This year, the turbulence and uncertainty of the broader environment have permeated nearly every industry. We deeply understand the challenges faced by brand professionals, and we too were temporarily gripped by anxiety. However, each crisis has consistently ignited even greater energy within Ylab. With the collective efforts of Ylabers, we navigated through a year that was both fulfilling and bountiful. We stood alongside our clients, forging ahead and conquering new territories, all the while building momentum for the next spring.

Ylab's developmental trajectory in 2022 mirrored our approach to creating a value ecosystem for brands – it was a year of collaborative efforts between Ylab, brand clients, industries, and employees, forming a synergistic alliance. Throughout this year, we garnered rare honors, crafting award-winning brand cases, sharing strategic insights with the industry, presenting the outcomes of intergenerational studies, and cultivating an ideal corporate culture within Ylab for our employees.

Looking back, the journey is brimming with dazzling moments shared between brands and Ylabers:

After the easing of the pandemic and resumption of work, the Brand Strategy Training Camp commenced, aimed at fostering brand strategy awareness among local brand founders. The program aimed to clarify the distinction between brand strategy and marketing tactics, empowering emerging brand founders.

We progressively released research outcomes on the Gen Z demographic, conducting both online and offline presentations on platforms such as the American Chamber of Commerce, Chaos Genesis, and the HUAYIN Capital Dark Horse Lab.

In December 2022, we hosted the Ylab Open Day, where we invited friends from investment firms, brands, and media to join us. We shared our research methodologies and core findings regarding the Gen Z demographic. We also facilitated discussions on real-world experiences in communicating with Gen Z, with the participation of top executives from various industries.

In 2022, we shared our insights on brand consulting multiple times with the industry, garnering attention and recognition. Ylab's founder, Ms. Li Yuhong, along with the Ylabers, were invited to participate as judges and deliver keynote speeches at various industry awards, including the 2022 Digital Awards, the 17th 4A Creative Awards, the 2022 Qilin Awards by Today Advertising, the 2023 Fat Whale Consumer Trend Awards, and the ADMEN Academy Awards.

In 2022, Ylab moved to its new office located in Xintiandi Rui'an Plaza. This marked the physical realization of Ylab's Utopia, boasting spacious, almost luxurious per capita space and breathtaking 270-degree views. With features like sofas, a reading corner, scenic seating, exercise bikes, and treadmills, we gradually unlocked a more comfortable working environment, ensuring that either the body or the soul is always stretched and at ease.

During the days when in-person meetings were restricted due to the pandemic, we created a conversational podcast series called 'Y Planet.' Through online team-building activities and this podcast, even though we couldn't meet in person, our hearts grew closer together.

Let's take a moment to look back at some of the remarkable Ylab case studies from 2022:

Bayer's Elevit, a leading brand in maternal and infant nutrition under the Bayer Group, initially gained recognition for its prenatal folic acid flagship product. In 2022, the brand transitioned from being known for a single prenatal folic acid product to offering a comprehensive 1000-day maternal and infant nutrition solution. This project aimed not only to convey the brand's rejuvenated message but also to establish a positive and engaging communication channel between the brand and its consumers.

However, several factors have posed challenges to the dissemination of information for maternal and infant healthcare brands. On one hand, the aftermath of the pandemic has led to a decreased willingness among young individuals to start families, resulting in a shrinking future target audience. On the other hand, traditional consumer perceptions that associate motherhood with one-sided sacrifice have created a heavy psychological burden around the idea of childbirth.
 

Drawing from precise insights into the post-95 generation of new parents, we unearthed the perspective that 'Parenthood is not a one-way sacrifice, but a mutual nourishment between mother and child.' Leveraging this viewpoint, we collaborated with diverse experts on the social media platform Zhihu, bringing together experts from various fields to co-create high-quality original content. This collaboration resulted in a phenomenon-level topic discussion that captured significant attention and engagement.

By harnessing the dual empowerment of user-generated content (UGC) and professional-generated content (PGC), we rallied young parents and established emotional connections. Seamlessly, we launched the brand film 'Nourishing Each Other, Cultivating New Beginnings,' delivering our brand values. This initiative created a positive public opinion environment for the brand while establishing a long-term communication channel with consumers on Zhihu, thereby laying a solid foundation for future brand value and information dissemination. Simultaneously, we seamlessly integrated online and offline sales resources, ensuring a continuous flow of traffic conversion.

