Short Essay 2 Chen Yijie (1155225510)

 Navigating the Future: The Impact of GenAI on Information Access and Media Careers

On November 19, we were fortunate to have George Chen as a guest speaker, discussing how GenAI impacts the way we access information. He began by illustrating the progress of journalism over the past few decades, comparing the month-long delay in news of Lincoln's assassination reaching the entire U.S. to how news is now delivered in real-time. He divided the revolution of the internet into three phases: Directory, represented by Yahoo; Search, represented by Google; and Discovery, represented by Facebook. He then introduced ChatGPT as the fourth phase in the Q&A stage.

I believe that these phases don't replace one another, but rather coexist, with the earlier stages gradually fading. For instance, news platforms or forum sites like Yahoo are less popular among younger people today. Similarly, Google’s search engine won’t be replaced by Facebook’s social media, and while ChatGPT is unlikely to replace search engines in the short term, it does show signs of gradually doing so. Social media, unlike other stages, seems irreplaceable by current technologies.

During the discussion on whether generative AI might replace media professionals, George Chen quoted Bill Gates: “Context is king.” As long as we can create high-quality content, we will always be needed in the industry. We don’t need to be scientists in generative AI, but we must learn how to use it. George also suggested that data analysis-related jobs, including marketing and research, could be promising career paths for us.

Regarding the future of technology, George noted two major ideological clashes: Elon Musk’s focus on robots and Mark Zuckerberg’s focus on wearable devices. I believe that due to challenges like limited battery advancements and the difficulty of making transparent electronic components, wearable devices won’t see revolutionary progress in the near future. However, robots equipped with generative AI show clear potential for development.

George introduced a concept for AI development in three stages: ANI (Artificial Narrow Intelligence), AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), and ASI (Artificial Super Intelligence). We are currently in the AGI stage, and within 30 to 40 years, we may reach ASI.

He also touched on the issue of whether generative AI should be open-source. Meta leads in open-source AI, while OpenAI is closed-source. He discussed the pros and cons of each approach: openness brings transparency but also more risk, as it's unclear who is behind the technology. It's a double-edged sword.

Finally, George shared insights on the acceptance of generative AI in education. At The Chinese University of Hong Kong, strict regulations are in place for its use, and the school doesn't provide these tools to students. However, other institutions like The University of Hong Kong offer more access. He believes that, in general, new technologies should be open for use, and I agree with his view.

Reflecting on the lecture, I gained valuable insights into the ongoing evolution of the internet and the increasing role of AI. It made me think about how we, as future professionals, need to adapt to these changes by developing new skills and staying open to emerging technologies. I'm particularly inspired to explore how AI can complement our work rather than replace it, and the importance of learning how to leverage these tools effectively.

Short Essay 2_Wang Ziling(1155222157)

How does Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (永夜星河) as a TV series create a long-tail effect?

    When we talk about the long-tail effect, we often imagine the scenario of a product after it earned considerable income, but in fact, a TV series can also be considered a product in terms of its long-tail effect. Back in the early days, Chinese TV dramas already had a long-tail effect. The fairy tale TV series of Hua Qian Gu is an example. After Hua Qian Gu was broadcasted, it produced many derivatives as a famous IP, such as dolls and mobile games, so its long-tail effect is quite powerful. However, since it was produced and released quite a long time ago, I chose the recently released Love Game in Eastern Fantasy to analyze the long-tail effect of the TV series.

Compared to Hua Qian Gu, the long-tail effect of Love Game in Eastern Fantasy actually had been prepared during the broadcast period. When it was launched on Tencent Video, the producers of the TV series set up a card collection campaign for it on DouYin in order to promote it to more audiences. DouYin users will not only increase the popularity of the drama's official account through liking and commenting on the relevant activities but also expand the awareness of the drama through the spontaneous output of promotional videos. As a result, Love Game in Eastern Fantasy gained a lot of popularity during the broadcast period and earned a lot of membership recharge fees for Tencent Video.

    After the broadcast of Love Game in Eastern Fantasy, producers of drama responded to the demand of viewers for the physicalisation of electronic mini-cards and produced physical cards for sale; moreover, derivatives of key props products and sold them to viewers through Tencent Video. Additionally, many companies have collaborated with the TV series IP to produce many related products during the broadcasting period. For example, Molly Tea produced related milk tea cup sets, postcards, and stickers to sell along with the milk tea; Chinese dress brand Thirteen Yu also collaborated with Love Game in Eastern Fantasy during the broadcast period and produced three sets of costumes of the main heroine for sale for a limited time. Although the price of co-branded products is more expensive than other products, many consumers still pay for the sake of sentiment.

