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A city in Shandong province has become a popular tourist destination, and an online sensation.
Zībó 淄博 was known for its heavy manufacturing industries. It was the province's second largest city, and an important industrial hub, at its height decades ago.
But in March this year young people began flocking there for a new reason: to enjoy Zibo barbecue (淄博烧烤 zībó shāokǎo):
The Zibo barbecue set of "big meat skewers + small flatbread + spring onions", coupled with the sense of ritual of "one table, one oven, one flatbread", has made this small city, which has been silent for a long time, become popular again.
由“大肉串+小饼+小葱”组成的淄博烧烤，再加上“一桌一炉一卷饼”的仪式感，让这座沉寂已久的小城市，重新火了起来
This overnight sensation is not down to luck; it's the outcome of an intentional marketing push by the city:
Zibo barbecue is an excellent example of having a marketing strategy based on the right conditions. Marketing needs to always adapt to local conditions, and it also needs to be flexible. The popularity of Zibo barbecue cannot be copied.
淄博烧烤是天时地利人和营销的绝佳体现，营销需要千变万化因地制宜，也需要举一反三灵活巧用，淄博烧烤的火爆不能复制。
Clues to the strategy can be found in a millennia-old text:
The answer can be found in traditional Chinese culture. In Sun Bin's Art of War: “The right timing, the right place, and the harmony of people, if the three are not present at the same time, even if there is victory, there will be disaster". This covers everything on the road to success: Timing provides good fortune and opportunity; Place creates the environment and conditions of the road to success; People provide the comprehensive strength on the road to success (which is the key).
可以从传统的中国文化里找答案，《孙膑兵法·月战》云“天时、地利、人和，三者不得，虽胜有殃。”成功之路中，天时地利人和为三要素，它涵盖了成功之路的一切，天时是成功之路的伯乐、机遇；地利是成功之路的环境、条件；人和是成功之路的综合实力（成功的关键）[1]
Another factor in Zibo is presentation, and how this plays into the emotions of the consumer experience:
Some people describe Zibo barbecue as life: The oven represents warmth, the small flatbread represents tolerance, and the spring onions represent confidence. When barbecue is no longer simply barbecue, emotions will drive more people to pay attention to Zibo barbecue.
有人把淄博烧烤形容为人生，烤炉子代表温度、小饼代表包容、小葱代表豪爽，当烧烤不再单纯是烧烤，情绪会带动更多人去关注淄博烧烤。 [1]
As well as delicious food, the Zibo barbecue story also has entertaining puns for the language connoisseur:
淄味 zī wèi - which sounds the same as 滋味 "taste". This translates as “Zibo taste”
鲁C lǔ C - is a slang word for Zibo. The licence plate of a car from Zibo starts with “鲁C”: The character 鲁 lǔ means Shandong 山东, and “C” means Zibo.
Chinese number plates assign a letter to a city according to its importance. “A” is always reserved for the capital city.
“鲁C” is also the name of a Beijing restaurant selling Zibo barbecue, whose overnight success has made it a top restaurant - becoming C位 - the top spot.
So, that’s what we explore this week: How this forgotten industrial city attracted thousands of tourists through clever use of online traffic (流量) first through food, and then kept them there (留量) with great service.
Favourite Five
1. 撸串 lū chuàn
eat barbecue
3月8日“大学生组团坐高铁去淄博撸串”登上抖音同城热搜，引起自媒体、美食博主们纷纷前去打卡 - On March 8th, "College students take the high-speed rail to Zibo for barbecue skewers" appeared on Douyin's local trending topics, leading to influencers and food bloggers going there and sharing images of themselves online. [2]
2. 整活 zhěng huó
pull off something impossible
以“淄博烧烤”为关键词进行搜索，可以发现不少本地人和游客赞赏了淄博的“整活能力” - Searching for the keyword "Zibo barbecue", we can find that many locals and tourists are impressed at Zibo’s ability to make things happen. [4]
Note: An Internet slang term.
