What does latte coffee origin have to do with this pop-up?

Naobaijin, a health supplement brand known for products aimed at older consumers, opened its first coffee pop-up store in Shanghai from November 3 to 5, promising 50 free cups and merchandise daily. The event drew attention but also complaints about unclear start times, complicated social media tasks, and staff favoritism, with some visitors unable to claim a drink.

The drink served was called a Naobaijin Latte, yet participants described it as an ordinary latte with no special ingredients. Latte coffee origin traces to Italy, where espresso is combined with steamed milk. The gap between that familiar format and the supplement branding left many questioning what the crossover was meant to achieve, while white coffee remains a different style altogether.

On November 3, the health supplement brand Naobaijin opened its first coffee pop-up store in Shanghai, claiming that during the event it would give away 50 cups of coffee and merchandise free every day. However, this cross-industry attempt sparked dissatisfaction among participants due to complicated rules, chaotic on-site management, and staff treating people differently. Some netizens complained that without multiple social media apps, there was no chance of getting free coffee. In addition, the so-called "Naobaijin Latte" was criticized as merely an ordinary latte with no special additions. Naobaijin tried to use the popularity of the coffee sector to attract young consumers, but the event lacked highlights and its effectiveness is questionable.

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On November 3, Naobaijin launched its first coffee pop-up store in Shanghai. The company announced that from November 3 to 5, it would give away 50 cups of coffee and related merchandise free each day.

A brand mainly known for health supplements for the elderly suddenly entering the coffee sector sparked curiosity among many netizens. Some joked, "So, did they add Naobaijin?" "Naobaijin helps with sleep, coffee keeps you awake—so what exactly is Naobaijin coffee?"

However, after the event began, some participating netizens reported that the organizers were poorly organized. First, the event details were not clearly explained. The netizen arrived at 8 a.m. and found the venue not yet open; staff said it would start at 8:30. After leaving and returning at 8:30, another staff member said it might not begin until around 9:30, with no precise time ever given.

According to the on-site redemption rules, participants had to complete Task A and Task B to get a free cup of Naobaijin coffee, limited to 50 cups. If the coffee had already been claimed, they could only get a phone stand. This upset one netizen, who posted that without the three major platform apps, you could not even drink Naobaijin coffee.

The rules showed that Task A required following Naobaijin's official Kuaishou and Douyin accounts. Upon completion, participants could get a co-branded postcard and a commemorative stamp. Task B required following the official Xiaohongshu account and posting a Xiaohongshu note with the hashtag #NaobaijinCoffee, with 3 images attached.

This made netizens feel that without those three apps, they could not participate in the event. In addition, according to the netizen, when he went to make a purchase, the barista making the coffee ignored him, and he had to find a staff member in white clothes to verify before he could get the Naobaijin coffee.

Another thing that angered netizens was that staff treated people differently. When the netizen told a staff member that he had not downloaded one of the apps, the staff member directly ignored him and turned to introduce the event to others who were willing to cooperate. In response, some netizens questioned, "Is it really necessary to go through all this for a cup of coffee?"

However, other consumers said they could choose not to participate in the event and simply buy the coffee, but then discovered that this "Naobaijin Latte" was just a gimmick, with no special additions in the coffee at all—it was just an ordinary latte.

Currently, Naobaijin hopes to enter the coffee sector through cross-industry efforts and use the popularity of the coffee track to attract more consumers. But such a short-lived event lacking highlights may not bring it much attention from young consumers.

Image source: Internet

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