Zhou Hongyi finally got her wish and became a “53-year-old new Internet celebrity” certified by the short video platform.
During the Beijing auto show, two photos went straight out of the circle.
One is Xiaomi car booth, where Lei Jun, the “traffic champion” of the car circle, stands surrounded by people and announces that Xiaomi SU7 has locked 75000 units in 28 days.
In the Dongfeng Automobile Exhibition area, Zhou Hongyi climbed to the roof of the Dongfeng Heights Lion luxury car in front of all the onlookers, acting as a “male car model in red” and watching the shooting of “long Gun and short Gun” under the car.
it has the meaning of stills in the movie “Beautiful Legend of Sicily”.
These two entrepreneurs, who were once “surprised” on the Internet, are now transformed into the “top class” of the automobile industry, which is really worth pondering.
In contrast to Lei Jun Gongxuan cross-border car building and becoming a deep participant in the new energy automobile industry, what role does Zhou Hongyi, who has long been committed to the network security industry, play in the automobile industry? Hey, investors? Who is the “propaganda ambassador”? Last November, Zhang Yong, CEO of Nashi Automobile, had a live conversation with Zhou Hongyi.
At the beginning of the conversation, Zhou Hongyi said that he had never had a chance to experience the car sent by Zhang Yong because he did not have a driver’s license and did not know where to buy it.
Zhang Yong hastened to answer: “you can’t buy this.
You have to take the exam.
” There are also many untruths to say that Zhou Hongyi, who does not even have a driver’s license, has nothing to do with the automobile industry.
What is more important than whether Zhou Hongyi, the “boss” who has a driver, has a driver’s license or not– Zhou Hongyi is rich.
It is precisely because of “money” that Zhou Hongyi, as an “investor”, has become a supporter behind new energy car companies.
As the popularity of dividends in the Internet era gradually fades, many Internet companies quickly turn around and actively look for the second growth curve.
At the same time, the blue ocean of the new energy automobile industry is becoming more and more surging, and the idea of doing business as a mainframe factory, or even becoming a mainframe factory, has gradually emerged in the minds of many large Internet companies.
Now, Xiaomi directly founded Xiaomi car, Baidu “hand-to-hand combat” with self-driving technology, Huawei not only cooperated with a number of car companies, but also became a highly competitive player on the global intelligent car track with self-driving solutions.
As an Internet manufacturer that also came ashore in the “east wind” of the Internet era, 3060 also hopes to get a piece of the new energy automobile industry.
In 2021, when Lei Jun announced that he had “bet all his reputation” to join the “last venture of his life”, Zhou Hongyi was also trying to find an entrance and lead 360 into the new energy automobile industry.
In the same year, 360 chose to invest a total of 2.
9 billion yuan in its own funds to invest in Naga Automobile, indirectly holding 16.
594% of the latter, making it the second largest shareholder of Naga Automobile.
However, in the following days, Nahu car did not bring more ideal income to 360.
On the contrary, although 360’s performance continued to decline, it was at least in a state of profit before taking a stake in Nahan Automobile.
After taking a stake in Nahan Automobile, 3060 began to incur losses.
According to the financial report, the operating income of 360 in 2022 was 9.
521 billion yuan, down 12.
54% from the same period last year, and the net profit was 2.
204 billion yuan, down 344.
23% from the same period last year.
It was the company’s first loss since 2014.
In its financial report, 360 bluntly pointed out that the loss caused by Naga is the main reason for the loss of the group as a whole.
Of the investment loss of 360,1.
293 billion yuan, Naha Automobile brought a loss of 593 million yuan.
According to the performance forecast for 2023, the estimated net profit of 360 is about-550 million yuan to-370 million yuan, and the non-net profit is about-850 million yuan to-570 million yuan.
In other words, 360 net profit has suffered losses for two years in a row.
However, it is worth noting that although it is rare to see news of an increase in funding for Nahan in the future, Zhou Hongyi’s enthusiasm for the support of Nahan has not diminished.
Zhou Hongyi has expressed his approval of Nahan car many times in public, and even during the Beijing Auto Show, Zhou Hongyi appeared at the ideal car booth and declared in front of Li Xiang that Nahong L is the L5.
After all, the poor performance of 360s is by no means entirely the “pot” of the car, which also has a lot to do with the operation of 360s itself.
It can only be explained that Zhou Hongyi found an inappropriate “ship” in the blue ocean of the new energy automobile industry.
However, Zhou Hongyi doesn’t just want to make a profit by investing in new energy vehicle companies.
