The Power of Demand

By Liu Sha

A victorious hero who can inspire millions shall bear wounds and scars with an exhausted manner when returning home.

This is what we call “supplydemand” mentality. A hero with wounds and scars is desired among the hero himself and the spectators (including the authorities) at such a grand occasion. Just imagine how magnificent it is! If not, the scene will eclipse no matter how great a battle the hero might have won.

So, intricate as it is, such a“supply-demand” mentality is hidden deep in the inner heart.

Rimowa, one of the international suitcase brands, can be found in most supermarkets and shopping malls. Rimowa’s suitcase is easy to be depressed and scratched because of its aluminum material which surprisingly, has made it one of the best sellers in the market.The fact is that most buyers love the scratches on the suitcase,deeming them a symbol of traveling a lot and an expression of their attitude towards life.

What a miracle it is! If you hang around the airport, you may find that many white-collars or even celebrities are carrying suitcases of this kind.Evian, a famous brand of mineral water, is now selling at a price of 7 or 8 yuan per bottle, a price approximately similar to its Chinese counterparts. However,more than a decade ago, it would take maybe 15 to 20 yuan to buy one bottle.. Even with such a high price, it enjoyed a lion’s share in the market.

Again, the consumers’

英雄凯旋时，最好伤痕累累，还要带点疲惫的神态，这样就很配。

其实这是一种“双向需求”，英雄、观众（上司）都需要，伤口在合适的时间、合适的地点出现。你想象一下，这个场景多么好。而如果没有，那战绩再大的凯旋，也会略逊几分。

需求很微妙，藏在人性深处。

在旅行箱市场中，有一个叫Rimowa的品牌，在大超市里都能买到。这种旅行箱是铝制的，非常容易因磕碰导致刮花、凹陷。但是，就是因为这种特性，这种旅行箱在市场上大卖。因为旅行箱上的伤痕，往往被人潜意识地解读为主人经常外出旅行，代表的是一种生活态度。

这真的是一个非常奇妙的产品。如果你到机场观察一下，就会发现，用这种铝制旅行箱的往往是都市白领，还有不少明星。

依云矿泉水现在似乎不那么高高在上了，超市里七八元一瓶的也有了，与许多中国品牌差不了多少。但在十多年前，依云矿泉水很牛，高则二十多元，低的也要十五六元，曾经非常好卖。

还是人的需求。国门洞开之后，刚刚富起来的中国人崇尚欧美人的生活，而依云的广告渲染的也是欧美贵族生活。

随着走出国门的中国人越来越多，很多到法国旅行的人发现，依云在国外卖得并不高，也并非欧美贵族的专用水。

依云通过十几年的运作，已在中国站稳了脚跟，而且它要比许多中国品牌都懂得消费者的心理，接下来的高端水之战，到底谁能笑到最 后， 还是一个未知数。

谁能触摸到真实的需求，谁就能触摸到对方的钱袋。这在商业社会中是一条亘古不变的真理，大家拼的是，你有没有比别人更早地感受到，有没有以更快的时间去满足它。

浙江嘉兴有一家公司，生产的是智能睡眠床，它可以监测人的心跳、脉搏以及睡眠情况，并可以根据人的睡眠情况自动调整床的高低和角度，这家公司是世界最大的智能床生产商。

这种产品的发明者，认识一位德国朋友，对方的妻子因为在睡梦中心脏病突发，悄然去世，丈夫却浑然不知。他从中得到启发，这种智能床在崇尚生命健康的欧美一炮打响，去年的销售额达到200亿元，覆盖了美国三成以上的市场。

所以有人说，最极致的商业主义，其实是实用主义，而不是理想主义。

需求的力量非同凡响，那是一种可以开天辟地的洪荒之力。

（摘自《深圳青年》2017年第7期）

demands are doing the magic.After the implementation of reform and opening-up policy in China, a group of neo-rich citizens adored western life styles. Evian skillfully commercialized its water products as a representation of high-quality life of western upper class, which impressed the Chinese consumers, and thus became one of the most successful premium water brands in China.

Later on, as more and more Chinese people went traveling in the western countries, they found that Evian water is neither a “luxury” nor a symbol of upper class life. And Evian seems to have passed its prime time in China.Nevertheless, you should never underestimate a company with more than ten years of experience in Chinese markets and an indepth understanding of the customers’ needs. It is too early yet to claim the final winner of the Chinese premium water market.

It is a golden rule in business community that whoever grasps the inner demand of the consumers grasps their wallets.The truth is that who first understands and satisfies the consumers’ needs wins.

A Zhejiang-based company,one of the largest smart bed manufacturers in the world,produces smart beds that can monitor people’s heart rates,pulses, and sleep patterns, and automatically adjust to their sleep position accordingly. Its designer was originally inspired by a German friend of his, whose wife had died of a heart attack in her sleep. His friend was unaware of his wife’s death until the next morning. On hearing the sad story, the designer was committed to inventing the smart beds in the hope of preventing such tragedies.

The product became an immediate success in the US and many European countries. The company reached sales of 20 billion yuan last year. Over 30%of smart beds sold in America are produced by his company.

It is universally acknowledged that ultimate commercialism is a form of pragmatism rather than idealism. The power of demand is mystically forceful and unusually tremendous.

(From Shenzhen Youth, July 2017. Translation: Li Xiang)