Why is a tech giant filing a coffee trademark?

Huawei has applied to register the trademark "Yibiao Coffee Absorbs Cosmic Energy" under the catering and accommodation classification, and the application is awaiting substantive examination. China already has more than 320,000 coffee-related companies, with roughly 15,000 new registrations each year, following moves by firms such as Li-Ning.

The filing appears tied less to selling drinks than to coffee's role as a connective medium that links people and things. Ren Zhengfei once used the phrase about a cup of coffee absorbing cosmic energy to describe Huawei's open approach, and the trademark continues that idea by reaching younger groups rather than competing directly for market share.

In recent years, the coffee industry has become a hot field that giants from all walks of life are scrambling to enter, with both catering and non-catering companies making cross-industry forays. According to Qichacha data, China has more than 320,000 coffee-related companies, with about 15,000 new registrations each year. After Li-Ning, tech giant Huawei was also reported to have applied to register the trademark "Yibiao Coffee Absorbs Cosmic Energy," classified under catering and accommodation, and it is currently awaiting substantive examination. Unlike directly seizing market share, Huawei seems to value coffee's connective function as a global medium and hopes to use it to attract younger groups. Ren Zhengfei once used "a cup of coffee absorbs cosmic energy" to explain Huawei's open spirit, and this trademark application also continues that idea. Whether Huawei's advantages in the digital field can help it create new miracles in the coffee track is worth watching.

Over the past two years, the coffee track has almost become a "hot favorite" pursued by giants across industries. It would probably be hard to find another service industry like coffee that makes capital tycoons from all sides salivate so much... Companies both inside and outside the catering industry have been rushing to sell coffee across sectors.

Qichacha data shows that as of now, the number of coffee-related enterprises in China has exceeded 320,000, with about 15,000 newly registered enterprises each year. Just as the public was still lamenting that sports brand Li-Ning's entry into coffee was already "involution" enough, tech giant Huawei had quietly begun its pre-competition layout...

Not long ago, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. submitted a registration application for the trademark "Yibiao Coffee Absorbs Cosmic Energy" (hereinafter referred to as "Yibiao Coffee"), with the international classification falling under catering and accommodation. The trademark is currently awaiting substantive examination.

Although Huawei has also entered the coffee track, it seems not to intend to engage in direct "involution" with existing coffee companies. Rather than saying Huawei wants to "cut a slice of the cake," it is more accurate to say it intends to "take a ride." Coffee is an excellent connective medium that can link people and things that were originally strangers to one another. What Huawei values may be precisely coffee's global media attribute - hoping to use coffee to attract more young people's attention.

In the eyes of many consumers, coffee is nothing more than an ordinary "life-extending drink." But in the view of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, coffee means far more than that. People who know something about Huawei may find the "Yibiao Coffee" trademark both novel and familiar. Ren Zhengfei once used "a cup of coffee absorbs cosmic energy" to explain Huawei's open spirit. In December 2017, when speaking at Huawei's Cameroon office, Ren Zhengfei gave a defining interpretation of "a cup of coffee absorbs cosmic energy."

At present, the coffee track is in a bonus period, and more and more consumers know how to drink coffee and taste coffee. Giants across industries choosing this time to enter the coffee track saves the cost of educating consumers about coffee, while also leveraging brand influence to help open a second brand growth curve.

After events such as U.S. sanctions, Huawei is no longer just a mobile phone company, and in recent years it has continued to move toward smart living. Products such as wearables, smart screens, smart speakers, and robot vacuums have long penetrated every corner of life.

This "Yibiao Coffee" is also not Huawei's first foray into the catering industry. Previously, Huawei applied to register multiple catering trademarks, including Hershey's Restaurant and Pfister Western Restaurant. In October 2021, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. also applied for the trademark "Guzel Silk Road Gourmet Restaurant," with the international classification likewise being catering and accommodation.

It is reported that by the end of 2021, Huawei had more than 56,000 global stores and counters, including more than 5,500 experience stores. If Huawei fully rolls out its coffee business, it is expected to occupy a considerable market share in a short time.

Digitalization is a link that many catering brands attach great importance to, and the entire coffee industry is also actively embracing digitalization. A group of chain coffee brands such as Luckin Coffee, Starbucks, and Tims all use digital operations to drive brand development.

As one of the giants in the tech industry, Huawei has natural advantages in digitalization. Will this "small goal" that Huawei has set in the coffee track become the second "coffee miracle" in the future?

Image source: Internet

For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account cafe_style)

For professional coffee knowledge exchange, please add WeChat ID kaixinguoguo0925

(Front Street Coffee recommendation: If you want to try high-quality coffee beans, Front Street Coffee offers a variety of selected single-origin coffees. You are welcome to follow and learn more.)

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.