Ctrip's deal to buy Cool news has been completed

Absrtact: April 2, where to go net Vice President, the net CEO Dai in micro-blog disclosure: Ctrip bought cool news transaction has been completed. Ctrip is expected to disclose the Q2 earnings report. Look forward to the tourism industry greater PK. Two companies in the center of the whirlpool, inquiries to reporters

April 2, where to go net Vice President, the net CEO Dai in micro-blog disclosure: "Ctrip bought cool news transaction has been completed." Ctrip is expected to disclose the Q2 earnings report. Look forward to the tourism industry greater PK. ”

In the Whirlpool center of the two companies, the reporter's inquiries have not been able to give a direct response, Cool News CEO Haijun claimed that the merger of the matter should be owned by its parent company TripAdvisor decision, the company has no right to release information. Ctrip said, "We do not comment on hearsay, Ctrip has always been an open and positive attitude to all favorable mergers and acquisitions opportunities."

If two companies really form alliances, it is no doubt that the biggest impact is where to go. Perhaps this is just the important moves that Liang Jianzhang to return to when he is CEO.

Hostility towards cooperation

As early as in June 2008, the establishment of 2.5 cool news to receive the industry travel service giant Ctrip's letter of attorney, request cool News can not crawl or show Ctrip any travel product information. Then cool message said will be screened Ctrip all relevant information, and in 3 working days to completely remove from the historical content of Ctrip. At that time, analysis pointed out that the cool news is to unite the Arts dragon, Mango, etc., the establishment of a third party alliance.

In addition to friends, both are opponents.

The Art Dragon is the biggest competitor to Ctrip, and its parent company is the world's largest online travel company, Expedia. The cool news is Expedia's Sun company. October 30, 2009 Expedia, a wholly-owned acquisition of Cool News through its company TripAdvisor, is part of its 50 million dollar China investment plan.

How can two competitors be allied?

The reporter noted that, in fact, now cool news and Expedia have no relationship. December 22, 2011, TripAdvisor was split into a separate listing. As an independent listing company, TripAdvisor accepts all partners who have a competitive relationship with Expedia. including Ctrip.

May 2012, Ctrip and TripAdvisor reached a cooperation agreement. Ctrip on the point of products to appear again in cool news and to the web search content. And the acquisition of the move, is also interpreted as ctrip to fight for possible strength, against where to fight back.

Strong Consulting general manager Wei Changren that in the past three years, as TripAdvisor in China's two business, cool News has not been with to the net to form complementary forces, independent operation. The flow of the previous cool news is good, to a large extent, thanks to the fire ticket, ticket search Baidu's contribution. Where to go after Baidu holding, the advantages of the flow of the entrance has been where to occupy. Natural search traffic is difficult to improve, can only spend a high cost to purchase traffic, it is difficult to compete with where to go. To maintain two of the loss of the site, the need for greater investment. Today, the importance of cool news to TripAdvisor is declining, can not exclude the possibility of Ctrip acquisition.

In addition, TripAdvisor investment Cool News In addition to the needs of strategic layout, there may be financial investment in the composition. As long as Ctrip bids appropriate, do not rule out the possibility of cool news is sold.

It's hard to "go where."

However, Wei Changren believes that ctrip to buy cool news, in the short term it is difficult to have a greater impact: "Where to go now, Taobao has and cool news is not a level, even if the investment by Tencent, may not be able to change." This pattern is still the reason for the traffic entry. ”

Wei Changren said that in China to do electricity, the Internet, in addition to Taobao department and Tencent department, the flow of mainly from Baidu to buy, the price is very large, the location is not where to go well. Even with 360, sogou cooperation, traffic problems are difficult to solve. But in the long run, the acquisition of cool news is conducive to the integrated layout of the system, OTA will have a comprehensive layout of their strategic development, need to have a platform to reduce reliance on Baidu.

I, U.S. stock analyst Wu Sanmao that in cool news and Ctrip have cooperated on the basis of the simple acquisition of the significance is not big.

"From the user behavior, due to the different web models, cool news and Ctrip traffic meaning is different." He points out that if the search is a comparison between many suppliers, there are more products for users to choose from. If the cool news to all traffic is directed to Ctrip, is tantamount to erasing the original search characteristics, reducing the user's information value, from the overall will also affect the value of cool news. But if there is no guiding significance, Ctrip acquisition Cool news, its flow problem can not get a fundamental solution.

Wu Sanmao said that the significance of the acquisition of Cool News is that after buying the cool news to do strong, change the current situation of cool news.