Ideal shines into reality: Life service O2O into the arena era

May 15, a message on the Internet, the United States network to obtain 300 million U.S. dollars pan-Atlantic financing, the financing will be used to expand the number of stations, advertising and other areas to increase. The news was turned mad by American staff, but Liu Yanfeng, deputy director of public relations, and another wireless executive, gave friends a reply that there was no news inside the company. And the United States Regiment CEO Wang himself phone has been in no answer to the state.

Although it is rumored that the financing of the U.S. group valuation of 4 billion U.S. dollars, but an anonymous investment industry and friends confirmed that the financing is a fact, the United States Group valuation in 15~20 billion dollars.

Put aside valuations, a brutal reality is, from the glutinous rice was wholly-owned by Baidu, the public comments and Tencent strategic cooperation, group buying industry alone left the United States Regiment, handle group buying, litters group purchase. Among them, only the United States Group has independent development of the strength, handle and litters has now basically quit the first line of competition.

The success of American group financing also means that local life service O2O field has officially entered the arena era. Compared to the history of group buying, hundreds of thousands of groups, the tragic situation of the Pingzhang, the three players are evenly balanced, each have the battle of the game more touching.

Sharp knife: The United States Regiment to the right

The United States regiment has been facing a dilemma, the industry leader for many years, group purchase volume stability first, its group buy, Cat's eye film, the United States and other mobile products are in the industry to do a very good data, but there are always some people questioned the imagination of the United States Mission space.

The root cause is that the American group, claiming to be Chinese Groupon, takes group buying as a sharp knife to o2o the local life service, and the knife is sharpened and quickly, without any disadvantage. Cut the dining, cut the recreation, cut the hotel, cut the movie ...

According to the Regiment 800 data, the United States Regiment April turnover data has exceeded 2.6 billion yuan. Behind this data is the volume of more than 200 cities in the United States, and the United States Regiment has been in more than three or four line cities have been deep, leading position.

For example, Linfen, Shanxi Province, the city is a resident population of 4 million central four line city, the United States Regiment operating for many years, the monthly flow of 7 million or 8 million, a single profit of 700,000, to feed a team of 12 people more than sufficient.

This can be understood, in everyone is very familiar with local businesses, basically do not need to make decisions through the network of cities, group buying is to cut into the local life service O2O the best way to the field. The good package itself is the user's decision source. This is some seemingly underdeveloped city, group purchase volume is not low in the reason.

Although the United States Regiment North Nord, the southwest region has a collective job-hopping and other individual events, but from the national perspective, the United States Regiment's first-line personnel reserve is the most perfect. According to friends, because the United States regiment has enough talent reserves, the most of its open branch station is from the existing sales of the best to send, such city managers usually do not too bad. Because they are very familiar with the industry rules.

According to Liu Yanfeng, deputy public relations director of the United States, the United States Regiment this year's established target city substation from more than 200 to expand to more than 300. Employees have grown from 4000 to more than 8,000. And Wang to the media information is that the United States Group net turnover will reach 40 billion yuan this year, compared with last year's growth of more than twice times, revenue will increase twice times, to 1.9 billion yuan.

If the United States to achieve this figure, we must do two things, one is to open up enough stations, and the other is to insist on high enough sales points. Objectively speaking, as the industry leader, the United States to achieve this figure has considerable pressure, on the one hand, facing the pressure to open up new markets, on the one hand, to deal with competitors "aggravating." For example, Baidu glutinous Rice recently on the ground team's revenue pressure is not big, want to play "free" card to compete for the United States market.

In addition, friends learned from the first line, the United States Regiment of a single big also let some local businesses panic, these merchants believe that the United States regiment has consistently adhered to 10% of the transaction point, if there is no other competitors to suppress, the United States Regiment will certainly put the price mentioned higher. Many businesses even to this alliance, boycott the United States, or to the United States Regiment package must be given to the public comments and Baidu glutinous rice.

The origin of this behavior is the end of last year, the U.S. regiment of a wrong decision, when the United States Regiment asked the business personnel across the country to pressure merchants, must choose the exclusive with the United States, otherwise will not be online. This high-pressure approach does allow the U.S. regiment in the short term to get a lot of exclusive and high turnover, but its damage to the merchant is self-evident. So, after a short period of time, the American regiment gave up the high-pressure policy.

However, the United States and the user first, merchant second value of the results presented is, from the user's point of view, the United States Regiment product experience is very good, and there are enough packages to choose from, the United States team salesman in the development of new packages in the field also has a hand. This allows the United States regiment in many three or four-line cities have a very good user base, a restaurant owner described, glutinous rice user characteristics are not obvious, with the public comments are young people, with the United States Group of users from the children to the elderly full coverage.

American Regiment hotel and Cat's eye film is also the main product of the United States Regiment, the two products are also used to buy "sharp knife" into. According to Liu Yanfeng said, the cat's eye film April turnover has reached 260 million yuan, accounting for the total water 10%. And the United States Group Hotel has accumulated more than 40,000 hotel merchants, but also the main contributors to the U.S. regiment revenue.

