Meme is more than just a joke: the transformation from internet culture to a commercial hard currency

In 2025, an interesting phenomenon is quietly happening on the Chinese internet—brands are actively riding the Meme traffic, and they are actually making money from it. From Joyoung’s popular “Hajimi” soy milk to Weilong’s homophone jokes going viral, Memes are evolving from pure internet culture into commercial assets that can directly translate into purchasing power. This is no longer just an online craze but a new market force.

How Memes Become Business Engines

Joyoung’s Unexpected Gain

The most straightforward example is Joyoung’s Hajimi soy milk. Leveraging the Meme attribute, sales exceeded 100,000 units, leading to two consecutive stock price limit-ups for Joyoung. This is no coincidence—it reflects a direct link between Meme culture and commercial transformation. Consumers not only share and spread these jokes online but also turn this enthusiasm into actual purchasing behavior.

Weilong’s Homophone Joke Strategy

Weilong’s approach is similar but more diverse. Products like Hajimi spicy strips and crab chicken noodles inherently carry homophone jokes and Meme qualities, giving these products natural topics and virality. The reason these products became popular is that they meet contemporary consumers’ psychological needs for both “fun” and “participation.”

The Logic of Memes as Hard Currency

According to observations, 2025 may indeed be the year of Meme awakening on the Chinese internet. The key to this “awakening” is—Meme energy can start to be directly converted into purchasing power and stock prices.

This transformation process includes several links:

• Creation of online ideas and meme culture
• Widespread sharing and participation by users
• Brands keenly capturing and integrating memes into products
• Consumers buying because it’s “fun”
• Sales data feeding back into the stock market

Unlocking this chain means that Memes have shifted from “worthless entertainment” to “quantifiable commercial assets.”

Validation in 2025 and Continuation into 2026

Looking back from the current perspective, 2025 indeed saw brands “counter-riding” Meme traffic—not consumers following brands, but brands actively approaching Memes. This shift reflects a market re-evaluation of the value of internet culture.

Entering 2026, this trend may continue to deepen. More traditional brands might attempt Meme strategies, and the key to success lies in truly understanding contemporary consumers’ aesthetics and psychology. Simple imitation won’t work; genuine creativity and proper execution are essential.

Summary

The evolution of Memes from internet culture into a commercial force marks an important shift. The cases of Joyoung and Weilong prove that when Memes are well integrated with products, they can generate real business returns. This is not a fleeting phenomenon but a reflection of a new trend in the modern consumer market—cultural attributes and virality are becoming vital components of product competitiveness. For brands, understanding and embracing Meme culture may have shifted from optional to essential.