Che: How about the O2O revolution in online movie tickets booking?

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Che's Life Network (hereinafter referred to as "tile") has just completed a new round of financing at the end of last month, with a $20 million trillion more. I was also subject to a face-to-face conversation with Yong, founder and CEO of the Tiger Sniffer.

The people who knew Guevara mostly summed Guevara up as a word-"selling movie tickets". Movie ticketing is Che's core business, whether it is from the user volume (15 million users), the number of cinemas can be selected online (more than 1000 mainstream theaters at the end of the year), or sales (accounted for the online election of 75% of the share, this year is expected to sell water near 1 billion yuan), in the film ticketing this subdivision area, Guevara can say that in the present is a single big. O2O the operation of the project has its complexity, the franchise of a field needs to precipitate, I believe that Guevara in the ticket advantages, a short period of time will not be too big changes.

But in Yong's view, he is not willing to let Che become a simple ticketing station, Gevaragan should be a "more interesting thing." In his one-hour conversation, in addition to seeing Guevara's recent development and planning for a while, I saw a che he had expected.

Now, Che can be said to be a representative of the O2O project, from the film ticketing began, derived from the video related to a service chain. When talking about this service chain, Yong called it "closed service chain", and one of the words I keep thinking of is "O2O closed loop". The concept of "O2O closed loop", which has been floating in the sky, seems to be able to see signs of landing on the tile.

Che's O2O closed loop: A service chain that runs through the whole movie

Because of the O2O, the term "closed-loop" has been rampant this year, but most people's perception of the word is "online-led trading, online services, and then back online". Obviously "O2O closed loop" is not just such a simple thing, it should be said that the core of O2O is to emphasize a "control of demand" ability. Consumer dependence is formed through the service capability throughout the demand phase, and then the industrial control is further formed. Micro-letters to do this, it is very difficult. This is not going to happen, and the main point here is how Guevara makes up such a closed loop with control.

Since the closed loop starts with demand control, the need to analyze the closed loop is needed first. The beginning of the demand is the user produces wants to see the movie consciousness, in this consciousness drive, the user produces a series of stage demand, I use the following diagram to explain.

Che's three products for users--web sites, mobile terminals, ticket-taking machines--are based on this clue. The website and the mobile end of the "tile @ film" to provide users with information and ticketing services, the ticket machine after the ticket service terminated, and then prompted the user back to the site and mobile end.

√ Get movie information: The main content is user-written reviews and blah (product form similar to micro-blog essay interaction) and user's viewing score.

√ Get theater information: Improve the layout and theater information, pay attention to the parking lot, 3D glasses, giving out the details of popcorn.

√ Choose seat Purchase ticket: The website chooses the ticket system to be synchronized with the cinema ticketing system;

√ Admission: Although not directly to the user to provide film screening services, but by the ticket machine to complete the final link.

√ Comments: Film critics and Blah, the two UGC plates form a self circulation similar to that of the general public, which again leads the user back online and prompts for new requirements.

In this closed loop, the role of the cinema is greatly weakened, almost into a simple screening hall. And Che has arranged the multiple services outside the show, and in each stage can have an effective influence on the user. This shows that Guevara is really not just a ticket station, but a "online selection" as the core of the vision solution.

Say "Online selection" is its core, not only because it is Che's revenue source, more importantly, this is the user's necessary path. As far as the cinema itself is concerned, "ticket booking" and "admission" are equal to one hand delivery, which is enough to serve as the basic business model of cinema. Now that the right to choose a ticket is given to Guevara, the cinema is essentially tied to Guevara on a string. The same for ticketing, Che and group buying site for the cinema and the value of users, there are very big differences. Group buying site only sold a ticket voucher, does not mean that the user has completed the whole of the preparation before the film, which still has a lot of variable factors, the sale of the ticket is included in the number and the seat of the real ticket, not to mention even the ticket under its control. For example, group buying offers a "predictable result", and Guevara gives a "definite result". Like Guevara such a system of in-depth cooperation, for not deep in a field of group buying site can certainly not be compared.

Mastering the "online selection," The core point, the UGC through the film review and Blah, logically established a "beginning with the end of the UGC," the O2O closed loop. In this closed loop, each user serves both as a consumer of content, as a contributor to content, and as a consumer of services. Such a good thing, don't say O2O, look at the whole internet is rare. Watercress This well-known Wenqing can only hold the film review this entrance dry flow of the live. and group buy at best is only the distribution channel of the theater, and often do the work of defective treatment (not popular theaters and non-popular). Other areas of O2O, such as taxi application tick-tock taxi, or ordering the website hungry, etc. and because of the cooperation with the service provider depth and pay habits and other issues, the temporary control of the payment link. So the closed loop, which is built by the line, may already be the most complete closed loop of the moment.