But these two products are also facing difficulties, the United States Group Hotel has moved OTA plate, Ctrip and where to go to this area eyeing. And the cat's eye movie outside sometimes optical network, CHE, from the industry point of view, the cinema itself to buy the demand is not rigid. Previously, a marketing director at Jin Yi Cinema said, we hope that the real improvement of service efficiency of products, group purchase is not satisfied. We have rules internally, group buying sales are not allowed to exceed 30%. Because we need more revenue.

In this contest, the United States like a very lonely lone master, stable but stubborn. But, whether to hold the thigh, the United States regiment is urgently needed capital injection to sprint to the market dream. As for how to balance between capital, ideal and reality, it is the top of the United States.

Ecology: Comments Left

If the American regiment is a knife, then the public comment is to hold a set of tools. The knife in this set of tools does not have the United States sharp, but good is fortunately, the public comments not entirely by knife alive. The big dream of the public comment is to construct the Life service field O2O ecology.

In other words, the fundamental problem with the US group is that group buying is not a complete business model. Group buying is more like a promotional activity, and promotion itself cannot be a commercial norm. While the public comments on the local Life service O2O field to build a more complete ecology, for this topic friends and the public comments have many in-depth and thorough communication.

Public comments in the field of life services for 11 years, has been in the accumulation of consumer decision-oriented user reviews information base, its coverage of the industry including catering, leisure and even hospitals, schools, shops and other services related to all living businesses. As of April this year, the public comment has accumulated more than 33 million user reviews information.

Public comments from 2010 began to set foot in the group buying business, group buying cooperative merchants are in the public comments on the previous reviews, the extension of business based on. Based on the deep foundation of the time of the review, the group buying business has made the first position of the industry in the one or two-line city.

2014 by the public comment on the positioning as "reborn" of the year. It adjusts the internal organizational structure and enriches the product line. In the catering, leisure and entertainment industry, in addition to group buying, increased the take-away, booking business. In addition, the public comments will also be in the marriage, hotel, online tourism industry. In this way, the public comments have been in a number of industries through the closed loop from decision-making to consumption. And from the business dimension, there are advertising promotion, group buying, booking, take-away and other forms of cooperation, to the merchant with a greater choice of space. This is the public comment on building the embryonic form of O2O ecology.

After accepting Tencent's 400 million dollar stake, the public reviews the station will expand to more than 100 this year. According to Zhang, the public comments will not blindly open a lot of stations. Will be pushed forward according to user needs. More senior cities pay more attention to consumer experience, the development of the public comments focused on advertising, booking, coupons and other services. and relatively low level of the city, the user demand for concessions is strong, the public comments will spend great effort to promote group buying business.

This is the so-called "combination toolbox" mentioned at the beginning of this section. Based on the comments, to advertising promotion, group buying, coupons booking, take-away and other tools, cut into catering, leisure and entertainment, marriage, hotels, tourism and other industries. To provide users with a full range of multi-dimensional services.

According to friends, the public reviews this year's development has entered the "acceleration" state, the company set up a division to adjust the structure of external expansion recruitment to open up a separate station. But rare is, the public comment still maintains fast and not disorderly state, the branch station manager's personnel mostly comes from the internal, even is the outside also is the more experienced staff.

It can be said that compared to the stubborn calm of the group, the public comments more peaceful and open. From the product point of view, the public reviews last year to upgrade the developer platform, other forms of products such as navigation, tourism products can directly call the public comments on the merchant data and user comments data. Public comments also with Samsung, millet, operators and other products implanted, further increase the long tail O2O entrance.

The largest third-party flow of course is Tencent products, the public reviews products have been achieved micro-letter bank card entrance, Friends Circle, QQ Space, QQ said that a variety of products into the integration and implantation. The future will also be based on user scenario requirements to do more application consolidation.

Public comments Vice President Jiang Yuping once told friends, from the flow point of view, the public review has now achieved a "many-to-many" state, and multi-channel long tail entrance to the total number of people have accounted for a lot of proportion.

In addition, from the industrial chain upstream and downstream integration perspective, the public comments and other investors to spend 80 million U.S. dollars to buy a foreign-sale site "Hungry", and recently 50 million yuan to invest in meal application "big mouth". Prior to this, the public comments on the love of Taiwan has invested in the comments, to increase the number of Taiwan and Southeast Asia, customer reviews, as well as large-scale catering delivery system call center Chi Long.

Zhang said that since to build the local life service domain O2O ecology, then must open the collaboration, the public comment cannot make all things good, needs more partners to complete together. and specific to group buying business, is still the focus of the public comments. Because in many three or four-line cities, group buying is the only entrance to the local life service O2O, users do not need other products for the time being.

Industry evaluation, the public comments will be poured to build a very ambitious blueprint, if made, that the public comments in the local life service is a well-deserved king. Its layout has gradually become a prototype, then wait for time to test results.