    The long-tail effect of Eternal Night of Stars has not only brought considerable gains for Tencent Video and the show's producers but has also raised the profile of four of its lead actors. Among them, the male protagonist, Ding Yuxi, received the highest attention; not only had his fans on DouYin and Weibo each grown by a million, but his Weibo superlatives were ranked the third-grade diamond a week ago. To be clear, Level 3 Diamond Super Talk has always been difficult to achieve, and only the most popular celebrities have ever set such a record.

    Overall, Love Game in Eastern Fantasy has gained a large number of drama fans after broadcast, and based on this large fan base, its long-tail effect brings considerable positive impact for the producer, broadcast platform (Tencent Video), and the actors.

Short Essay 1_Wang Ziling(1155222157)

 Blue Ocean Strategy of Love and Deep Ocean(恋与深空）

With the gradual awakening of women's consciousness in recent times, more and more excellent female-oriented games have come into the public's view in the game market. Otome games are one of the most popular and popular female-oriented games. Otome game refers to the general term for romance video games with female protagonists (players). Players usually get a lot of emotional value from games and build deep emotional links with the male protagonists in the games. Chinese Otome game market develops rapidly, and the most developed of them, ‘Love and Maker’, ‘Light and Night Love’, ‘Time and Space Painted Traveller’ and ‘Undecided Event Book’ are known as the four major national Otome games, which can be used as a benchmark for Otome games.

As more and more well-made Otome games enter the market, each game company becomes less and less competitive in this market. At this time, PaperGames company stood out from the crowd of competitors with its new Otome game ‘Love and Deep Space’. This is mainly due to the blue ocean strategy.

 

I created a comparison chart between other Otome games and Love and Deep Space based on five characteristics. As the first Chinese Otome game with 3D modelling, Love and Deep Space breaks the barrier of 2D technology that was widely used. However, the technical maturity of Deep Space and Love is much lower than that of other games which are already very sophisticated in 2D technology. But otherwise, the 3D modeling of protagonists and the construction of the scene make the player's sense of immersion significantly improved. Moreover, each player can customize their own modeling images and voices when creating account, allowing each player's virtual character to more closely resemble themselves, thus enhancing the game experience and the realism of interacting with the male protagonists. In addition, while other Otome games usually focus on art and plot, with gameplay favouring card turn-based numerical gameplay, Love and Deep Space is paired with more hardcore action gameplay, which enhances the playability for the players when passing the game.

Next I will discuss the ERRC to further analyze the blue ocean strategy of Love and Deep Space. The competitive factors that should be eliminated from the Otome game market are technical barriers (basically based on Live2D technology) and repetitive over-the-top mechanics. The factors that should be raised are the personalization features for the master players themselves, such as customized appearance and voice lines. On the contrary, what should be reduced is shaping irrelevant branches that may affect player’s overall game experience. Instead, more forms of Otome games should be created to integrate with the new technologies of the times (e.g. VR's AR), one successful example of this is Love and Deep Space. As far as I know, Love and Deep Space announced soon after its release that it would develop a version that could be experienced through VR gaming glasses, which gives it more potential for development afterwards than other Otome games that still rely on Live2D technology.

 

 

 

Short Essay 2_Ye Yijia(1155222164)

 P&G: The Enduring Legend of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Industry 

When we talk about corporate image and branding in class, P&G is the first to come to mind as a leader in the industry. We think about its pluralistic identity and its flanker brand strategy. We also consider its status an enduring legend in the FMCG sector. I want to seize this opportunity to utilize the analytical methods we've learned in class to explore why P&G has managed to maintain its robust momentum over the years.

Branded Identity: Creating a High-Quality Brand Matrix

P&G is a pioneer in multi-brand management. For instance, in laundry detergents, they have brands like Tide and Ariel; in shampoos, they have Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Rejoice, and Vidal Sassoon. The multi-brand strategy can encircle competitors externally, thereby capturing a larger market share. 

How does P&G handle the competition among multiple internal brands and avoid internal damage?

P&G's brands are developed based on different needs, take shampoo products for example: Head & Shoulders is for dandruff control, Rejoice focuses on smoothness, Pantene is for repairing damage, Herbal Essences is known for its fragrance, and Vidal Sassoon represents salon products. Meanwhile, Pantene is the anchor brand, and the other brands are the flanker brands. Through this strategy, P&G can reach a wider group of consumers while protecting its anchor brands from erosion by other competing brands. Each brand has its own unique market positioning and consumer base, which together form P&G's brand portfolio in the shampoo market.

