A glass of lychee tea priced at VND 160,000 by interior designer Thai Cong has recently sparked an interesting online debate.
The “battle” started with a video by a girl named Pham San. In the video, she visited Thai Cong Cafe and ordered the lychee tea.
In the short 18-second clip, Pham San shared that lychee tea is her favorite drink and that she orders it everywhere she goes. However, after taking a sip, her concise review was, “I don’t like the lychee tea here!”
This candid review went viral, attracting millions of views, as netizens appreciated her honest and direct approach without any fluff.
The viral lychee tea
The video caught the attention of Thai Cong himself, who responded with a playful video mimicking Pham San’s mannerisms and dialogue. However, instead of criticizing like the original TikToker, he exclaimed, “I really like the lychee tea here!”
Thai Cong’s video exploded on social media, racking up 7.5 million views. He then created similar videos featuring other characters and took it a step further by offering a buy-one-get-one promotion for customers who visited his cafe to try the lychee tea.
Additionally, customers who filmed and posted their reviews on TikTok were eligible for a crystal glass worth VND 6.9 million, the same glass used to serve the lychee tea.
Thai Cong also revealed the secret behind his expensive tea: premium ingredients, including TWG tea (a luxury brand from Singapore) priced at VND 5 million/kg, Monin lychee syrup, and a secret recipe bottle of water. Customers also get to enjoy the luxurious ambiance and million-dollar furniture at his cafe in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City.
Thai Cong reveals the “secret ingredients” to his pricey lychee tea (right image)
Thai Cong’s marketing campaign proved to be a massive success, as evidenced by the influx of customers flocking to his cafe to taste the famous lychee tea.
Crowds of customers flocked to Thai Cong Cafe to try the lychee tea
Thai Cong’s nickname, “the marketing king,” is well-deserved. After Pham San’s review, his lychee tea faced criticism for its price not matching the quality. However, instead of staying silent, Thai Cong turned the tables and transformed the situation into an opportunity with an unexpected strategy.
He consistently posted videos mentioning the lychee tea, piquing viewers’ curiosity. At the end of each video, he would leave a positive review, “I like the lychee tea here!”
Once he had captured the online community’s attention, Thai Cong launched promotions to make the expensive drink accessible to everyone and let people judge for themselves. Finally, he organized a contest with a valuable prize, leveraging the power of social media to get his product and name out there.