Just from the IPO, the public comment has also prepared the Yelp Groupon Opentable Tripadvisor GrubHub So many stories to say, this now looks like a lot more dazzling.

Different number: Baidu glutinous rice station in the middle

In the "Three Swords", Baidu glutinous rice can be said to be an abnormal number, because its behind is bat 100 degrees.

First talk about history, the whole development of glutinous rice network experienced ups and downs. Glutinous rice from the initial market investment to seize the market, then Renren for the listing of some good-looking, the investment of glutinous rice Net is a variety of tight clothing shrink food. During that time, the rice net crazy infighting has also been questioned by the industry.

Prior to the acquisition, the overall performance of glutinous rice in the whole group buying industry ranked in the fifth place. In addition to the United States and the general public comments, there are handles and litters leading glutinous rice, but the performance difference is not much.

At the beginning of this year, Baidu wholly owned by the acquisition of all the net of all glutinous rice net stake, become a single glutinous rice net wholly-owned large shareholder; March 6, glutinous rice Net brand officially renamed as Baidu Glutinous rice. Baidu Glutinous Rice under the division of Baidu lbs, Baidu Vice President Liu successor Glutinous Rice former CEO Shenboyang position. Baidu currently has three lbs products, Baidu glutinous rice, Baidu Map and Baidu tourism.

Backed by the "Godfather" of the Baidu glutinous rice, the responsibility of Baidu layout O2O important mission, its from Baidu can get two big support, one is cash, one is traffic.

From the cash point of view, according to Baidu Glutinous Rice insiders said that Baidu Glutinous rice is currently a prepaid pool than glutinous rice rose 3.5 times times, sales salesman can use this to talk about more to the power of the buy package. From the sales staff size, before the glutinous rice has 2000 people, and Baidu glutinous Rice will expand the team to 10,000 people in 2014. From the city point of view, the United States to buy this year's plan is to cover more than 300 cities, Baidu glutinous Rice will be expanded to more than 400 cities.

Cash abundant, Baidu glutinous Rice's market activity is also more frequent, March 7 held "37 Life festival" to rob the mobile phone Taobao "38" activity, it is understood that the same day Baidu Sticky mobile phone end of the active users doubled. May 16, Baidu Glutinous rice is held in a campaign "glutinous Rice Cargo Festival", borrow activities in the short term quickly activate mobile users.

Download from the product side, Baidu mobile phone assistant and mobile search has now occupied the 15% of Baidu glutinous rice download, Baidu glutinous rice is currently mobile download faster than the United States Regiment, in accordance with the current speed, in the latter half of the year is expected to load more than the United States Regiment.

and traffic import and large data analysis are also Baidu's strengths, according to friends, Baidu lbs location Server request more than 7 billion applications a day, when there are some specific scenes, such as a person holding a device, speed of zero, 12 o'clock noon, issued a positioning request, indicating that he may have to eat, to cafes, Entertainment and other needs, Baidu can send text messages or app push Baidu glutinous rice group list.

In addition, Baidu's account has been with the Baidu glutinous rice through, after Baidu will be based on user use habits targeted to users to send Baidu glutinous Rice Group, to achieve rapid drainage effect.

From the city expansion, the unique way to Baidu glutinous rice is to have two separate lines to promote the force, a force from the glutinous rice straight Camp team, another team is Baidu search agents set up their own local promotion force. After the merger of the two teams will be more than 10,000 people this year, which is currently the largest number of ground promotion units in the field.

In order to give full play to direct and agent two team enthusiasm, reduce internal friction, Baidu Glutinous rice inside divided 40,000 merchant "white list". Have a wealth of experience in the direct team is responsible to follow up the relatively high-end merchants, and the new majority of the agent team responsible for some relatively low-level merchants lead to Baidu Sticky rice line. Use such a "pyramid" structure to achieve the ground to promote Baidu glutinous rice.

It can be said that, from the overall layout, the existence of sticky rice Baidu is more to complete the O2O landing mission Baidu. Baidu map Baidu Glutinous rice together to achieve Baidu in the local Life service field O2O layout, that is the connection found.

With the United States and the stubborn group, the public comment on the open compared to the words belong to the Baidu glutinous rice is reborn. "Godfather" can rely on, but "godfather" cannot solve all the problems.

For example, Baidu glutinous rice is currently facing the ground team integration, product side to improve user experience and so on a variety of very realistic issues. Take the ground team, the rapid convening of the ground team needs to running-in, growth, can become an effective team. The new branch station, if not a power to the city manager, it is difficult to really complete the task of opening up the station. In these internal problems, Baidu Glutinous rice can only speed up their own steps to solve.

In any case, glutinous rice relies on Baidu to get the chance to participate in the O2O arena. Previous performance and its close to the handle and litters has been out of the bankruptcy or transformation of the news, many of the actual work has been stalled.

Son on the river Yue: "passes husband, around." "The rushing water, like time is gone." After years of looking back, this must be a very moving era. And look at the three different styles, the genetic diversity of the company how to complete the mobile internet era of life services in the field of O2O historical mission.