Text: Xiao Yu
Wahaha last year can be said to be a small fire, after the "flower field mistake" melon happened, Wahaha became the biggest winner. Wahaha's second-generation successor, Zong Fuli, immediately replaced the national spokesperson after the new official took office in 2018 as the director of wahaha's public relations department, precisely because this decision avoided a major public opinion crisis for wahaha four years later. Of course, no one knows whether Zong Fuli received relevant news at that time, or whether it was only out of judgment on the market.
After this incident, the Internet was even more set off, and netizens owed Zong Fuli an apology and other related topics. Zong Fuli, the second-generation successor, has also given many people a new understanding. In fact, for many years, Zong Qinghou has been giving up his daughter Zong Fuli and constantly cultivating her to become Wahaha's truly independent successor. Zong Fuli did not live up to the expectations of the group and her father.
On the evening of January 13, Zong Qinghou said in an interview at the scene of participating in the 2021 "Fengyun Zhejiang Businessmen" awards that Wahaha's development in 2021 is OK, an increase of 17%. It is reported that this will be the largest increase in Wahaha's revenue since 2013. At the same time, Zong Qinghou also said that more than 600 million bonuses were prepared for employees this year, an increase of 13%. He also said that on the road to common prosperity, with the development of enterprises, they will give employees wages and solve housing problems.
When talking about his daughter, Zong Qinghou said: "My daughter is stronger than me! He also revealed that in this year-end appraisal, employees were more obedient to their daughter than themselves. This is also a month later, Zong Qinghou gave his daughter Zong Fuli as general manager and presided over the daily operation of the company, giving a very high evaluation. In fact, as an only daughter Zong Fuli, for many years, whether it is to study or work has not slackened in the slightest, Zong Fuli, although as a rich second generation, but it is different from many arrogant and lavish rich second generation.
Zong Fuli, born in 1982. The Wahaha Group was founded in 1987, which means that zong qinghou was in the entrepreneurial stage shortly after Zong Fuli was born. This also caused Zong Fuli to rarely accompany her parents because they were busy with business and making money for a long time. However, even without the company of her parents, it did not have an impact on Zong Fuli's study and life.
After graduating from primary school, Zong Fuli successfully entered Hangzhou No. 2 Middle School, which is also one of the best middle schools in Hangzhou. Because Wahaha is in a critical period of development, Zong Qinghou is also busy taking care of the company, and after Graduating from Junior High School, Zong Fuli was sent to San Marino High School in the United States.
At a young age, Zong Fuli embarked on the road of studying in a foreign country alone. But Zong Fuli did not rebel or degenerate because of the decrease in adolescence and parental companionship. After graduating from high school, he was successfully admitted to Pepperdine University in the United States and chose to major in international trade. In fact, Zong Fuli obtained American citizenship during college, but under the guidance of her father, Zong Fuli eventually gave up her U.S. green card and returned to her homeland after graduation.
In 2004, Zong Fuli returned from studying in China. However, Zong Fuli did not manage the company from a high position as others thought, and at the beginning she also started from the grassroots level of the company. In fact, Zong Qinghou is very concerned about the future of her daughter, as an industrialist, Zong Qinghou knows that only by starting from the bottom and starting from the foundation can her daughter learn experience and lessons in work practice.
Therefore, just after returning to China, Zong Fuli initially served as an assistant to the director of the management committee of Xiaoshan No. 2 Base. As a daughter, Zong Fuli also understands her father's thoughts and good intentions in her heart. As always, conscientiously do every job of your own work. Successively, he entered the company's children's clothing and daily chemical products two by-product companies as the general manager. Step by step, until 2007, Zong Fuli created her own brand Hongsheng Beverage Group and independently took charge.
With her own efforts, in 2012, Zong Fuli was successfully selected as one of the top 50 women business leaders in the Asia-Pacific region released by Forbes. In 2014, it ranked 8th in the "China Business Women's Ranking" of Forbes. In 2015, Zong Fuli was selected into the list of young rich people in Asia, ranking third. At this time, Zong Fuli's assets have exceeded 100 billion.
After years of experience in branches and factories, Zong Fuli officially entered the headquarters wahaha in 2018 as the "director of the brand public relations department". From the director of the public relations department in 2018 to December 2021, Zong Fuli began to serve as the vice chairman and general manager of the group, and was responsible for daily work. Of course, Zong Qinghou is still the chairman of the group.
As a "second generation", Zong Qinghou's requirements for his daughter are also very high. He even euphemistically said that Zong Fuli "spends money and does not understand human feelings." Because Zong Fuli is influenced by Western culture and works independently, there have also been differences between father and daughter in the management of the company. There have even been incidents in which employees who were dismissed by Zong Fuli were invited back to Wahaha by Zong Qinghou.
In fact, Zong Fuli did have some failed experiences in the early stage, such as the acquisition of the Hong Kong stock "China Candy" folding wing, and it also showed that Zong Fuli did have a young and momentumless but immature side. But for Wahaha today, it does need a young force.
In 2013, Wahaha's revenue reached 78.2 billion, and then in 2014, Wahaha's revenue stabilized at 72 billion, at this time Zong Qinghou also proposed a revenue target of 100 billion. At that time, it seemed that Wahaha's target of 100 billion yuan was not far away, but over the years, Wahaha's revenue not only did not reach the target of 100 billion, but also declined.
In this regard, some people also criticized "Wahaha is old" and lack of innovation. In fact, compared with brands such as Nongfu Spring, the Wahaha brand does seem to be getting older. Take wahaha's leading product nutrition express in the past, and now the income of this product is also declining. Nowadays, most young people would rather spend more money to drink a cup of milk tea, especially old brands such as Wahaha, and the recognition among young people is getting lower and lower. Nowadays, I am afraid that the only thing that can be played is the memory AD calcium milk after the 90s.
In this regard, Zong Qinghou also hopes to find a way to revitalize the brand. After Zong Fuli took office, she also continued to reform Wahaha, replacing young spokespersons, creating new Wahaha products, and establishing Wahaha new milk tea shops. In addition, it should be known that for many years Zong Qinghou insisted on the idea of not listing the company, which is also one of the reasons why it lags behind brands such as Nongfu Spring. Now Zong Qinghou's attitude is also changing, and he has also said that if the timing is right, he can also go public.
In December last year, after Zong Fuli became the general manager of Wahaha, it also meant that Wahaha had ushered in the "Zong Fuli era". Whether it is Zong Qinghou, or Wahaha employees also hope that Zong Fuli can lead Wahaha to usher in a new transformation, so that Wahaha can be rejuvenated, from zong Qinghou's latest remarks, Wahaha has indeed made a good start in 2021.
However, for Zong Fuli, who wants to enter the "year of confusion" in 2022, there will also be more challenges. On the other hand, Zong Qinghou, as an old father, was also very anxious about his daughter's lifelong events, and had repeatedly solicited marriage for his daughter in public. There are even rumors that Wang Jianlin consulted with Zong Qinghou to let Wang Sicong and Zong Fuli marry, but in the end Zong Fuli refused on the grounds of "inappropriate personality".
Now that Zong Qinghou is about to turn 77 years old, Zong Qinghou also knows that there may not be much time to escort her daughter in the future. On the one hand, I am worried about the future development of the enterprise, and on the other hand, I have more worries about my daughter. Although employees are very "obedient" to Zong Fuli, in addition to Zong Fuli's own ability performance, it is inevitable that there will be a "Yuwei" effect after Zong Qing. However, Zong Fuli is indeed like many female entrepreneurs, a confident and decisive, brave and independent strong woman. For a typical contemporary independent woman like Zong Fuli, perhaps her career is more important.