Baidu unveiled its much anticipated strategic product, Zhida, at the Technology Innovation Conference 2014, it indicates the development direction and a shift towards mobile commercialization of Baidu. Who will be affected the most, and what does it offer to advertisers and consumers in the mobile marketing chain? iClick’s first-hand interpretation might give you some ideas.

1. @merchant name HOW IS BAIDU ZHIDA GOING TO
IMPACT MOBILE BUSINESS ? DIRECT ACCESS
At the Baidu Technology Innovation Conference 2014, Baidu unveiled its much anticipated strategic product, Zhida, which literally means
“direct access”. Drawing keen interest from the industry, the product was seen as the search engine giant’s magic wand, indicating its
direction of development and a shift towards mobile commercialisation. But who exactly is affected most by the launch of Baidu Zhida?
What does it bring to the players in the mobile marketing chain, ranging from advertisers to consumers? Read iClick’s first-hand interpre-tation
of this new product.
A Baidu Zhida account is a merchant’s official service account on the Baidu mobile platform, which features functions like a search
engine, maps, personalised recommendations, @account and fuzzy searches. Via this account, Baidu users will gain direct access to the
merchant or receive personalised recommendations to their page. At the conference, Baidu demonstrated the simplicity of using Zhida:
inputting “@haidilao” (a famous hotpot restaurant) in Baidu on a mobile phone directs the user to the restaurant’s online interface, where
they can easily complete the ordering and catering process.
Restaurant
Reservation
Menu
Delivery
Information
Center Game
It delivers a complete service chain
of “search +access +payment”.
Zhida became a hit shortly after it
was introduced, viewed by many in
for Baidu’s foray onto the O2O
battlefield.
Merchant can even
services here
Input "@merchant name"
in the search bar.
At the merchant's page, detail
services are listed in the
landing page.
Consumers can choose what
they want to order.
@merchant name
@merchant name
the industry as a powerful weapon Personal show detail menu and

2. “Mobile” and “O2O” are hot keywords in 2014. For the first time, the number of China’s mobile users surpassed that of PC users. As the
popularity of mobile payment keeps surging, O2O is gaining momentum, fuelling more offline transactions. This blend of mobile payment
and O2O is therefore regarded as an irreversible trend. Baidu’s high-key launch of Zhida has highlighted its intent to expand its presence
in O2O mobile platforms, recognising the importance of gaining a foothold at the entrance to mobile access. Will Baidu’s move pay
dividends? Who is going to be the winners in the end?
Ricky Ng, Co-Founder and Vice President of iClick, was among the first to share his view: “By launching Zhida, Baidu has opened up new
business opportunities for merchants on the mobile platform, speeding up the shift of focus towards mobile Internet for traditional
industries. In addition, by combining mobile search functions and O2O applications, Baidu Zhida has created faster and more convenient
mobile access channels for consumers.” Ng suggested that advertisers should reconsider their marketing strategies based on the
following three trends brought about by Zhida:
Baidu Zhida has created a new mobile access entry.
Capitalising on its inherited advantage in mobile marketing, Baidu has created a precise access entrance, linking
consumers and merchants together. All users have to do is search “@merchant name” in Baidu to reach the
service they need. This is a one-stop solution that meets consumer demand by conveniently linking people and
services.
Zhida makes O2O more complete and more straightforward.
Baidu Zhida is based on a mobile search engine and maps, which allows consumers to easily acquire a merchant’s
information and its location. Coupled with Baidu Wallet, the service delivers a complete online experience featuring
ordering, payment, consumption and rating. Zhida makes it possible to seamlessly connect online and offline
situations, triggering more instant consumption for consumers. By helping merchants branch out to more new
customers, the service will also turn a massive number of online users into offline consumers.
“Zhida +LAPP (light app)” is a lightweight combo that is easy to develop and use.
By using HTML5, Baidu Zhida gains the advantages of high speed, low budget and easy promotions. This helps
merchants accelerate their online presence at the entryway of mobile Internet. By adding value to “click” marketing
on mobile Internet platforms, the product will help drive the speedy transformation of traditional industries in the
mobile era.
So who will be the winners in the end? As things stand, it’s a bright beginning that promises to please everyone. Advertisers have
acquired mobile access channels by capitalising on the enhanced mobile searching and O2O consumption. Consumers have acquired
faster and more convenient shopping channels. The Internet marketing industry as a whole has expanded its scale. Will more win-win
situations result from Baidu Zhida’s encouragement of mobile development and innovation? Let’s keep an eye on its development.
About iClick:
Re-define digital marketplace and advertising performance with data, insights and innovations.
iClick is Asia's leading digital marketing platform connecting worldwide advertisers with the China audience. Its proprietary
XMO platform is the only of its kind in the region that truly supports cross-channel digital marketing activities – including
search, display, mobile and social media. XMO is capable to serve every single step in digital marketing from media
planning to programmatic buy, audience targeting, campaign optimization, data analysis and reporting.
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