Guevara's view on the user: a friend of the base

Yong said that Guevara, rather than the user as "God", as the user as his "good partner, good friend, good friends", this is Che long time to think after the conclusion. Imagine what you would say to a good friend if he wanted to see a movie. Maybe we can talk about which movie is worth looking at recently, maybe recommend you a movie theater, maybe spit the plot together ... In short, just like a good base friend all the times. "The Base friend theory" is Che's user view, also can say is the product direction.

At this point, Yong repeatedly wanted to emphasize the user experience, such as how to maximize the user experience, how to think of the user's needs as a friend's point of view. I do think that I can change the point of view, the so-called want to the user experience to achieve the ultimate, the actual is to control the user to achieve the ultimate. It is better to compete in all aspects of control than to compete on product capability. Can form a closed-loop service chain, is not the best proof?

Let's make a hypothesis, what if tile doesn't establish its own mode of operation based on "The Theory of Friends"? That might strengthen sales-related services and sales paths to become an upgraded version of the movie ticket buying site. If so, what is the development of that tile now?

That's hard to say. May be buried in the 2011 group buying spree, and then half dead. It could also be dramatic in this area, such as the barley net that specializes in ticketing. But what can be sure is that if you go this way, the tile will not be able to escape the impression of the ticketing station, the user just as a ticket to buy a channel, it is not what loyalty. is the group buying site sticky? Most group buying users are price-driven locust users with no loyalty whatsoever. In this way, it is bound to fall to the price, to fight the harsh environment of traffic. Don't say if you can win (at least on the flow, Yong is "hard to spell"), but it's not the same thing that most companies are willing to do.

Che's "theory of Base friends", in fact, is pegged to the experience-driven users to avoid being caught in a disadvantageous competition. These users have a higher value and are willing to pay a certain price difference to reduce the trouble and risk of viewing. To capture these users, the grid must let the user give him more time. The time cost that the user is willing to pay is often proportional to its loyalty. To this end, the tile can do is to subdivide the phased demand to lengthen the service chain, and to guide the user contribution UGC. In terms of the service chain, the tile is getting better, and it mentions that there are several versions of the optimization plan (only to me in the conversation, and I'm looking forward to it ...). But the direction is to further detail the excavation and enhance the professional degree). But in UGC this piece, it seems that Guevara still need a period of development, only likely to catch up with the well-known Wenqing watercress students.

Although the actual effect of Guevara's "base friends" is not as obvious as its "online choice", for example, it does not see a significant repeat purchase rate on the site (but probably because new users are growing too fast). But in the long run, this is definitely the right direction, because if there is any real barrier to O2O, I think it will only be sticky by the time the user settles down.

The visible future of Guevara: the Data Warehouse behind the film industry

Che's closed loop is becoming more and more perfect, and the control of the user is more and more strong, then what about its future? I would like to discuss the subject of Che's business structure.

1, from the business classification, the current stage of the tile mainly by the film, performance, sports three major categories of business. There is no doubt that the film is its most mature classification, has once been profitable. And the performance and movement started late, not yet formed.

2, each classification of services slightly different, film and performance two major categories of ticket-oriented, and sports classification plan includes venue booking, buy membership card and purchase training three types of services.

3, now belong to and exercise this classification of fitness business, it is speculated that the appropriate time may be independent of the fourth large classification. The reason for the split may be because the booking mode of sports venues and fitness venues of the membership card mode of large differences.

4, in the field of film, in addition to the well-known products for the user ticketing services, there are special for the theater side and the production of independent products developed.

It is clear that after the 20 million-dollar financing, Guevara's main expansion has three kinds: regionalization of the scale of expansion, classification of the business of horizontal expansion, the vertical expansion of the film business. These three types of expansion will be carried out in a biased manner. In Yong's opinion, what is the most important? Although the question was not directly asked in the conversation, it can be discerned from two other issues. When asked "What is the most urgent problem for Guevara", Yong the answer is "need to occupy the market as soon as possible, rather than profit". When asked "next year on the show, sports and other areas have a clear plan", Yong clearly told "no clear plan, to the film first." From this can be judged, in the eyes of Yong, the size of the expansion of the head, vertical expansion for the second, lateral expansion of the last.

Logically, such planning is reasonable. Che's film ticketing has been profitable in the unsaturated phase of the market, and it is almost a testament to the business model. That being the case, it is no doubt that the occupation of the market is the first task in a city where conditions are rapidly unfolding. After all, the Internet is a focus on the scale of the industry. Moreover, only by further scaling up to get more user data will the grid be smoother in vertical expansion.

Speaking of this, we have to say that Guevara from user control to industrial control of the two weapon. In comparison with the visible products of the mobile end and the ticketing machine, the two business-supporting products developed by the studio and the filmmakers are not known to the outside world, and perhaps this is the first time the media has disclosed the existence of these two products. For these two products, even in this conversation, Yong did not describe their business model too much, but can still watch the leopard to understand a prototype.

Since has been working with the theater side, even in order to strengthen the docking between the two sides, there is a product for the cinema side, it is not surprising.

