Want Want is a Taiwanese food group and the parent company of China Want Want. China Want Want Group is its subsidiary.
The origins of Want Want Group can be traced back to Yilan Food Industry Co., Ltd. located in Luodong Town, Yilan County, Taiwan. The company was founded in 1962 and was engaged in the OEM and export of canned foods. However, it was run by a friend of Cai Yanming's father Cai Ashi at the time. In 1976, the management rights were taken over by Cai Ashi. Cai Yanming, who was only 20 years old and had only graduated from a junior high school, volunteered to participate in the company's operations. The following year (1977), Cai Yanming took over the management rights as the general manager. However, Cai Yanming, who lacked experience and ability, soon encountered huge losses. The company's launch of "Langwei Shredded Squid" caused the company to lose more than NT$100 million. In 1979, it began to re-open the Taiwan market with its own brand "Wangzai". Later, because he was optimistic about the huge profits of Japanese rice crackers, he approached the Japanese rice cracker manufacturer Iwatsuka Confectionery as an OEM, and later obtained the technology authorization from Iwatsuka.
At that time, Cai Yanming was troubled by the name of the company. He went to the Eighteenth Prince Temple in Shimen District, New Taipei City, and was inspired when he saw the sacred dog. Since he loves dogs, he named the rice cracker and the company the sound of the dog's bark, which is a homophony of "Wangwang".
"Wangwang Senbei" was a great success. The advertising effectively combined Taiwan's folk worship habits. Its market share in Taiwan was once as high as 95%, forcing the established food manufacturers to unify with Yimei. Withdrew from the competition one after another. In 1983, the trademark was named "Wangwang".
By combining marketing techniques with folk beliefs, Want Want has successively launched new products such as "Langweixian", "Snow Moon", "Wangzi Little Steamed Buns", etc., all of which have achieved good results. Cai Yanming then planned to expand overseas, especially mainland China, which is undergoing reform and opening up.
In 1989, the "Wangwang" trademark was registered in China, becoming the first Taiwanese manufacturer to register a trademark in the mainland. In 1992, Cai Yanming abandoned the increasingly competitive coastal provinces of the mainland and set up a factory in Changsha, Hunan Province. He became the first foreign-invested manufacturer in Hunan Province and started Wangwang's rice cracker business in the mainland. Since Want Want is the first rice cracker manufacturer in mainland China, its huge profits have attracted a large number of manufacturers to follow up, resulting in a decline in gross profit. Therefore, Want Want responded with a strategy of expanding economic scale. On the one hand, it tried its best to reduce costs, and on the other hand, it forced out the market with low prices. Those who followed up not only stabilized the situation in the end, but also dominated the mainland with a market share of up to 85%.