Zhou Hongyi wants to play more than just an investor in the vast ocean of the new energy vehicle industry.
He wants to be a deep participant.
But unlike Lei Jun, he chose not to build cars, but to be the “helmsman” of intelligent car safety in the future based on the “old business” of 30-60-safety.
In the same year when he invested in Nahan cars, Zhou Hongyi called for attention to the network security of smart cars at the two sessions.
Since then, Zhou Hongyi has told each other on many public occasions, publicizing the technical accumulation and first-mover advantages of 360 in the field of automotive network security.
In early March this year, 360th and Nadu jointly released the large model product NETA GPT, which applies advanced AI technologies such as 360Zhi brain, 360 search and 360 digital human to cockpit and other fields to speed up the landing of “equal rights in science and technology”.
In other words, in addition to the return on investment, Zhou Hongyi also hopes to build a successful example of automobile network security and intelligent cockpit through cooperation with Naha Automobile, so as to promote 360 to become an important part of the intelligent supply chain of new energy vehicles.
But in fact, nowadays, compared with the measures and strategies of how to promote automobile network security and intelligent cockpit, the industry is more full of news about how Zhou Hongyi himself “flirted with love” and “instructed the world” in the car circle.
Hey, “Advisor”? Car review blogger? As Zhou Hongyi himself said frankly in public, “I am very strange to the automobile industry, or even know nothing about it.
” But this “car circle outsider” observes, comments and even tries to guide the development of the industry in different dimensions all the time.
Among them, the most eye-catching is a series of marketing suggestions contributed by Zhou Hongyi to Zhang Yong.
Earlier, Zhang Yong said to the public that Zhou Hongyi has excellent ideas on Internet marketing and can bring new marketing, new ideas and new methods to which car.
Now it seems that this statement is true.
From 2023 to April this year, Naga still failed to reverse the decline in sales.
On February 2 this year, Zhang Yong found Zhou Hongyi to “learn from the classics” and posted a photo of the two on the social platform, saying bluntly: “learn from Lao Zhou!”Photo Source: Zhang Yong Weibo screenshot, then on February 24, Zhang Yong posted Weibo public review and reflection, and said, “the marketing problem is one of the biggest sticking points of which car.
” Zhou Hongyi publicly criticized Nahan Automobile during the live broadcast, asking Nahan executives to “learn from Xiaomi and learn more from Lei Jun.
” Obviously, Zhang Yong modestly accepted Zhou Hongyi’s suggestion and responded: “accept Lao Zhou’s criticism and learn from Lei Jun in marketing.
It’s not shameful!” There has never been a “shame” to learn from Lei Jun.
The question is, how much can Zhang Yong learn from Lei Jun’s marketing skills, which even Liu Qiangdong admires? As a result, Zhang Yong angrily stood on the opposite side of the “crowd” because he was criticized by netizens for crossing his legs during the live broadcast, publicly posting a Weibo reply: “crossing his legs in the live broadcast was compared by a gang of licking dogs.
” Although Zhang Yong later apologized and responded to this, this negative public opinion effect has been formed.
Photo Source: Zhang Yong Weibo screenshot, since Zhang Yong does not understand marketing, then Zhou Hongyi will do it himself.
I have to say that Zhou Hongyi has been deeply implementing the spirit of “lifelong learning” and is always on the enterprising road.
After being admitted to the doctorate of Tsinghua University, Zhou Hongyi did not forget to find Yu Minhong and try to learn from Dong Yuhui how to do live streaming and “be an Internet celebrity.
” Photo source: Zhou Hongyi Weibo screenshot.
Compared with the video traffic data posted by Zhou Hongyi on Douyin platform, the obvious difference is that the traffic of videos with AI, big models and other main content is lower than that of videos with unimportant car content.
Internet traffic does not come out of thin air.
You know, in recent months, Zhou Hongyi has repeatedly asked car companies for a “car” experience, both in public offline and on online social platforms.
On April 18, for example, Zhou Hongyi posted a short video saying that he would give up the traditional luxury car and sell Mercedes-Benz Maybach, which has been with him for nine years, and replace it with a domestic new energy smart car.
At the same time, Zhou Hongyi shouted directly to the car company, “who would like to take this opportunity to provide me with an experience car.
I will take it to and from work every day.
” Apart from Lei Jun’s face-to-face remark that “Xiaomi SU7 is designed for users who pursue driving fun and is not suitable for Zhou Hongyi, who can’t drive only in the back seat,” there is still no lack of car companies to respond.
