Reborn in 08, a heretical cultivator starting a business

Chapter 139 Paipai.com Closure Wave, WeChat Makes a Big Move!

Every day, tens of thousands of sellers close their stores and switch to Baidu Youa and Taobao.

The situation is completely out of control and cannot be stopped!
Even Xu Tiannian panicked: "Damn Baidu!"

"They're launching an e-commerce platform at this time, and they're even emphasizing zero deposit and no commission!"

"Isn't this hitting a nerve with Paipai.com?"

Although Baidu Youa is a new platform with few users, it is in the early stages of development and has few competitors.

With the backing of Baidu, the support of Baidu search, and the official announcement that it will never take a commission!

It's still very easy to be attracted to it.

In a short time, many Paipai.com sellers closed their shops and flocked to Baidu Youa.

This infuriated Xu Tiannian: "Even Taobao doesn't dare to officially announce that it will never take commissions, how dare Baidu Youa!"

"Damn it!"

Huo Siying was also quite helpless: "Baidu is just starting out in e-commerce. If it can succeed, it will be a win. They don't even consider commission."

"But this attitude is the biggest blow to us at Paipai.com."

"Another 30,000 stores were closed yesterday. If this continues, we'll lose 500,000 stores in less than half a month. The losses are enormous!"

Xu Tiannian waved his hand: "It's okay. Our Paipai.com has more than five million sellers. Even if there are 500,000 fewer, it's only one-tenth, which is not worth mentioning."

"This..." Huo Siying was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to refute it.

But I always feel that if this continues, there will be big problems!
Xu Tiannian sighed: "At this point, we have no choice but to grit our teeth and go all the way, turning Paipai.com into a platform for quality sellers, collecting commissions, and generating revenue. There is no turning back."

"Let's see how things develop. If we can weather this storm, we'll win!"

"That damn Baidu Youa! They took advantage of the situation and put us in a pincer movement. They're so damn damned!"

"Sigh! We can only take it one step at a time."

Huo Siying's expression was complicated, but she felt somewhat uncertain.

Paipai.com is indeed suffering heavy losses right now. If it can weather this storm and successfully transform and upgrade, that would be great.

After the labor pains subside, the sun will shine again!
If they can't withstand the pressure, Paipai.com will suffer heavy losses and ultimately gain nothing.

The future will also become unpredictable.

The presence of Taobao ahead is like a mountain, making Paipai.com see no future.

Now, with Baidu Youa joining the fray from behind, Paipai.com is finding itself in an even more difficult situation.

But as Xu Tiannian said, at this point, there's no use in admitting defeat.

It all depends on strategic resolve and the final outcome.

The fierce e-commerce battle among the three giants, BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent), became the most eye-catching aspect of the global financial crisis.

In comparison, Vipshop and Ugroup have a very low profile.

Vertical e-commerce platforms are unable to participate in the fierce competition among general e-commerce platforms.

However, Wang Junshan didn't care at all and simply continued to expand discreetly.

Everyone thought that Taobao, Paipai.com, and Baidu Youa were the focus of the e-commerce industry.

But in the corners where no one is paying attention, Vipshop and Utour are quietly expanding and growing!

U-Tuan International continues to sign distributorships with one international beauty and 3C brand after another, further reducing the purchase price and increasing the profit per item, while the number of SKUs is also growing rapidly.

This has led to a continuous increase in U-Tuan International's revenue and profits.

YouTuan group buying is even more incredible.

According to Wang Junshan's plan, the area will be centered on the seven major inland warehouses, with seven expansion lines developing in parallel.

YouTuan Group Buying has achieved exponential growth.

Last month, both provinces opened simultaneously, but on average, only two schools could be added per day.

But now, with six provinces advancing simultaneously, even vocational schools are being promoted, adding six or seven schools every day.

The expansion rate has increased six or seven times compared to last month.

Revenue and profits expanded rapidly.

However, these changes were overshadowed and completely suppressed by the fierce competition among BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent).

Wang Junshan welcomed this with open arms.

Before Future OS and Future Phone are developed, Future Technology doesn't have the resources to compete with BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent), and must remain low-key and bide its time.

Moreover, in this fierce battle among BAT e-commerce giants, Vipshop may have seemed to be just observing, but in the end, it turned out to be one of the big winners!

After all, with fewer merchants on Paipai.com, the number of users will also decrease.

If the number of users decreases, the revenue of Paipai.com's brand merchants will also decrease, and they will naturally have to find new ways to make a living.

Vipshop, with its impressive growth rate, is the best choice for major brands!

This time, Wang Junshan is in the atmosphere!
Everything was developing in the direction Wang Junshan had predicted.

As for Baidu Youa, it's not a concern.

Baidu has a habit of starting early but finishing late.

In AI, food delivery, autonomous driving, and many other fields, Baidu has always been at the forefront with precise positioning.

