Meizu to open a comprehensive counterattack millet

Meizu financing these days are rumored things, according to insiders, as early as June Meizu has already introduced at least 2 billion yuan of investment, and investors accounted for less than 10% of the total share, the company valued more than 20 billion . Prior to this, the 11-year-old company has always been the founder of the complete control of Huang Zhang, a typical family-owned enterprises. The financing, combined with the previous open Flyme operating system, people think it is Meizu toward open, a comprehensive counterattack millet rhythm.

Meizu is a company worth mentioning in China's smart phone market. As early as 2007, this company, which has gained tremendous advantages in the Chinese MP3 market, has realized the huge market for smartphones and started a full-scale transformation. To 2009, Meizu's first smart phone M8 officially launched the market, and even lead to the iPhone-like sales of similar competing buy grand occasion. Then Meizu also released M9, MX and other series of smart phones.

It can be said that Meizu is the first batch of pioneers in China's smart phone market, and its founder Huang Zhang is also considered as the most influential worker in China. Because of its excellent configuration and appearance, as well as excellent control experience, Meizu once caused great concern in China, has achieved brilliant, but everything changed after the millet came out. Ultra-high configuration, shocking reserve price, and innovative hunger marketing, so that the rapid popularity of millet. Even before the Meizu only grasp more community marketing, but also by millet learning to play to the more extreme. Later, Huawei, Lenovo, ZTE and other handset manufacturers after the baptism also quickly imitated the transition, the establishment of the domestic smart phone market several giants competition pattern. In such a fast-paced market, Meizu's pace seems unusually slow, and even gradually marginalized.

Played an early fight, but catch a late set, Meizu's embarrassing situation from the corporate constitutional constraints and owner Huang Zhang's personal character.

Meizu's predicament

Meizu can be said that one chapter Huangzhang company, each product design, implementation of the ideas and will Huang. Huang Zhang himself has also disclosed that the original purpose of making a mobile phone was to "make oneself satisfied, feel handy." In the early days, this institutional structure made Meizu more efficient than any other company and made it easier to make unbelievable decisions for other companies, such as a complete relinquishment of the MP3 market as a completely mobile phone. The yellow himself is also a very good product manager, the pursuit of extreme, and even some extreme character, many actions seem to be somewhat similar to Apple's family Steve Jobs.

"Dictatorship" to bring the high efficiency and implementation of ideas, as well as Huang Zhang's own product design talent, so Meizu become a company with a special charm, the product also attracted a large number of hardcore fans.

However, when the enterprises have reached a certain scale, the factors that have helped Meizu grow rapidly at the initial stage have become its constraints. Such constraints are mainly reflected in the following aspects.

1, it is difficult to rely on one person to continue the success of the product. As a product manager, Huang Zhang is definitely a genius, this is beyond doubt. But people have shortcomings, people will make mistakes. Huang Zhang created the ultimate pursuit of the product Meizu, but some outsiders seem unable to understand the extreme requirements will also restrict the development of Meizu. If a company of such a size, all of the products are actually designed and manufactured under the will of one person, it is very difficult to sustain success. Even Steve Jobs, do not have to rely on product design Jony Ive it? In fact, Meizu mobile phone wonderful resolution, too small battery capacity has been a lot of people Tucao, but in this factor has not yet been subject to change.

2, family-owned enterprises and geopolitical factors Meizu is difficult to further develop and grow. Meizu has always been 100% stake in Huang, has never been introduced outside investment. However, the mobile phone manufacturing industry is a heavy capital industry, but also requires a large number of outstanding top talent to join. If satisfied with the "small and beautiful" company, Meizu can be steady development, but when competitors are making strides forward, the slow pace of development means that the pace of decline, which means that may be eliminated. If you do not introduce external investment, only rely on their own financial strength Meizu is difficult in the R & D and market forces, can not be rushed in marketing and product distribution and other manufacturers to compete.

Meizu is located in Zhuhai, nor in the geographical advantage. Unlike other companies that work deep in the north, Meizu will be more difficult to attract talented people. The complete control of the individual family business, but also means that talented people here can not get the shares can not grow together with the business, so in the absorption of senior management personnel Meizu even more dominant.

Meizu's counter-offensive thoughts from the recent trends

See later millet, whether in sales or in valuations have greatly surpassed Meizu, Huang Zhang's mood should be quite complex. So after years of planting vegetables at home, I finally could not help but come back. During his speech to all employees when he came back, he could also see the general idea: first, plan to introduce external financing and invest more in research and development and marketing the power of. Followed by further opening up.

From the recent Meizu trends, including the financing of the news point of view, the original idea of ​​Huang Zhang is gradually progressing to practical operation stage.

In June of this year, Yang Mei, head of Meizu Flyme, said Meizu will be more open and Flyme will be able to adapt to other more mainstream mobile phone models besides Meizu phones. By July, Samsung Galaxy S4 will become Flyme's first open Fit phone.

From this point of view, Meizu is also learning from Xiaomi. To make Flyme a complete, attractive ecosystem for developers, the installed capacity is a key, and it is not enough to rely solely on Meizu and mobile phones. Open operating system, on the one hand is conducive to the establishment of ecosystems, on the other hand is also conducive to Meizu brand publicity. Flyme is a very unique and experienced operating system, once the large number of mainstream models for adaptation, is bound to attract more potential users attention.

Second, Meizu is also accelerating the pace of product distribution. One year release pace of a model in the smart phones faster and faster now the market is somewhat backward, if previously limited by their own human and financial constraints, the introduction of external investment Meizu can invest more in research and development and the market Great power to fight rivals by accelerating the pace of releases. It is reported that Meizu will use the new production line in the second half of the year, and at the same time, it will launch 4 handsets, which have seen significant changes from the previous one.

Release rhythm speed up, on the one hand can keep Meizu continued attention in the market. At the same time, using different models of different locations, Meizu can also cover different markets from low to high end, forming a more complete and comprehensive product system.

However, many of the information disclosed in this financing can also be tapped into many Meizu ideas. The purpose of the financing has been said before, is to increase the R & D and marketing efforts, compared to Dainan interested Meizu's internal equity incentive plan.

Allegedly, Meizu internal equity incentive plan has already begun to implement more than five years of work and graded P5 (inclusive) or more employees have copies of the first batch of employees have already got the stake and exercise of the way, and signed a confidentiality agreement . The issue of shares divided into historical contribution shares and future contribution shares of two, 5 years can be exchanged for 20% per year, but does not allow employees to trade in private.

Meizu think before the vice president Mo Cuitian and others left, Meizu's equity incentive plan is also obvious the purpose: First, the old people who have worked hard for Meizu for many years have an explanation, a firm look of the people. In addition, Meizu continued to introduce talents for the future, leaving room for new forces to join.

When a traditional conservative company is beginning to change, maybe one more sturdy player in China's smart phone market. Coupled with the numerous other vendors and emerging brands that have matured and grown, the second half may be more exciting and worth the wait.