HUOQI's Fan Jingyu: The Real Issue Behind the Vaping Channel War

A Conversation with HUOQI's Fan Jingyu:

A Pragmatic Yet Determined "Change Advocate"

Fan Jingyu left a deep impression on me. The reason is somewhat amusing: he is the most difficult guest for me to gather information on so far.

He rarely accepts interviews, never appears on shows, and gives very few speeches.

I jokingly told him, "It's so hard for me," and he laughed heartily, saying it was indeed true, as he was now starting to accept an interview.

This kind of honesty permeated our conversation. Even when I casually asked, "When did you start smoking?" he honestly replied, "In high school." I couldn't help but think, even if he made up a time, no one would know, right? But when I met his gaze, I knew he was definitely telling the truth.
 
Sitting across from me, Fan Jingyu was holding the company's newly launched product, unconsciously fiddling with it. I initially thought he was just nervous in front of the camera and wanted to hold something to appear more natural. Later, I found out he was actually thinking about improving the product's feel and experience.

Such a "lack of security" behavior surprised me; what exactly was he afraid of?

Fan Jingyu said he fears stagnation. Even with a product that has already been launched and received rave reviews, he still worries that he and his team might fall into an unspoken stagnation, unable to continuously discover more valuable things.

From an outsider's perspective, Fan Jingyu doesn't need to be so "walking on thin ice." HUOQI's parent company, Boton Group, is the first listed company in the domestic flavor and fragrance industry, and the series of stunning flavors previously launched by HUOQI undoubtedly received strong support from Boton.

As a "second-generation rich kid" backed by a big tree, why does he still live like a "corporate slave"?

Fan Jingyu seemed to sense my confusion and recounted the "Waterloo" they faced around 2016: overwhelming publicity, grand store openings, and seemingly bustling scenes were ultimately pierced by the product's "hard injuries." In his words, it was a "complete defeat."

He laughed, so one must "learn from the pain."

This "pain" lasted nearly two years. HUOQI went silent, and Fan Jingyu remained quiet. It wasn't until the new product was launched and "exploded" into a flurry of recognition from seasoned players that he finally revealed a long-lost smile.

The "return" of HUOQI has given itself a "iron label": the electronic cigarette company that values product quality the most. The subsequent "hundred-person quality inspection" that shook the entire industry also started from that time.

Only after holding a sales "record" of 3 million pods in a single month did Fan Jingyu nod and say, we are back.
 
Fan Jingyu describes himself as "pragmatic," which I think is very accurate. But at the same time, I feel he omitted something unsaid, which is the "determination" behind the pragmatism.

In an era where smart minds abound and temptations are endless, to truly be "pragmatic," one must not only work hard but also possess a certain grit to face oneself. He jokingly said, "Like a lunatic."

So I asked him, how hard was he on himself?

Fan Jingyu thought for a moment and said, losing thirty pounds in six months, does that count?

Upon hearing this, the cameraman behind the machine jolted.
 
At the end of the interview, facing Fan Jingyu's serious expression, I felt a bit embarrassed to admit that I actually know nothing about the "electronic cigarette" industry and cannot try it out due to professional needs.

His expression remained unchanged, and instead, he spoke to me in a "warning" tone, saying that as a practitioner, he would never encourage non-smokers to try electronic cigarettes. #p#分页标题#e#

"If I say this thing is completely harmless just because I am a practitioner, that would be wrong," he said firmly.

Before I left, Fan Jingyu, who continues to explore deeply in the industry, shared with me some of his recent thoughts on "pleasure and cost":

"For existing smokers, smoking does indeed bring them pleasure, but at the same time, they also need to pay a certain health cost. We should not deprive them of their right to pleasure, but if we can make that cost a little smaller, that would be meaningful."

This article is reprinted from the public account New Consumption Hundred People.