With more than 20 years of experience in corporate management, Mr. Zhang has been honoured with the ‘Top 10 People of the Year in the Food and Beverage Industry’, Harvard Business Review's ‘2021 Award for Excellence in Management’, and the ‘Global Outstanding Business Leader Award’. He has been honoured with the ‘Top 10 People of the Year in the Food and Beverage Industry’, Harvard Business Review's ‘2021 Management Excellence Award’ and ‘Global Outstanding Business Leader Award’. He has helped OATLY to pioneer the new plant-based protein track in China, and is committed to the business innovation practice of integrating track, brand, product, channel, fashion and environmental protection, leading the new trend of plant-based.
The Era of Channel-Driven Customization: How Can Brands Win the Next Product Battle?Retail channels are no longer passive distributors—they are awakening, actively demanding differentiated products from brands. Whether it’s traditional key accounts (KA), convenience stores, e-commerce, interest-driven commerce, or emerging membership stores, the consumer demographics, consumption scenarios, and price segments behind each channel are undergoing rapid transformation.
How can brands break free from a one-size-fits-all approach and truly understand the underlying logic of "channel-driven product innovation"? Channel customization, scenario-specific offerings, and price restructuring—those who move first will seize the next growth frontier. Oatly is pioneering this shift by collaborating with various retail channels—convenience stores, supermarkets, cafés, and membership clubs—to introduce tailor-made concept products. For the first time, these innovations will be unveiled on-site, offering an immersive experience of how the same oat-based product can unlock endless possibilities across different consumption scenarios.