Dialogue Charles Zhang

Summary: Almost every time in person to take the helm of the video business, in the Internet industry, the Chairman of the board of Sohu Company and CEO Charles Zhang. Although dormant for two years, but after Zhang's mountain still do not change high-profile style, frequent for the video business to support the field, Ming and privately defy

Almost every time the big guy in the video business, in the Internet industry, the Chairman of the Board of Sohu and CEO Charles Zhang.

Although dormant for two years, but Zhang Chaoyang still do not change the high-profile style, frequent for the video business to support the field, Ming and privately defy the current industry pattern, after all, the current two other video industry bosses have been Zhang's old subordinates, he is not willing to do only video "Huangpu Military Academy", from the content, personnel structure, Business mergers and acquisitions and other aspects of Charles Zhang Bet, "since 1995 home, I have the dream of entertainment media," Zhang said, no doubt, Sohu Video is to help its dream to achieve a good carrier.

Pro-suppressed Sohu gang

Charles Zhang must not have thought, in his retreat in the two years, the video industry is not only more intense competition, the market is more concentrated. Whether Charles Zhang is willing to, gifted cool potatoes, Archie Harvest pps The two mergers and acquisitions have the Youku Potato Group Chairman and CEO Koo and Archie Art CEO gong into the video industry's first camp throne.

However, coincidence, the above two people and now from the video industry retreat 酷6网 founder Shanyou have worked in Zhang Chaoyang, three people in the life of Sohu add up to more than 15 years. From subordinate to direct competitor, Zhang Chaoyang, although he has been accustomed to such a change of identity, using the "very proud" of the three words to describe their views, but the Beijing business newspaper reporter noted that he responded to a few seconds before.

"Sohu inside very early like video this thing, this kind of edification led to Sohu some executives and Sohu people can have this idea." Our company's management is also relatively loose-type, everyone can independently, in addition because from Sohu, financing is also relatively easy, "Zhang Chaoyang so summed up the video" Huangpu Military Academy "reason.

As the video industry's boss output library, Sohu seems to have no reason to do their own video business, the industry knows that Charles Zhang Yigujin, "after the main busy video of the matter", he also repeatedly admitted to the media must be successful video business.

Charles Zhang has made no secret of his preference for the video business, openly indicating that video and mobile is a very important strategy for Sohu, and that mobile-side commercialization must start with the video first. In addition, he also four times in person for Sohu Video press conference and event platform, not only attend Sohu video "Sprint Good Voice" press conference, take the lead Sohu video self-made content "Dream factory" strategic conference, also in "Vampire Diary" starring Wesley and Somerhalder come to China, personally interviewed two people.

This is reminiscent of more than two years ago, Zhang was personally in the battle to pull celebrities into Sohu Weibo in the battle, but apparently this time he has a much better hand. Earnings data show that the first quarter of this year Sohu total revenue of 308 million U.S. dollars, an increase of 36%, and Sohu video revenue growth over 70% year-on-year, far higher than the group revenue growth, according to Zhang, the video business in the two-quarter growth will also maintain the same level.

The original intention of the split

Although early in the retreat before Charles Zhang has designed the development direction of Sohu Video, openly expressed the hope that Sogou and swim the way to split Sohu video to seek an IPO, for this last year Sohu video also set up a separate sales team. But recently he a "Sohu video this battle is with Sohu group to play" seems to imply for Sohu Video Zhang is not willing to let go for a while.

"Sohu Video is an important media, and the core of Sohu group is also a media," Zhang said that this is inseparable relationship, and in his view, whether or not to determine the key to a business success, and Sohu Group is more suitable for video development.

According to his introduction, Sohu Group Entertainment Spirit can give video support. At present, Sohu Video has a multi-screen, cross-platform layout, including Sohu video site, Sohu Entertainment site, Sohu audio-visual software and hundreds of billions of mobile video clients, TV clients. including Sohu, Sogou, Sohu News client, daily service coverage of over 400 million users Sohu group matrix.

If you want to compare with other business, he admits, "Sohu Video and Sohu group relationship, more than Sogou and swim a layer closer." However, for the success of Sohu video standards, he would prefer to be in the data indicators more than competitors rather than IPOs.

Even if the current will not split the listing, but after all, in Zhang's heart has been carrying the dream of entertainment media, watching two of the disciples Youku and Archie in the volume of mergers and acquisitions, he also needs to supplement the strategic investment. "In this regard, we will deal with all kinds of possibilities," Zhang Chaoyang, although still on whether and pplive mergers and acquisitions of the media to play Taiji, but to be sure, he is interested in mergers and acquisitions.

"Can say, Tencent video not seeking to buy the word, Sohu Video as a buyer of the resistance of a small number of buyers, the industry to Beijing Business newspaper reporter Frankly," However, to find the appropriate volume and in the business and Sohu video to form a complementary advantage of the site is not easy. " ”

Bet on homemade drama

In the industry "do not do video industry Whampoa Military Academy", "Do not split video business" two negative decision, Zhang finally gave the video business a positive answer, that is to do homemade content, his idea is not the production of content of the company does not have media properties.

In fact, Sohu video in such a way has been groping for years, the relevant person in charge to Beijing News reporter disclosed that the current Sohu video original self-control ability to provide an annual output of more than 2000 hours of original video content, including the broadcast class "Sohu Entertainment Review", "Sohu Video Big Vision", weekly broadcast class program "Dapeng Dope", "Vanguard Personage", the season broadcast class program "The Cock Silk man", "My best is the former", "The four beautiful" first season "Le Junkai" and so on, covers the entertainment, the comprehensive arts, the interview, the commentary, the industry information and so on 25 files original video program.

Zhang is not shy of exerting his own self-control in part to reduce costs, "although copyright prices are now down a bit, good content is still very expensive and homemade costs are much cheaper". Charles Zhang even believes that homemade content has become a brand effect.

To Zhang's delight, Sohu Video's self-control ability has also been recognized by the audience. Data show that in March and April this year, with a number of homemade programs Sohu video of the ranking of the full range of Integrated arts channel is the first, monthly independent users (UV) coverage of more than 75 million people. Zhang told Beijing Commercial news reporter, "the current" cock silk man "plus the second quarter of the volume has been 400 million, input-output ratio is very good.

The report shows that last year, the national TV series from 70% down to 30%, television viewers increasingly marginalized, aging. Sohu vice President, Sohu chief editor and Sohu Video COO Chun that this will lead to the emergence of video advertising market inflection point, and this is Zhang Chaoyang Building entertainment media empire is a big boon.

Dialogue Charles Zhang

Q: "Cock silk man," the amount of play has exceeded 300 million, the play return to the situation?

Zhang Chaoyang: "Cock silk man" The amount of play added up 300 million, plus the second quarter of 400 million, input and output ratio is very good, spend a little money. The play on the line, the entire Sohu three-dimensional propaganda ability is also let its fire another reason, this is the characteristics of Sohu video.

Q: Now some of the web-made drama will feed the TV station, you think the traditional media will feed the defects?

Charles Zhang: In fact, the website traffic is very large, whether it is not very important to feed the TV station, because the amount of the network broadcast is big enough. On the contrary, the restriction of feeding the TV station is more, the scale is slightly bigger, to the television station may not be able to broadcast.

Q: survey data show that Sohu video traffic and users are very large, and sometimes more than Youku, but advertising sales of the results to a little less favourably, what is the reason?

Zhang Chaoyang: Sohu video advertising business does lag behind our traffic growth, which is related to the formation of our independent sales team reorganization and integration, portal and video advertising sales are two different systems. It takes time for us to build such a team.