In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses the rise of OMO (online-merge-offline) platforms in China, such as Alibaba’s Sun Art and Beike / Lianjia. He argues that these platforms are disrupting the traditional retail and real estate industries. He explains that OMO platforms offer a number of advantages over traditional businesses, such as convenience, personalization, and data-driven insights.
Monthly Archives: April 2021
What is the Worst Case Scenario for Alibaba? (Tech Strategy – Podcast 78)
Alibaba is facing increasing political risks in China. In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses the potential worst case scenario for Alibaba and provides 9 questions investors should ask themselves when considering an investment in the company.
Don’t Overvalue Cool China Tactics: Community Group Buying, Blind Boxes and Influencer Marketing. (Tech Strategy – Podcast 77)
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses the short-term tactics that are popular in China, such as community group buying, blind boxes and influencer marketing. He argues that investors should not overvalue these tactics, as they are not sustainable in the long term.
Baidu Is Externalizing and Exploiting AI. But It’s All About Cloud. (Pt 3 of 3) (Asia Tech Strategy – Daily Update)
In Part 1 and Part 2, I laid out Baidu’s core search engine and some of the complexities that have evolved in search over time. I have three strategy questions for Baidu going forward: How competitive will a stand-alone search engine be against China’s larger digital giants over time? Can Baidu create a second large […]
Can Baidu Thrive As a Stand-Alone Search Engine? (Tech Strategy – Podcast 76)
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses Baidu’s key strategic questions, including its best growth opportunity, whether it needed to go into content, and how it can compete in the attention market. He argues that Baidu’s best growth opportunity is in the cloud, but that it needs to be careful not to overextend itself. He also believes that Baidu needs to focus on its core search business and not get distracted by other ventures.
Baidu is Struggling in Content Creation, Push Feeds and the Attention Market (Pt 2 of 3) (Asia Tech Strategy – Daily Update)
In Part 1, I laid out some basic theory for Baidu and search engines. I think it was a pretty solid picture for Baidu circa 2010. But strange things have been happening since then. Baidu has moved into entertainment, services (for a while), content creation and self-driving cars. I’m not sure if these were […]