Homeopathy is the carnival of the industry, and contradiction is the paradise of the strong
After 3 years of weak cycle, the smartphone industry finally ushered in a turning point in Q4 2023, ending 10 quarters of continuous decline.
At the same time, various authoritative institutions have recently released the report card of China's smartphones in 2023. According to the 2023 Chinese smartphone activation data shared by authoritative institutions, Apple took the first place with a market share of 17%, followed by vivo with 166% is in second place, while OPPO is in second place with 158% ranked third
Subsequently, Counterpoint and Canalys also released the ranking of shipments in China's smartphone marketvivo is still the TOP1 brand of domestic smartphones, the first of the three lists, and it does not need any definite words, real power
AI New Connect believes that this series of achievements is expected, Apple surpassed Samsung in the global market for the first time, the growth can be seen, and the unprecedented discount has also made it achieve good results in the Chinese market.
Vivo has won the first place in China's smartphone market for two consecutive years, and this year's momentum is unabated, and it is also reasonable to win the first place in domestic mobile phonesAfter all, the number of activations that best reflects the actual sales is only 0A slim margin of 4%.
Judging from the performance of Apple and vivo in the past three years, the conclusion is clear that strong players are not overly affected by the cycle, and they have their own rhythm and direction
Take vivo as an example, although it is in a weak cycle and everyone is reducing expenses, vivo has not chosen to reduce R&D and tighten food and clothing for the winter, but has maintained a healthy, orderly, and steady increase in continuous investment.
To quote what Jia Jingdong, vice president of vivo brand, said: ".The premise of going through the cycle is to bury one's head in the cause, and in the technology industry is to do science and technology in a down-to-earth manner, and to do everything deep and thoroughly
And this cause isEmbrace users, pursue the ultimate, and create surprises
V-type into ** rule: do what you say
The simpler the truth, the more important it is. The reason why vivo continues to lead the way is also the same, insisting on user-oriented technological innovation, creating value for users, and providing great products and services.
It seems to be a well-known truth, why can vivo succeed?
There are three aspects here:
First, do what you say. The user-centered design drive has been deeply rooted in vivo's DNA and written into the company's values, from technological innovation, to product definition, to service, to commercialization, throughout the company's operation.
The point is that vivo not only does what it says, but also achieves the ultimate in user-oriented innovation
10 years ago, vivo launched the vivo Xshot equipped with a full-spectrum LED fill light to achieve good night portrait shooting. In 2016, vivo X7 was unveiled with Moonlight soft light, further clarifying the route of portrait photography. In 2019, vivo S5 was released, on the basis of powerful hardware, adding self-developed portrait beautification algorithms, combined with AI technology, the portrait texture was greatly improved, and the vivo X30 series released in the same year brought an exclusive 50mm portrait lens, which became the consensus of the industryIt has successfully defined the technical track of professional portrait photography on mobile phones
In the subsequent X60 series, vivo joined hands with Zeiss to introduce its classic portrait lens style into mobile phones, further bridging the gap between mobile phone images and portrait shooting of professional cameras. However, when the sensors and algorithms can no longer meet vivo's pursuit of the ultimate portrait, vivo has brought its self-developed V series chipsOn the X80 Pro, the industry's first Zeiss portrait micro gimbal, combined with the self-developed V1+ chip and the new portrait algorithm, has improved the night scene, movement, and portrait in an all-round way, completing the full-link layout from the sensor to the chip-level algorithm, becoming a well-deserved king of portraits
Coming to this point, many people thought that vivo should slow down and enjoy the comfort zone of the king, but in the X90 series of the next generation, vivo has brought a surprise to consumers, Zeiss bifocal portrait lens, the world's first prime master lens,Launched the ultra-sensitive portrait system, whether it is night scene or telephoto, it can bring portrait performance comparable to professional cameras
When portrait shooting reached the extreme, vivo extended its attention to ** shooting, vivo X100 Pro, equipped with self-developed V3 chip,Not only has it upgraded the ZEISS full-range master portrait, but it also has the ability to shoot portraits comparable to iPhones
At the beginning, AI New Connect asked Jia Jingdong, vice president of vivo brand, "How much do you rate for vivo X100 series images?" He said that he can score 8 points, there is still room for improvement, and there will still be surprises in the products behind.
From this, it can be seen that vivo is strict with itself and how crazy it is in the pursuit of the ultimate.
And that's just a track for portrait photographyvivo is doing the same thing in terms of performance, battery life, comprehensive image, system experience, etc., pursuing the ultimate, creating surprises for users, and never stopping.
I think the so-called characteristics and differentiation are just that we are more persistent and more focused than others, so we keep running, and others will stop and rest in the middle of them, and find that we have run further ahead, and they are anxious to get up and chase a few steps. The so-called differentiation characteristic is that we have been running and investing continuously, which is our core differentiation。Hu Baishan, executive vice president of vivo, mentioned in a previous interview.
Second, return to the origin of user needs。vivo clearly knows what the real needs of users are, the target users are in, and at the same time has a set of original methods to verify the authenticity and necessity of the needs, and avoid detours.