But each time, the newcomer becomes the industry leader, while Baidu is still struggling.

As for Baidu Youa, it's not worth mentioning at all; it didn't last long in its previous life before it went out of business.

Wang Junshan only needs to sit back and wait for Paipai.com to lose merchants and users, forcing brands to run away.

During this period, Wang Junshan's main focus remained on leading the system development department to develop the future OS.

This is top priority!

As for the e-commerce department, Wang Junshan has basically delegated all authority to it.

On Vipshop's side, there's Tang Zhi.

Jiang Fan is on YouTuan.com.

Wang Junshan only attends a high-level meeting once a week on Mondays to listen to reports from his subordinates, finalize strategic decisions, and closely monitor the progress of each department.

At other times, I will only attend, unless there are special circumstances.

Monday, October 10.

Paipai.com enforces commission rates for one week; Wang Junshan attends Future Technology High-Level Meeting again.

The progress reports from each department continued, and all departments were doing well.

However, it was the report from Marketing Director Feng Lu that piqued Wang Junshan's interest:

"Chairman, Hu Xiaoyao has been signed as the spokesperson for WeChat. The endorsement fee is 200 million yuan per year, and the contract is for ten years!"

“Very good.” Wang Junshan was not surprised.

After retiring from acting for more than two years, Hu Xiaoyao's commercial value has plummeted, and few brands are seeking his endorsement anymore.

Now that WeChat has made its move, Hu Xiaoyao couldn't be happier with such a promising brand that boasts 40 million users.

That's right, in just over ten days, thanks to the user growth of "WeChat Farm", the number of WeChat users has increased to 4000 million!
Previously, Feng Lu was worried that he might not be able to sign a ten-year contract, or that Hu Xiaoyao would raise the price.

Unexpectedly, Hu Xiaoyao readily agreed to endorse WeChat, and was even somewhat excited.

Given WeChat's momentum and user base, once he becomes its spokesperson, Hu Xiaoyao's fan base and status will skyrocket.

Hu Xiaoyao felt that he was incredibly lucky to be able to endorse WeChat when he was at a low point and almost forgotten.

There's no way around it, the entertainment industry changes too quickly.

Upon seeing Feng Lu's customized endorsement plan, Hu Xiaoyao was even more excited.

After a car accident, facing the cruel joke of fate, he started over and demonstrated the resilience of life!
This positive and proactive image is beneficial in any era.

In the context of the financial crisis, this is an encouragement to everyone!
So they signed a ten-year contract, and even wanted to sign a fifteen-year contract.

Even Hu Xiaoyao believes that WeChat's future is more promising than his own. It's less that Hu Xiaoyao is endorsing WeChat, and more that WeChat is endorsing itself!

Hu Xiaoyao had calculated this matter perfectly clearly.

"Chairman, before signing the contract, we developed several advertising ideas for Hu Xiaoyao. I'm most satisfied with two of them."

"All the filming is done now, please take a look."

Feng Lu was very efficient; as soon as the contract negotiations began, he had people prepare advertising ideas.

During the contract negotiations, two of the best advertising ideas were selected from several options.

Filming will begin immediately after the contract is signed!
The first advertisement played on the projector:

[Scene 1] Close-up of Hu Xiaoyao wiping his old Sony camera (his personal item).

OS: "The viewfinder that cracked in 2006 actually framed a more realistic landscape."

[Scene 2] A message pops up in a fan group on WeChat on the computer: "Requesting the link to the same product!"

Hu Xiaoyao clicked the link on the Vipshop product page and shared it to a WeChat fan group of 2,000 people. (Close-up of the interface)

[Lens 3] Multi-screen interaction: Users of different ages can order Sony cameras after receiving the shared information and share their life photos on WeChat Moments.

Advertising slogan:
"Develop your product recommendations on Vipshop, and then share them on WeChat Moments—"

"Let every sharing be imbued with the patina of your soul!"

[Scene 4] Hu Xiaoyao opens WeChat Moments and shares the sunrise he took while climbing Mount Tai.

Advertising slogan:
"When social media becomes your consumption statement, we only showcase what you like that has stood the test of time!"

"WeChat Moments is a place to record the little things in life."

After watching the advertisement, all the executives fell silent.

In particular, the original management teams of Vipshop and U-Tuan Technology inevitably felt resentful and even indignant about the senior executives parachuted in by Feng Lu and others.

But now, everyone was convinced.

The marketing department's management, in particular, were full of admiration.

They couldn't possibly produce such a high-quality advertisement in such a short time!
"Good!" Wang Junshan clapped his hands.
"The entire article does not use the car accident to elicit sympathy or sympathy. Instead, it uses the phrase 'the viewfinder that was shattered in 2006' to metaphorically refer to the car accident! It is just right and makes people feel sorry for it."

"The second line, 'It actually frames the more realistic scenery,' is even more sublime!"

Next, share the Vipshop link to the WeChat group.

