Baidu.com is the leading search engine in China and is currently the 4th most visited website in the world. Baidu means the “search for one’s dream” and is taken from a poem written more than 800 years ago in the Song dynasty. http://www.zanthro.com

1. About Baidu
• Leading search engine in China
• 4th
most visited website in the world
• Baidu means the “search for one's dream”
- Taken from an 800 year old poem from
the Song Dynasty
• Founded in 2000 by Robin Li
• Earned a masters degree in Computer
Science from SUNY Buffalo
• Developed an algorithm for ranking
webpage popularity, similar to Google
• Employs over 40000; 57 products
emphasizing search and community
The Chinese Consumer
• Population is 1.3 billion, over 420
million connected to the Internet
• 71% urban; 28.9% rural
• 70% under the age of 30
• 88% use Internet on daily basis
• 81% confident about their future
finances
• 70% of consumers under age 32 use
search engine before making purchase
• 58% of Chinese consumers feel that
customer reviews impact purchasing
decisions
• 73% of users reported using Baidu
first
Product Strategy
• Products emphasize two things: access
to information and connecting with
others online
• Baidu Post Bar is a discussion board
used to write reviews and exchange
views
• Baidu Knows is a Q&A engine
• Appeals to rural users who need to
be shown “how to use it”
• Baidu Baike allow users to post and
edit articles on any subject
• Appeals to collectivist mindset, placing
group needs before individual needs
http://www.zanthro.com

2. Perception
• The perception of Baidu is one of
nationalistic pride and Baidu has played to
that strength
• Heavily emphasizes loyalty
• In a collectivist society “the nation has
priority over everything; loyalty to the
country is of utmost importance”
• Baidu has convinced a lot of people that
they have a grip on the subtleties of the
Chinese language
Semiotics
• Temple aligns Baidu with 5,000 year Chinese
history
• The swarm of daggers symbolizes the chaos
of the Internet and potential dangers
• Accuracy of chop sticks symbolizes
precision
• Black background symbolizes power
• Blue laser underscoring text symbolizes
precision and modernity
• Warrior and military maneuvers symbolize
power and strength
•Associative network: China, Internet =
Baidu
Competition
• Google – recently pulled out and moved
servers to Hong Kong
• Baidu attacked Google with “Foreign
Invader” campaign, suggesting that Google
doesn’t understand Chinese consumers
• Tencent – advertising focuses more on
family instead of nationalism
Advertising
• The main theme is history
• Commercials use traditional costumes and
are set in temples
• Warrior uses chop sticks to pull out one
dagger; he is unscathed
• A blue laser dot underscores the text: “Baidu,
the most used search engine in China”
• Emphasizes strength, precision, and
modernity
Perceptual Process
• Baidu plays with sense of sight, by using a
visually rich temple
• Fast action sequences capture users
attention
• Use of contrasting black background with
white type
• Plays with sense of hearing through having
minimal sound. Only the sound of the knife
blade and laser are heard
Recommendation
• Must continue to adapt U.S. innovation
to Chinese market
• Must continue to develop advertising
that directly connects Baidu with China’s
rich history and culture
• Must continue to portray image of being
sanctioned by the Government,
convincing consumers that they are strong
and stable
• Continue to develop product offerings
that focus on information delivery and
community, appealing to collectivist
mindset
http://www.zanthro.com