Product in 4P Theory: The Secret Behind Continuous Hit Products

In the 4P marketing theory, the Product takes the leading role. P&G's consistent ability to cultivate hit products is largely attributed to its investment in technological R&D, along with a keen focus on localization strategies.

P&G has a global network of six R&D centers, with more than 7,200 R&D professionals, and is teaming up with startup incubators and investors to create entirely new businesses and categories. Time and again, when P&G encounters development obstacles and a lack of momentum, it's technological R&D that has steered the company towards new engines of growth.

P&G has also innovated in product localization. When Olay entered China in 1989, its primary function was to moisturize the skin. However, market research revealed that Chinese female consumers desired fairer skin. Consequently, in 1997, Olay successfully launched its first whitening product tailored for Chinese women, which led to a rapid increase in Olay's sales. Starting from 2000, P&G observed that Chinese women were becoming more independent and confident, seeking balance in both family and career. In response, Olay introduced the "Her Century" strategy, communicating to Chinese women that they are the masters of their own lives, and launched a series of advertisements with the theme "Fearless of Age, I Have a Story."

The Chinese market is vast, complex, and in transition, requiring products and marketing strategies to be adaptable and dynamically adjusted in response to the psychological shifts of consumer groups.

Big Brand Plus Big Media: Accelerating Consumer Decision

P&G's marketing approach is famously based on the "HBG Theory" (How Brands Grow), which involves building big brands, utilizing large media platforms, and using extensive distribution channels. Firstly, to become a major brand with a large user base is essential to increase penetration rates. Secondly, by saturating the market with advertising through major media platforms and conducting an all-around 'attack' on consumers' minds, the brand becomes top-of-mind when they have a need, sparking the desire to purchase. Lastly, establishing barriers in major distribution channels ensures that once consumers make their decision, they can conveniently proceed with the purchase. This strategy ensures that consumers can "remember" the brand and "find it readily available" whenever they need it. It can be summarized as a formula: Brand Growth = Penetration × Mindfulness × Availability.

That is why P&G is one of the world's largest advertisers. According to its financial report for FY2021, P&G spent a staggering $11.5 billion on marketing, surpassing Amazon's $10.9 billion in advertising expenses for the same period and ranking it number one globally. P&G's business empire is largely built on the foundation of its substantial investment in advertising and marketing expenses.

Discussion

Despite its past glories and established position as a market leader, P&G has recently faced issues such as slowing business growth. The main changes and challenges P&G is facing include the rapid evolution of the Chinese market, the diversification of consumer demands, fierce competition from local brands, and the rise of e-commerce channels that have weakened the advantages of traditional distribution channels. Whether it's a new or established brand, a large corporation, or a startup, everlasting development requires a willingness to observe the consumer trends of the era, truly understand the evolving demands of consumers, and be agile in change.

 

Short Essay 2 HUANG Ziyun(1155217222)

999 x Bananain: the crossover in health marketing

The 999 & Bananain co-branding campaign is one of the most creative co-branding in health marketing in China. 999 is a cold medicine brand, while Bananain is a thermal underwear brand facing young generation. In 2024, two brands collaborated to release a "no catching-cold gift box" and organized a series of following promotion campaigns.

Why could they collaborate?

The mean slogan of the co-branding campaign, "no catching-cold", also means not interested in or not recognize some concept or fashion in Chinese. From this slogan, we can somehow see the brand image that the two brands hoped to build.

• Bananain has always been recognized as a trendy brand for the youth, so the slogan is fitted in their original brand style. By co-branding with 999, what Bananain wanted to show may be its functionality. As 999 is known as an effective cold medicine, the collaboration itself, but not the slogan, increased brand expertise for Bananain.
• On the other hand, 999 is a brand facing customers of all ages, especially elder people and mothers. By using youthful slogan, 999 tried to improve its brand identity in youth, stressing that it is a brand "caring young people".

How did they collaborated?

The co-branding is mainly in form of complementary branding. 

• The two brands designed a gift box which contained Bananain's yoga wear, 999's masks and co-branded stickers. All of the contents are original products of two brands with the co-branded logo added.

• While selling the co-branding gift box, two brands also posted campaign posters on various social media platforms. Posters are text-based, with contents reflecting the rebellion attitude against a range of social phenomena and popular culture, from dieting, marriage to overtime working.

