feel” of current collaborations is mainly reflected in: only changing packaging, launching limited products and peripherals, lacking innovation and compelling stories[6]. Truly effective collaborations should:

• Deepen Product Innovation
  : Develop unique categories by combining partners’ core strengths, rather than simple labeling
• Expand Product Matrix
  : Develop collaborative food, home goods, smart devices and other non-beverage categories
• Strengthen R&D
  : Improve product quality stability and establish a full-chain quality traceability system from raw material procurement to production processing[5]

The 2025 emotional consumption market has exceeded 380 billion yuan, growing by over 10% year-on-year[3]. Consumers are shifting from “paying for functions” to “paying for emotions”. Brand collaboration strategies need to:

• Identify Emotional Tags
  : Deeply understand the emotional needs of target users and find the emotional intersection between IPs and the brand
• Create Shareable Value
  : Design products that are both practical and stylish to stimulate users’ desire for social sharing
• Build Private Domain Connections
  : Establish long-term emotional links with consumers through peripheral products and cultivate loyal users[1]

The Luckin Coffee case shows that while high-frequency collaborations can stimulate consumption in the early stage, as frequency increases, it is easy to cause user aesthetic fatigue[5]. More critically, quality instability will exacerbate the crisis of user trust.

:

• Balance collaboration frequency to form a marketing rhythm that is “focused and well-layered”
• Pay attention to the overall improvement of user experience, forming a complete closed loop from product design to after-sales service
• Integrate online and offline channel data to build a unified user data platform and achieve precise push of collaboration information[5]

CHAGEE’s strategy is worth learning from: it drives peripheral marketing through “small badges”, builds high added value; through continuous operation, it precipitates its own IP value and cultivates loyal private domain audiences[1]. The core advantages of clarifying brand IP positioning are:

• Flexibility
  : Not dependent on external IPs, can flexibly respond to market changes
• Long-Term Value
  : Conducive to precipitating the long-term value of its own IP
• Cost-Effectiveness
  : Maintaining the popularity of its own IP is more cost-effective than continuous licensing[1]

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Amid the increasingly crowded field of IP collaborations,

[6]. Brands need to reconstruct their collaboration strategies from the following dimensions:

1. Strategic Focus
   : Clarify the positioning of collaborations in brand strategy to avoid blind following
2. Precise Tiering
   : Design differentiated collaborative products for different user groups
3. Emotional Depth
   : Go beyond surface labeling, dig deep into the cultural core of IPs to create emotional resonance
4. Quality-First
   : Establish a strict quality control system to avoid quality fluctuations damaging brand trust
5. Frequency Optimization
   : Focus resources on creating high-quality cases to avoid fatigue caused by over-marketing
6. Own IP
   : Gradually build the brand’s own IP assets to reduce dependence on external licensing

For consumer goods companies, this means that brand management teams need to enhance their strategic planning, data analysis, and creative planning capabilities, shifting from “execution-focused” to “strategy-focused”. At the same time, in terms of organizational structure, they need to

to form a systematic collaboration management mechanism.

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[1] Research on CHAGEE’s Brand Marketing Strategy. opp2.com. https://www.opp2.com/378111.html

[2] A Review of 269 Tea & Coffee Brand Collaborations and Endorsements This Year: Heytea Hits the Brakes, Luckin Stumbles? Huxiu. https://www.huxiu.com/article/4821911.html

[3] Brands Ramp Up Toy IP Investments: Frenzy and Risks of Emotional Consumption. Sina Finance. https://finance.sina.com.cn/jjxw/2025-12-29/doc-inheknri0866450.shtml

[4] QuestMobile’s 2025 Marketing Hot Events Review: “Emotion” Becomes Core Productivity. 36Kr. https://m.36kr.com/p/3627305600091144

[5] Research on E-Commerce Marketing Strategies of Luckin Coffee’s Cross-Border Collaborations. Hans Publishers. https://pdf.hanspub.org/ecl_2317720.pdf

[6] Analysis of the Proliferation of IP Collaborations and Consumer Aesthetic Fatigue. Industry Research Report.