The Puzzle of Ziyang Selenium-Enriched Tea: An Acclaimed Treasure with Limited Market Success

Ziyang Selenium-Enriched Tea, a characteristic geographical indication product from Ziyang County, Ankang City, Shaanxi Province, boasts a brand value exceeding RMB 6.222 billion. Recognized as a "selenium treasure" due to its unique and scarce "selenium-rich" resource endowment and superior health qualities, it nevertheless faces the bottleneck situation of being "acclaimed but not sought after" in the market. Despite repeated accolades in professional evaluations and industry certifications, its market penetration and consumer awareness remain significantly lower compared to well-known peer tea brands, failing to effectively translate the characteristic of "high quality commands high price" into market competitiveness. This study employs a mixed-methods case study approach, integrating questionnaire surveys, field investigations, and literature analysis, to explore the development dilemmas of Ziyang Selenium-Enriched Tea and identify actionable empowerment pathways, facilitating this selenium treasure's journey onto the international stage. Based on survey data from 311 valid national samples, this research identifies three core dilemmas: low brand exposure, disconnection between traditional product forms and modern consumption habits, and insufficient price segmentation and channel coverage. Grounded in the analysis, this study constructs a three-stage development model of "Resource Endowment-Innovation Transformation-Market Response," forming three corresponding breakthrough empowerment pathways: Brand Rebuilding, Core Product Innovation, and Channel Expansion. The research systematically reveals the transformation mechanism from "resource advantage" to "market value" for selenium-enriched geographical indication products and innovatively integrates traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with tea. It provides practical guidance for the sustainable development of the Ziyang Selenium-Enriched Tea industry and offers insights for the market development of similar regional specialty products.