Is it a successful co-branding?

Sadly, the co-branding doesn't seem to be widely discussed or spread. While the health marketing industry sees this as an excellent example of health co-branding, the average consumer doesn't seem to recognize it as such. What makes this happen?

• Non-product-related marketing campaign. Although using "no catching-cold" to relate two brands that aim to keep people warm and healthy is a creative idea, relating the slogan to popular culture seems confusing. When consumers see the textual content, it's hard to associate the advertisement with these brands, which weakened the effectiveness of brand image communication.
• Limited channels. The co-branding campaign set its place mainly on social media since 999 doesn't have offline stores while Bananain only owned a few stores. However, online infomercials are also limited in scope.
• Mismatch between desired effect and marketing mode. The co-branded gift box wasn't created to boost sales, but more to do branding. To increase consumers' awareness, brand ads should buy more open screen and banner space for ads rather than infomercials and increase the frequency of reveal.

Short Essay 2_CHU Man Yin (1155219826)

 Xiaomi's Audience Analysis in the High-Performance EV Sector

Xiaomi's founder, Lei Jun, possesses a unique entrepreneurial mindset, breaking the public's stereotype that affordable domestic products equate to low quality. With high cost-performance products and innovative internet marketing models, coupled with the ultimate creation of "fan culture," Xiaomi has gradually transformed its image. It is well-known that Xiaomi Group's technological smartphone kingdom and smart home ecosystem have always been its trump cards. However, earlier this year, Xiaomi Group launched its first electric vehicle Xiaomi SU7. Entering the already fiercely competitive new energy vehicle track may seem to have little to do with Xiaomi's core business, but why does Xiaomi Group insist on doing so? I would like to analyze Xiaomi Group's motivation from the perspective of audience segmentation.

In the chapter "The Target Audience & Consumer Psychology," it was mentioned that understanding the target audience is crucial before deciding whether to enter a market. It not only affects the most intuitive product profitability but is also closely related to the sustainable development of the enterprise.

 

Firstly, the SU7 aims to create a high-profile "national brand," taking China as its base and gradually moving towards globalization, while tailoring to the domestic market's needs and preferences. The SU7 primarily targets urban users, especially those in first-tier and new first-tier cities. Cities indeed offer more comprehensive electric vehicle (EV) supporting facilities compared to rural areas, which is a significant advantage for the adoption and management of electric vehicles. From a demographic segmentation perspective, highly educated male groups are the main targets of the SU7. According to the 2023 China Car Consumer Survey and Business Insight Trend Report, men pay more attention to car hardware, including performance parameters, mechanical configuration, driving experience, and vehicle control. However, the selling point that Xiaomi SU7 vigorously promotes is its hardware system equipped with dual NVIDIA Orin chips, with a computing power of up to 508 TOPS for the autonomous driving system, as well as three millimeter-wave radars and twelve ultrasonic radars, which have been emphasized on multiple occasions such as press conferences. Indeed, Xiaomi Group has not given up on the female consumer market but has gradually started to value it. According to the "China Women's Car Consumption Trend Report (2024)," the average purchase price of cars by women is higher than that of men. Women prefer new energy vehicles and focus their discussions on independent, luxury, and new force brands, paying more attention to the car's exterior design, interior texture, comfort, and intelligent configuration. The SU7, in terms of both appearance and interior, references the luxury design of the famous car brand "Porsche," fully meeting the needs of female consumers in terms of style. From a results-oriented perspective, Lei Jun once said in his annual speech live broadcast: "Today, all orders for the SU7, the proportion of female car owners has exceeded 40%, and I believe the actual proportion of female car owners may be close to 50%."Winner takes all” , the market may become a new trend for Xiaomi to quickly occupy the market.

 

In addition, from a psychographic segmentation perspective, the positioning of the SU7 very much hopes to continue the momentum of the previous "fan culture," attracting a group of technology enthusiasts and becoming the brand's most loyal promoter. The concept of combining Xiaomi's ecosystem with the car-making philosophy is very smart, using existing resources to expand the ecosystem, including seamless connection with Xiaomi smartphones, tablets, and IoT devices. Users can use Xiaomi smartphones and other smart devices to remotely control the car, exchange information, and share services, achieving a close connection between smart homes and smart cars. In terms of technology network construction, it is far superior to similar brands and is bound to attract this group of enthusiastic loyal enthusiasts. With the changes of the times, whether the fan culture can generate positive word-of-mouth like Xiaomi smartphones in the past and pave the way for Xiaomi cars in the new energy track, we are all looking forward to it.