3. 火出圈 huǒ chū quān
become really popular; go mainstream or go viral
淄博烧烤的火爆不能复制，但我相信，会有另一种“火出圈”在来的路上 - The popularity of Zibo barbecue cannot be replicated, but I believe that other cities will find their own ways of going viral. [1]
Note: We have discussed 出圈 before, which is an internet slang word meaning to become famous beyond a small group of people or sector.
Related: 走红 zǒu hóng - "go red", to become popular.
4. 烟火气 yān huǒ qì
fireworks: lively
烟火气十足的烧烤店里，曾婷摆着两三盆精致的郁金香，无时无刻接受着煤炭油烟的洗礼 - In the smoky barbecue restaurant, Zeng Ting placed two or three pots of exquisite tulips, which receive the baptism of coal fumes all the time. [3]
Note: This phrase can be translated as smoky. It can also be a metaphor for a lively atmosphere. It was a common phrase in describing the atmosphere in Zibo.
5. 天时地利人和 tiān shí dì lì rén hé
the right conditions
淄博烧烤是天时地利人和营销的绝佳体现，营销需要千变万化因地制宜，也需要举一反三灵活巧用 - Zibo barbecue is an excellent example of having a marketing strategy based on the right conditions. Marketing needs to always adapt to local conditions, and it also needs to be flexible. The popularity of Zibo barbecue cannot be copied. [1]
Note: A well-known line from Mencius. We explore further in The China Project Phrase of the Week.
Consuming the Conversation
Useful Words
6. 蹭 cèng
jump on the bandwagon
蹭一波热点，把淄博烧烤这个饮食文化的点宣传极致，然后再顺势开展淄博的城市营销，这样的做法非常的明智 - It is a wise move to take full advantage of the wave of publicity to promote the food culture of Zibo barbecue, and then the city itself. [4]
7. 种草 zhòng cǎo
seeding posts published by “key opinion customers” - KOCs
新媒体渠道、短视频渠道，让“种草”的可视感、便捷度及速度都得到了极大的提升 - New media channels, and short video channels, have greatly improved the visibility, convenience and speed of "seeding by KOCs online". [1]
More: We last discussed this in October last year.
8. 拔草 bá cǎo
pluck grass; try a product that is seeding or becoming popular
大学生们有了去淄博“拔草”的机会，于是开始组团坐高铁到淄博撸串 - College students had the opportunity to go to Zibo to try it out for themselves, so they went in groups on the high-speed train to Zibo to eat barbecue. [4]
Note: this can sometimes mean to stop the desire to buy and therefore not buying something; or as here, it can also mean to buy or try out what's in the seeding post.
9. 名片 míng piàn
name card; brand
“淄博烧烤”已经成为淄博的新名片 - "Zibo barbecue" has already become part of the city’s brand. [1]
10. 外溢 wài yì
spill over; have an effect
淄博老家的网红品牌效应开始外溢了，鲁C大家也都明白其中的含义 - The Internet brand effect of Zibo has begun to spill over, and everyone understands the meaning of “Lu C”. [3]
11. 够呛 gòu qiàng
extremely
房东大姐心眼好，心疼她们，也来跟她们帮忙上菜端盘子，但还是忙得够呛 - The landlady is kind-hearted and feels sorry for them. She also comes to help them serve dishes, but even then they are still too busy. [3]
Three-character phrases
12. 仪式感 yí shì gǎn
sense of ceremony
仪式感也被称为一种高级营销，有时候，他不需要大张旗鼓，只需要小小的举动，就能创造出 - Creating a sense of ritual can be called a kind of sophisticated marketing. Sometimes, it doesn’t need to be much, and it can be created with small actions. [1]
Related:
代入感 dài rù gǎn - to be able to identify with someone else or a certain situation
失落感 shī luò gǎn - sense of disappointment
13. 掉链子 diào liàn zi
drop the chain; make a mistake