This maternal and infant healthcare brand marketing campaign achieved an overall exposure of over 100 million, and within just one week, it claimed the top position for maternal and infant category discussion volume on Zhihu. The click-through rate (CTR) for the Zhihu app's splash screen reached an impressive 1.94%, surpassing the average rate of 1.6%.

After formulating the brand development strategy for a2®️, a dairy company based in New Zealand, we created a long-term public welfare Intellectual Property titled 'Reclaiming the Smile of Early Life' and executed an integrated communication campaign in China.

The project aimed to raise awareness about the nutritional challenges faced by children with cleft lip and palate. In collaboration with the China Children and Teenagers' Fund, the Operation Smile®️ Special Fund, and various societal contributors, the initiative encouraged people to donate smiles. Participants could exchange their smile for the brand's commitment to providing a meal for a cleft lip and palate baby. On a nationwide scale, the project provided pre- and post-operative nutritional support and high-quality free surgeries for children in remote and underprivileged areas.This endeavor enhanced the favorable sentiment and social impact of the international brand a2®️ in the Chinese market.

The campaign enabled cleft lip and palate families to access surgical funds and nutrition, while the brand increased its societal and commercial value. Various stakeholders came together around a shared mission, forming a value alliance that allowed all participants to shine and contribute to the greater good. The ripple effect of this collective effort continues to expand endlessly, like concentric circles.

As a veteran player in the men's electric shaver industry, Philips has always been favored by a wide user base for its classic and professional image. However, in the competitive market segment of 100 to 299 price range, which targets the younger and entry-level audience, Philips faced strong competition. Many local brands attracted the attention of young consumers with trendy products and dazzling scenes, vying for the title of the 'first shaver' among young users.

Ylab, serving as a brand strategy partner, collaborated with Philips to refine the brand strategy and then decided to kick-start the implementation with the launch of Philips' heavyweight new product, the 'Little Tornado' shaver, as the first wave of the brand's refreshed strategy.

In this campaign, we leveraged the unique cutting-edge technology of the 'Little Tornado' shaver, combined with the brand's core values and the distinctive grooming role of the new generation of young men. This led to a shift from traditional product communication and shelf e-commerce display methods to a more youth-centric approach in spreading and grounding the brand strategy. The campaign aimed to resonate with the psychological needs of young people and create youthful content to attract Gen Z consumers.

We formulated a brand upgrade strategy for Pure&Natural, a flagship pet food brand under the prominent pet food group Enova. In a pioneering move, we ventured into a consumer co-creation model, combining private domain operations to delve deeper into the genuine needs of pet owners in China. We conducted interviews and surveys involving over 50,000 consumers and invited more than 2,000 product development experience officers to collaborate with us in upgrading the 'Fresh · Raw Series'.

In our communication efforts, we continued the co-creation concept and a heartfelt approach, deeply integrating with the renowned IP 'Solar Eclipse Diary.' We established a profound three-dimensional communication between product-consumer-users, combining rational and emotional elements. This approach vividly brought the message of 'Breathing Life into Every Act of Love' to every pet lover, forging a deep resonance and connection.

The challenging year of 2022 has forged the cohesiveness and resilience of the Ylab team, creating a united and unwavering force.

As we face 2023, our approach is steady and determined, focusing not just on speed but on long-lasting progress.

We aim to embody our company's values in every case, embracing the principles of 'daring to innovate, creating value, and pursuing the highest professional standards.

We believe that Ylab, born in China,
will ultimately become a 'globally respected brand strategy consulting company.' This is not only our dream, but also our youthful ambition.
 

sincerely appreciate every client,

who made 2022 a fruitful year for us;

sincerely appreciate our partners,

for jointly creating tangible value;

sincerely appreciate every Ylab member,

for wholeheartedly contributing to shape Ylab into the company of our dreams.
 

Because we believe that

#with strength, idealism is attainable#.

In 2023, Ylab will continue to innovate in products and services, using ecological brand strategies and a win-win approach to drive sustainable brand growth.

We look forward to the emergence of more astonishing creations.

Wishing everyone in 2023,

may you soar high like an eagle, swim freely like fish in shallow waters,

and let myriad talents compete under the frosty sky.

—— Ylab Founder, Yuhong Li

Lastly, we want to express our gratitude once again to our clients.

Thank you for your unwavering trust and support in Ylab's strategic consulting and innovative marketing services over the past few years!