Short Essay 1_CHU Man Yin (1155219826)

The Trust Imperative: Airbnb's Business Model Canvas for Navigating the New Travel Landscape

In the post-pandemic era, the travel industry is experiencing a revival, with businesses like Airbnb leading the charge. Central to Airbnb’s success is its robust business model, which hinges on the core value of trust—a crucial element in the sharing economy that sets it apart from traditional accommodation services. Beyond the impetus of the global economy, Airbnb’s ability to foster trust among its users has been instrumental in its success.

Trust is one of Airbnb’s most important value propositions. Its co-founder, Joe Gebbia, explained in a TED Talk that the core value of Airbnb is “trust”. This trust forms a network of relationships between the primary partners—hosts and consumers—allowing both parties to establish a positive relationship in terms of supply (an easy way to monetize unused space) and demand (access to a wide variety of accommodations). On this foundation, other added values such as lower prices and offer variety, with the added benefit of local experiences, are effectively driven.

 

Trust is established through positive experiences and is maintained by various methods. When individuals have better accommodation experiences, they naturally develop greater trust in the hosts and the services provided on the platform. To foster a trustworthy environment, Airbnb offers a transparent review system, enabling hosts and guests to leave honest feedback for each other. This transparency not only holds users accountable but also builds a reputation system that influences future bookings. Complementing this, the platform’s requirement for user identity verification mitigates the risk of fraud and enhances user confidence by ensuring that all participants are who they claim to be.

 

Furthermore, Airbnb creates a mutually beneficial situation for both hosts and customers. In Joe Gebbia’s vision, hosts not only receive financial rewards but also form social connections through the rental process, such as discovering tour guide services and building friendships, which are invaluable. On the other hand, consumers benefit from rental services while also experiencing local culture and hospitality, adding a personal touch. Ultimately, a community built on trust allows both hosts and guests to enjoy a pleasant and enriching experience.

 

Airbnb’s revenue streams and cost structure are intricately linked to its business model and the trust it fosters among users. The company primarily generates revenue through service fees charged to both hosts and guests. Hosts pay a commission fee for each booking, which incentivizes them to maintain high standards and positive reviews, thereby reinforcing the trust mechanism. Guests are also charged a service fee, contributing to Airbnb’s revenue while ensuring the platform can invest in maintaining and enhancing its trust and safety features. On the cost side, Airbnb incurs significant expenses in technology development, customer support, expanding the trust network and ensuring the platform’s growth and sustainability.

 

Regulations within the travel agency sector in various countries pose significant limitations to Airbnb. Many cities have stringent rules regarding short-term rentals, which can restrict Airbnb’s operations. For instance, in New York City, laws prohibit landlords from renting out entire apartments or houses to guests for less than 30 days, even if the landlord owns or resides in the building. Short-term rentals are only permitted if the landlord and guest share the same unit or apartment, and the guest count does not exceed two. Similarly, in Berlin, Germany, all short-term rental properties must obtain a permit from the city government and can be rented for a maximum of 90 days per year. The Japanese government mandates that all Airbnb listings must be registered with the government, and in 2021, nearly 80% of Airbnb listings were removed from the platform.

 

These restrictions inevitably impact consumer experience, leading to a decline in Airbnb’s market competitiveness. Regulatory constraints increase compliance costs and operational difficulties for hosts, potentially deterring prospective hosts and reducing the number of available listings. Additionally, these restrictions may drive up listing prices as hosts seek to offset compliance costs, which is unfavorable for consumers seeking affordable accommodations. Furthermore, these limitations can affect Airbnb’s brand image and user trust. When consumers find it challenging to locate suitable listings in certain cities or face more complex booking processes, they may turn to other competing platforms or traditional hotels. This presents a significant challenge for Airbnb, as one of its core values is to provide convenient and diverse accommodation options.

 

Trust is an extremely abstract concept. Beyond the trust connections established between hosts, consumers, and the platform, the trust between the government and the platform is equally important. Looking ahead, Airbnb could explore advanced technologies such as blockchain for more secure transactions or AI-driven analytics to predict and mitigate trust issues. Additionally, fostering stronger partnerships with local governments could help in creating more favorable regulatory environments. By continuously innovating and adapting, Airbnb can enhance its trust mechanisms and ensure long-term sustainability.