(SeaPRwire) –
Baijiu’s global push hits a familiar wall. Chinese distilleries export bottles, but foreign drinkers mostly see an alien liquid. The October 17 forum in Maotai Town named this plainly. Executives called for narrative work, not just shipping. Culture must travel with the product. The gap is not taste alone. It is translation. The industry’s PR machinery knows the problem. But a forum speech does not change consumer habits. Real work happens in bars, on shelves, and in conversations that no press release can script.
The facts from Zunyi are concrete. The Brand Work Office of Xinhua News Agency, China Economic Information Service, and China Moutai co-hosted the session. It ran under the 2026 Chishui River Forum. The theme was “Cultural Confidence and the Heritage of Liquor and Civilization in Global Dialogue.” Experts from China and abroad attended. They debated practical routes for baijiu’s overseas expansion. The message was consistent. Exporting goods alone is not enough. Deeper cultural appreciation must follow. Distribution channels and new consumer demand were also on the table.
The campaign numbers speak clearly. The “Moutai and I” creative works collection launched in 2025. China Economic Information Service and Kweichow Moutai ran it jointly. Nearly 4,000 submissions arrived. Judges selected 81 entries. At the awards ceremony, Shan Yanzhong spoke for Moutai Group. He called for stronger cultural roots and innovative expression. Cultural co-creation, he said, builds connections across backgrounds. This is not empty slogan work. It is a deliberate attempt to make baijiu mean something beyond alcohol content.
International guests pushed a harder line. Overseas expansion is not a logistics exercise. It requires brand awareness and consumer trust. Co-creation with local buyers matters. Wu Wei, Vice Chairman of the International Brand Academy, released the 2026 Ranking of Chinese Baijiu Enterprise Brands. This ranking offers the world a structured view of the industry. It also serves as a reference for understanding traditional distilling culture. The commercial loop is clear. A brand must be understood before it can be desired. Recognition precedes purchase.
The youth angle is central. Baijiu must be presented through a youthful, lifestyle-oriented lens. That transforms it from a niche Chinese specialty into a premium spirit. The forum’s participants stressed this repeatedly. Social media storytelling is part of the playbook. Ordinary people’s stories carry culture. The “Moutai and I” campaign drew from exactly that well. Yet the industry still depends on state-affiliated platforms for distribution. Independent retail channels overseas remain weak. That dependency is the real bottleneck for global scale.
Baijiu’s cross-cultural story will only be written when foreign consumers choose it for reasons beyond pride.