Marketing Strategies and Competitive Advantages in the Low-Tier Market: A Case Study of Mixue Ice City Under the 4P-STP Framework

Against the backdrop of increasingly fierce competition in China’s ready-made tea beverage industry, lower-tier markets have become the core engine driving industrial growth. Mixue Ice Cream & Tea has achieved global scale expansion and industry-leading status by deeply cultivating lower-tier markets with a differentiated marketing model. This paper takes Mixue as the research object, based on STP market segmentation theory and 4P marketing mix theory, combined with IP marketing theory, systematically analyzes its marketing strategy implementation from the dimensions of market positioning, product portfolio, pricing system, channel expansion and brand communication, and explores the core logic of its competitive advantage formation relying on closed-loop supply chain, lightweight franchise model and personified IP marketing. The research finds that Mixue has constructed a "supply chain-price-channel-IP" closed-loop marketing system through high-quality and low-price product strategy, high-density offline channel layout and standardized franchise management, which not only consolidates its leading position in the mass tea beverage market but also supports its steady penetration into overseas markets. However, the brand is facing problems such as brand positioning solidification, franchise channel control gaps and lagging digital marketing capabilities in its development. Based on this, targeted optimization strategies are proposed to provide reference for the sustainable development of Mixue and the strategic formulation of small and medium-sized tea beverage brands.