But Guevara is trying to get involved in the operation of the movie, such as helping theaters improve attendance. On the other side, Guevara provided the producer with a product to help the production side to row the film. This product is now in more than 80 production distributors, 260 films have cooperated. For these two products, I think that the grid is intended to use the closed loop to control the user's information, using multidimensional data analysis of the user's behavior and preferences for more accurate prediction, in addition to other difficult to think of other possibilities. A very vulgar and common concept, which is undoubtedly "large data application." In short, if these two products can really achieve the goal and promote, it may be true in the film industry will be born a treasure-like monster.

Relative size and vertical expansion, with multiple classifications as the goal of horizontal expansion is less urgent. Originally, like to watch movies, like to watch the performance, like sports, there is no clear intersection between these types of people, is only the same as the entertainment project by Che as a "city entertainment Internet" as part of the conduct of the multi-line of business attempts, really want to do, in the film industry experience may not be able to send a lot of useful, others do not say , I'm afraid it's not so easy to recreate a similar closed loop. And the performance market relative to the film, maturity is still far away, of course, there is no need to rush to achieve a goal. As a result, the fierce collisions between the two new stars, Guevara and barley, will not be seen for a short time.

All in all, Guevara's film business is the root of its business model, and the "Data Warehouse" can support the great dream of the grid, but all of this is predicated on accelerating scale. As for the extension of other classifications, take it slow.

Che's enemy: perhaps only their own

This sentence is very vulgar, but I with some of the O2O, Che has been concerned about the exchange of people, we come to the conclusion is similar to this.

Guevara has rivals or some potential rivals, but Guevara has little direct competitive pressure. Business form relatively close to the spider's web has not yet, the formation of the climate of the Barley network is not the same line; Watercress did not want to dabble in the meaning of the time to buy tickets to the network did not big meaning; As for Taobao local, it seems that there is no special attention to the place. My theory is that most O2O projects have no fear of bat as long as they have established business models. Just like the foreign original came to China met copy his turtle but never won the same, bat O2O also but franchise this field project team. To bat this scale, want to touch O2O, with the way of investment more likely, the full effort is not likely. The main reason is can't wait, can't see, can't afford to hurt.

From the perspective of the O2O, the business model is not much of a flaw and deficiency, but there are many other advantages that do not have. The team also seems to be very reliable, the size of the present is only about 200 people. The advantages of the share is also relatively large, it is no wonder that Yong will feel more than focus on competitors, as well as the focus on making themselves and users more "base" on some. However, I think we should mention some potential threats and improvements.

Where is the bottleneck of scale?

Only from the figures, last year the National Film box office was 17 billion, and can grow at more than 30%. This kind of consumption is concentrated in the big city, the network degree is generally very high. According to Yong said the projected 70% of the box office to the network channel, this possibility also dare not say low. From past experience, in general, each of the internet segments of the boss how to occupy at least 50% of the market (Che although there are 70% of the market share, but this is limited to online selection, rather than add group purchase and other online channels of the total ratio). According to this algorithm ... Wow, it's almost done! But is it really going to work out so well? In the present situation, it is only a matter of time before the major cities are covered and most of the online ticketing market is won. But what is the potential of the market? From the best market in the city of tile development in Shanghai, even though it has to admit, the growth rate of its users has slowed. It is unclear when Guevara will touch this bottleneck.

Ii. about the ticket-taking machine

On the line of enterprises under the arrangement of the equipment is unreasonable has been a vexed topic? Its core or cost considerations. But Che in this respect is really not what can be demanding, do not say that the layout of a large reduction in the purchase price, but also the user greatly increased after the cost of logistics. Even if you just think of him as a big billboard that's easy to draw attention to, it's going to be worth it back in the year. There's no evidence, but I've always suspected that the ticket machine is the biggest source of brand influence, after all, too caught in the eye. In fact, the ticket machine is not a threat, put forward here, just want to say that there is no possibility to let this equipment from a simple ticket machine to become a more useful thing for Guevara, further improve its usage rate.

Iii. management of the expansion outbreak

As for the bat injury that just said, can explain here. Most of the O2O projects need to accumulate heads as they expand and involve many issues of trans-city management that are indeed unsuitable for bat operations. But this, like small teams, is very destructive. There are too many O2O projects because of the blind expansion strategy of the head, but the management ability can not keep up and fold into sand. And it's a bit of a affluenza feature, and it's often particularly easy to take on items that have a lot of money in the B round and are held up by the media in the sky, and everything goes particularly well, typically 24 coupons. If the management team attempts to cover up some of the problems that have already occurred by expanding rapidly or ignoring some of the hidden pitfalls, it will generally be learned. If you want to say who is the real enemy of Vashti, I think it is Guevara himself.

The author is the original O2O website Marketing Director, is the start-up preparation, is willing to work with the Internet Circle and Investment Circle brothers and sisters more exchanges (especially in Shanghai). Sina Weibo: @ Black Flame cross.