Photo Source: Zhou Hongyi Weibo screenshot, after all, the “Uncle in Red” who plays with traffic wants to get into trouble, and the car companies also hope to take advantage of Dongfeng to rock their cars to the consumer market.
Among them, look up to the official Weibo message that “looking up to U8 has been arranged for you”.
Chen Zhuo, president of Avita Technology, said that he could arrange a newly listed Avita Huijin version 12.
Yang Xueliang, senior vice president of Zhejiang Geely holding Group, recommended Geely’s extreme Krypton 009 brilliant for Zhou Hongyi.
Deep Blue CEO Deng Chenghao also advertised his own brand car, Deep Blue G318, and said he could provide Zhou Hongyi with one at his own expense.
Xiaopeng Automobile and Polar Krypton car sent Xiaopeng X9 and Polar Krypton 009 to the downstairs of Zhou Hongyi Company.
Dongfeng Nano, Hao Platinum and other brands also responded positively.
The grand occasion was as Lei Jun joked: “are all the people coming down from the 360th floor waiting in line?” Are you dazzled? ” Soon, the entry “Zhou Hongyi selling cars” rushed into the hot search.
Sold from 660 to 9.
9 million, luxury used car auctioneer? Zhou Hongyi once posted a long explanation on the social platform for the reason for selling Maybach.
He believes that the standard for defining luxury cars in the past will be subverted by China’s new energy vehicles.
In the past, our definitions of luxury cars included high price, large body, rich interior, good engine power, brand and so on, he said.
Now the market’s definition of luxury cars has changed.
There may be two new standards: the first is security and the second is intelligence This is a subversive reshaping of the automobile industry by digital technology and artificial intelligence technology, and it is a huge opportunity for China’s intelligent network industry.
This time I sell Maybach, I hope it means the end of an old era and the beginning of a new era.
” That’s what Zhou Hongyi said.
The definition of luxury car will not be easily rewritten because of one opinion, and the change of the old and new era of the automobile industry will not actually change because Zhou Hongyi sold a car.
Zhou Hongyi’s Maybach auction, which seems to be on a whim, is actually a mutual achievement between the new energy vehicle industry and Internet traffic.
Well, then, who did it? Zhou Hongyi set the starting price of the old Maybach at 600 yuan.
The pricing seems arbitrary, but in fact it has earned enough gimmicks for the auction.
It is reported that the seats at the auction site were occupied early, and even many spectators were stopped outside the guardrail of the square of the 360 headquarters building.
After several rounds of bidding, Zhou Hongyi’s Maybach was finally sold by Chu Zhenliang (Douyin blogger @ President Chu-Tianan used car) for 9.
9 million yuan.
From 600 yuan to 9.
9 million yuan, such a high premium makes both Zhou Hongyi and Chu Zhenliang earn enough traffic outside this Maybach.
It is reported that Chu Zhenliang’s personal Douyin account poured into more than 50, 000 people, adding 400000 fans overnight, and the number of fans on the entire account is still on the growth channel.
It can be predicted that when this second-hand Maybach officially completes the delivery of the car, Zhou Hongyi and Chu Zhenliang will have a series of actions, and the wealth of “splashing sky flow” will fall on them again.
However, when the car sale incident came to an end, many netizens complained on the social media platform: “it should not be deliberately made by joint bidders,” and “they also said that they would choose an auspicious day to hand in the car.
I’m afraid it won’t be another hot search,” and “Zhou Hongyi can only rely on these means to get hot now.
” It is reported that Zhou Hongyi has revealed that his goal this year is to have 10 million followers of Douyin, while according to his current 6.
25 million followers of Douyin, less than halfway through the next year, Zhou Hongyi has completed nearly 63% of the progress bar for this goal.
Photo source: a screenshot of Zhou Hongyi’s Douyin home page, there is no doubt that whether it is the “Beijing Auto Show car Model”, asking for a car test car from a car company, or auctioning a second-hand Maybach to try to redefine luxury, Zhou Hongyi did find his position in the automobile industry as a “uncle in red”, and the traffic code was readily available.
However, we still have to face the fact that what is more important than Zhou Hongyi’s own role in the car circle is that Zhou Hongyi has to find his role in the automobile industry for 30th and 60th.
After all, Uncle Red does not intend to become an out-and-out Internet celebrity, and as the boss of a technology company, he still depends onTechnology products of technology companies.
, When will Zhou Hongyi and San60 get their wish and earn real money in the automobile industry? Return to First Electric Network Home>.