In the view of Shen Wei, founder and CEO of vivo,All work should be carried out with the user as the center, and it is necessary to understand the user attentively, return to various scenarios to deeply understand and study the real needs of users, and truly solve the problems that users are concerned about
For the depth of user research, not only staying at the target group itself, vivo will further investigate the preferences and needs of the people around the target user, which is why vivo has always been able to grasp the real needs of the target group and the fundamental development trend of industry technologyIn the matter of studying customer needs, vivo has done homework that may be double that of its friends
At the same time, through the iron triangle system of product planning + technical planning + technology pre-research of vivo** research institute, it further ensures the high matching of vivo's scientific and technological innovation and market development trends, so that vivo can continue to clearly see the trend of industry development and user scenario needs in the next 36 months or even more than 36 months.
From the innovation of Xshot in mobile imaging, the breakthrough of the Xplay series in the screen form and domestic high-end machines, to the promotion of the evolution of the full screen by X20UD, and then to the leadership of vivo in portraits, telephoto, portrait**, and battery life, as well as the leading layout at the level of mobile phone models, all of which prove vivo's control over the long-term needs of users and industry trends.
Taking the large model as an example, it has been applied in vivo's latest mobile phones and smart watch products, allowing consumers to experience the convenience brought by the large model for daily use, office, learning and other experiences for the first time, depicting the prototype of the future terminal super-intelligent body.
At the same time,vivo's 7 billion parameter model is the first open-source model in the mobile phone industry, and it also cooperates with AI teams from many universities to promote the development of cutting-edge technologies of large models, cultivate AI talents, and comprehensively open up the whole link of production, education, research and application
In addition,Thanks to vivo's accurate prediction of technology trends, big data support, and long-term underlying technology layout, vivo has a stronger reverse driving ability to promote the innovation of the industrial chainFor example, the Dimensity 9300 carried on the X100 series is the all-large core vision jointly proposed by vivo and MediaTek 3 years ago, and it participated in the product definition of the chip.
Regarding the reputation and actual performance of the Dimensity 9300, the market has also given clear positive feedback, and vivo's contribution is self-evident.
This is the explicit value of user-oriented innovation, and terminal manufacturers are no longer the outstretched parties of the past, but have stronger tractionIt drives industrial technological innovation with user experience, promotes the rapid development of technology, and becomes a new driving force for the development of the entire industrial economy.
The prosperity of the mobile phone industry is not only a manufacturer and an industry, but the collective prosperity of thousands of first-class chains behind it. What position the mobile phone industry achieves, what is the position of the industrial chain behind it。"Hu Baishan is very clear about the new identity of terminal manufacturers in the new era.
Third, long-term sustainable development。User orientation should not be affected by the cycle, whether in a period of rapid development or in a weak cyclical environment, this goal should not be shaken.
vivo has always adhered to the concept of scientific management, not to be a speculator, not to blindly expand, not to participate in low-quality involution, to be clear about its own boundaries, and to do what it can within its capabilities
Like the weak cycle of the industry in recent years, vivo has not only maintained steady operation, but also maintained a leading position in the domestic market for three consecutive years, and at the same time achieved three consecutive jumps in the high-end market: X80 is hard to find on the market, and it has won the 3500-5000 sales crown; The first sales of X90 increased by 2 times year-on-year, and X90 Pro was 4 times that of X80 Pro in the same period; The cumulative sales of the vivo X100 series reached 1 billion on the first day of sales, breaking the first sales record of all new phones in vivo's history, and won the high-end flagship mobile phone of the year award in the Weibo 2023 Mobile Phone Awards.
In the layout of overseas markets, vivo's business philosophy is also very clearAccording to the "inverted pyramid model", set goals, formulate strategies, and reasonably plan R&D investment and capital ratio, so as to ensure the maximization of the input-output ratio
In the just-released full-year sales data of Indian smartphones for 2023, we see:Vivo is second behind Samsung with an 18% market share and is the only brand in the TOP5 to achieve year-on-year growth, once again proving the magic of scientific management.
At the same time,Another data worth paying attention to is that vivo's R&D investment has increased by an average of 20% in the past three yearsThe number of patent applications exceeded 40,000, and the counter-cyclical increase in investment shows vivo's confidence in the industry.
The reason why vivo dares to make such an investment and harvest such achievements under the weak cycle is inseparable from its confidence in its own ability and confidence in the industry. Hu Baishan believes that the mobile phone industry is the best industry in the field of science and technology, with the natural attribute of passing through the cycle, there are periods of fluctuations, but there is no period of recession
In this regard, Jia Jingdong, vice president of vivo brand, also gave the same answerLife has ups and downs, there are cycles, as long as you grasp the essence of the problem, do what you need to do well, you can be calm
All in allBe user-centric, be mindful of actionThe goal should be concrete, grounded, and measurable.
Seeing this, people who know vivo should have seen itThe above is actually the experience closed loop and business closed loop summarized by vivo, plus the mental closed loop, which also forms vivo's unique management method ECRAnd this is why vivo can insist on doing the right thing and doing the right thing right.