It not only showcased WeChat and its free 2,000-person group, but also Vipshop.

In the third scenario, other users, inspired by sharing, ordered the same Sony camera and shared their daily photos on WeChat Moments.

It even directly showcased the new features of WeChat version 2.5: Moments!

And the lifestyle of posting on WeChat Moments.

The Moments feature, which began development as early as WeChat version 1.0, has finally been launched after nearly three months of development.

The final scene, number four, is another promotion for WeChat and Moments.

With just four shots, WeChat, a group of 2,000 people, Vipshop, and the new Moments feature were all showcased.

Of course, there are also Sony cameras.

“If this advertisement is used, Sony will specifically share a portion of the advertising costs!” Feng Lu said.

Wang Junshan nodded, "That's not bad."

Immediately following, the second commercial break began:

Main key visual:

Hu Ge, dressed in a plain linen shirt, stands in the courtyard of an old Huizhou house, looking up to receive the cascading rain. His left cheek is hidden in the shadow of the blue bricks, while his right cheek is bathed in the sunlight.

screen text:

Scars are the marks of time.

Every cut is made to make the soul shine even brighter.

15-second TVC script
[Scene 1]: Close-up of the brush tip hovering over the rice paper (70% of the image is blank).

Hu Xiaoyao's inner monologue: "Leaving blank space is not incompleteness."

[Scene 2] Close-up of the hand: The brush is suddenly swung out with vigorous, flying white strokes.

Hu Xiaoyao's inner monologue: "...This is a scroll reserved for rebirth."

[Scene 3] Panoramic shot zooms out: Hu Xiaoyao stands in front of the giant calligraphy "The Journey of Light" and turns around.
Advertising slogan:
"Breaking through the ink to reveal the bones, moving towards the light—"

"Writing about the Resilience of Life with Hu Xiaoyao"

(The WeChat logo appears in the bottom right corner)

Wang Junshan clapped again:

"This version is also good. It minimizes marketing to the greatest extent. It's the kind of ad that people won't skip. It only highlights the WeChat logo at the end, which makes it more memorable."

"As expected of General Manager Feng, well done!"

Wang Junshan praised it highly.

These two advertisements, let alone in 2008, would be considered top-notch even in 2018.

"Yes, we want both of them. Launch them online immediately. Also, the new WeChat 2.5 version can be launched now."

“Okay, boss. With the current economic crisis, advertising rates are lower, which is perfect!” Feng Lu smiled.

After these two advertisements, no one will question his abilities anymore!
That evening, WeChat version 2.5 was quickly launched, and the Moments feature immediately became popular with users.

Meanwhile, the advertising campaign is progressing rapidly.

If it's a TV commercial, then you need to negotiate with the TV station, which takes time and is costly.

But for internet advertising, it doesn't matter; it's all about timeliness!
As long as the money is available, arrangements can be made immediately.

Especially during the financial crisis, fewer people are advertising.

WeChat Technology proactively advertised, so it naturally received preferential treatment immediately.

And they all offered a good price.

Feng Lu's advertising targets were also very accurate: Baidu Tieba, Tencent, Sina, NetEase, Sohu, the four major portal websites, and Tianya Forum!

In 2008, Baidu Tieba was at its peak, with over 100 million users and an influence comparable to the four major portal websites, second only to QQ!

Although Tianya Forum has fewer users, only 30 million, it has a high daily active user count!
Soon, the two advertisements appeared on the four major portal websites, Baidu Tieba, and Tianya Forum.

Related news has also been reported one after another:
[Broken and Rebuilt: Hu Xiaoyao Becomes WeChat's Spokesperson, Showcasing the Resilience of Life.]

[WeChat launches Moments feature; Hu Xiaoyao invites you to share your life's moments.]

[Vipshop recommends products; Hu Xiaoyao invites you to enjoy a quality lifestyle!]

……

With the promotion of the advertisement and news reports, it quickly caused a huge uproar.

Hu Xiaoyao's fan forum and various fan groups exploded:
"An idol becoming a WeChat spokesperson is a powerful combination."

"The WeChat boss has good vision; I'll register for one just for that reason."

"I usually only use QQ and not WeChat, but this time I have to download WeChat for my brother!"

"I just watched the ad, it was really well made, not sentimental at all, not playing the victim, it was all positive energy."

"That's right, especially the 'Broken and Rebuilt' ad, 'Bright Journey,' it's so high-class it doesn't seem like an ad at all."

"Yes, yes, if it weren't for the WeChat logo at the end, I wouldn't have known what they were marketing!"

"To produce an ad like this, it can only mean that WeChat, like Xiaoyao (a popular Chinese online game), has some depth. I'm downloading it now!"

"I became a WeChat fan because of this ad, and I support it. I hate all the messy QQ memberships and 'diamonds,' WeChat is much better—no membership required, everyone is equal."

(End of this chapter)