When it comes to the three closed loops, they seem to be parallel, but in fact they are a continuous cycle with ordering:First, through the experience of the closed loop to form excellent and differentiated products, and then enter the commercial closed loop; After being verified by the business system, it enters the next step, the closed loop of mind; This link is to establish mental barriers and brand barriers in the hearts of users and precipitate brand value
All in allThree closed loops, interlocking and continuous circulationJust like vivo's long-term investment and accumulation in the underlying technology, this is also a long-term precipitation process and an inevitable process for the birth of a great brand.
Sales determine the lower limit, and the mind determines the upper limit
Sales volume is the foundation of survival and the basic plate of enterprise survivalWhat determines the height and life cycle of a brand is its position in the minds of consumers
To use an analogy,When you want to buy a flagship phone, what is the first brand that comes to mind? Obviously, unless you don't have the budget or can't afford it, you will never consider options other than the first three, and when it comes to high-end products or luxury goods, perhaps only the first option is your choice.
This is the meaning of preempting the consumer's mental cognition.
A process of continuous reinforcement from listening, to knowing, to understanding, to purchasing, to liking, to recommending
As an example, the vivo X series mentioned above did not succeed overnight, but a 12-year process of sharpening a sword
X1 to X6 shape the perception of thinness, appearance, and Hi-Fi sound quality in the user's mind;
X7 and X9 successfully constructed the concept of portrait photography;
X20 to X27 let consumers see vivo's leadership in full-screen form and screen fingerprint technology;
Starting from X30, the era of mobile images belonging to vivo has begun;
Immediately after the X50 series, vivo has a highly recognizable cloud-level design language, established high-end design cognition, and planted the seeds of performance flagship in the super large cup;
X80, vivo has laid a high-end confidence work, a full series of dual-core flagships, good performance, experience, image, and design, completing the transformation of high-end flagship product positioning;
X100, the culmination of the masterpiece, continues to strengthen the position of the X series products and the vivo brand in the minds of consumers, and outputs the label of high-end flagship, image flagship and portrait flagship
In the same way, the success of the iQOO brand is also traceable, first in the minds of consumers with a strong e-sports experience and fast charging speed to seize a place, and then user-centric, and gradually meet the needs of consumers for screens, photography, design and other levels, through cooperation with KPL, BMW, and self-developed e-sports chip Q1 with the blessing of differentiation barriers,Successfully built When it comes to performance flagships, the first thing that comes to mind is the muscle cognition of iQOO
When vivo completed the positioning of two major brands, multiple product lines and consumer cognitionvivo has done another big thing in 2023: the launch of the Blue Technology technology brandAt present, it covers a number of innovative black technologies such as blue crystal chip technology stack, blue ocean battery life system, blue heart model, blue river operating system, etc., so that vivo's perennial deep cultivation of the underlying technology and the collaborative results with the industrial chain are presented in front of consumers in a three-dimensional concrete formLet the public see a technology-based, user-centric vivo
Jia Jingdong, vice president of vivo brand, emphasized more than onceBrand building needs to be done from the heart, building a brand is a long and hard process, brand communication needs to return to the original to think, starting from a good product, can not blindly follow the trend, there is no shortcut
Therefore, vivo's approach is very simple, that is, to build the Great Wall of mind bit by bit in the hearts of users, from the design, image, system, performance of the ability recognition, to the sense of science and technology, sense of luxury, humanistic sense of style love, and finally climb to the peak of spiritual resonance from the heart——A world-class great brand.
Do it from your heart and achieve your own success
That's what the new AI connection wants to sayThe mind determines the upper limit
It is worth being clear,About Blue Technology, it is not another name for Black Technology, but the existence of another dimension, it is based on a user-oriented innovative system platform, aiming to cooperate with the industrial chain to achieve vivo's technological breakthrough on the long trackFor example, the Dimensity 9300 with an all-large core structure, blue ocean batteries, self-developed V3 chips, etc., blue technology continues to give birth to black technology, which is the cornerstone of vivo products to pursue the ultimate experience, and it is also the technical source of creating differentiated user experience barriers.
And this is also one of the fundamental reasons why vivo mobile phones can continue to win in the current saturated competitionIn the core technology field, unite the entire industry to create differentiated barriers
In fact, vivo's logic is not complicated whether it is strategy or tactics, and its executives have shared vivo's approach in many public occasions, but why is vivo so successful?
The core here has to return to the core of vivo's corporate culture.
Overtaking in weak cycle corners, and accelerating in a straight line during the recovery period
At the same time, vivo counterattacked the lead, rolled up the fighting spirit of friends, and drove the rapid development of the entire industrial chain.
Coupled with the full return of Huawei, domestic mobile phones will surely lead the recovery rhythm of the global mobile phone industry in 2024.
At the same time, with the full opening of the era of AI large models, mobile phones, as the indispensable and most frequently used smart terminal equipment for consumers, will also become the biggest beneficiary of this wave of dividends.
The new decade of smartphone advanced superintelligence has slowly unfolded
As the forerunner of this technological change, vivo is bound to soar in a straight line.
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