At the recent London Book Fair and the Bologna International Children's Book Fair, the use of new technologies in the publishing industry was a highlight. Zebra, a representative enterprise of China's digital publishing, has attracted much attention for its innovation, leadership and representativeness in children's digital content products, and has successfully expanded its overseas "circle of friends", helping China's digital publishing to "go global" and tell Chinese stories to the world.
Taking this opportunity, we interviewed Guo Siqi, Vice President of Zebra Children's Science and Education Group and Head of Zebra Encyclopedia Business, and Xiu Jiaming, Dean of Zebra Children's Research Institute and Head of Zebra Teaching and Research, to have an in-depth discussion on Zebra's integration and innovation achievements and exploration directions in the field of digital publishing.
Zebra has continuously appeared at the Global Publishing Exhibition, demonstrating the innovative power of China's digital publishing
The rapid development of digital technology has brought new possibilities to the publishing industry, and Chinese publishers are actively seeking to innovate and explore solutions that combine digital technology to provide readers with a richer and better reading experience.
As a leading enterprise in children's digital content, Zebra has provided a powerful digital solution for this transformation with its years of experience in the field of children's digital content and product research based on a large number of users, which not only promotes the rapid development of the domestic digital publishing industry, but also continuously demonstrates the innovation and strength of China's digital publishing on the stage of the international book fair.
Zebra participates in the 61st Bologna International Children's Book Fair
Xiu Jiaming, President of Zebra Children's Research Institute and Head of Zebra Teaching and Research, introduced that Zebra will mainly display a series of innovative products at the 2024 London Book Fair and Bologna International Children's Book Fair, including Zebra App, Zebra Encyclopedia, Little Zebra, Zebra Play Teaching Aids, Zebra Children's Books, etc. These products have been widely recognized and loved by overseas users with their professional design, novel interactive forms and interesting content knowledge system. "Zebra's products not only adapt to children's interests, but also take the lead in the combination of technology and content. Xiu Jiaming found that in the process of international exchanges, foreign counterparts paid great attention to new forms of technology combination, such as several learning machines of Zebra, including flash card machines and thinking machines. This is further proof of Zebra's innovative and forward-thinking approach in the field of digital publishing.
In addition, Zebra also told the world the story of China's digital publishing integration and innovation and traditional culture that combines "technology and content" to help spread the voice of China. At last year's Bologna Children's Book Fair, Zebra signed contracts with publishers in Russia, Brazil and other countries to introduce and publish "The Adventure of the 24 Solar Terms", which not only showcased the new innovations of technology and culture, technology and digital publishing in the new era, but also conveyed the long-term heritage and unique charm of traditional Chinese culture to the world.
Xiu Jiaming said that Zebra will continue to participate in exhibitions with world influence, in order to show the innovative products of China's digital publishing, show more possibilities of children's content products, and tell the story of China's digital publishing and traditional culture to the world.
Zebra innovates digital content to promote China's excellent popular science products to the world
According to reports, at present, Zebra has made a series of remarkable achievements in digital publishing. For example, the Zebra App was successfully selected into the "2023 Digital Publishing Boutique Selection and Recommendation Program of the National Press and Publication Administration", and Zebra Encyclopedia also led the development of new product formats with its unique 3D interactive form. In addition, Zebra Children's Books has made an important breakthrough in exploring the integration model of traditional publishing and digital publishing.
Taking Zebra Encyclopedia as an example, as a blockbuster innovative product in the field of digital publishing, it has become a high-profile "star" at the book fair with its unique advantages and innovative characteristics. Guo Siqi, vice president of Zebra Children's Science and Education Group and head of Zebra Encyclopedia business, said that this product specially designed for children provides a new learning experience for children through 3D models and interactive forms.
"As China's first children's 3D interactive encyclopedia, Zebra Encyclopedia is not only committed to solving the pain points of children's learning encyclopedia, but also focusing on the integration of high-quality content and interactive forms. There's no other product on the market that combines such high-quality content and interactivity. That's exactly what we've created based on in-depth insights into our users' needs. Guo Siqi further explained.
Different from the common point-like knowledge introduction on the market, Zebra Encyclopedia pays more attention to systematic content design. Through 3D modeling and interactive forms, Zebra Encyclopedia combines knowledge points with fun, transforming complex concepts into language that is easy for children to understand, ensuring that children can easily understand and remember.
Since its launch, Zebra Encyclopedia has accumulated 300,000 paying users and 1.7 million sales by virtue of its advantages and charm. Within 60 days after the first purchase, the repurchase rate of users is as high as 50%, and the number of subjects purchased per capita has also reached more than 5. "The average number of views of each encyclopedia topic is more than 3 times, which fully proves that the content of Zebra Encyclopedia is loved by children. Guo Siqi said.
The rapid development of Zebra Encyclopedia is inseparable from continuous R&D investment. At present, Zebra Encyclopedia has built two production lines and has a professional production team of more than 100 people, covering teaching and research, directing, screenwriting, art, animation design and other fields. Guo Siqi said that in order to ensure product quality, the production cost of a single theme is as high as more than 5 million, and the total investment has exceeded 100 million yuan. Compared to some similar products, the cost can be 10 to 20 times higher.
In the next step, Zebra Encyclopedia will continue to expand its production scale and further expand the content scope and content production line of Encyclopedia. In addition to the existing fields of nature, humanities, and science and technology, the company also plans to expand literary products, such as historical records and Analects, to provide children with more diversified and richer encyclopedic knowledge.
In the future, Zebra will continue to focus on the strong combination of AI technology, 3D technology and other science and technology with professional content, continue to explore the direction of integration and innovation, promote the development of the digital publishing industry, and promote the construction of a cultural power.
Highlight innovation and leadership, and let China's voice spread farther and louder
In recent years, with the increasing influence of Chinese culture, overseas people's attention to traditional Chinese culture has also been increasing. On the stage of the International Book Fair, the Chinese elements in Zebra's products attracted the attention of many audiences, editors, authors, representatives of well-known publishers and digital publishers, and were very popular at the scene because of their innovation, professionalism, scientific and technological strength and unique historical and cultural heritage.
As a representative of China's digital publishing, Zebra will continue to deepen the development of children's digital content, and continue to innovate and improve its product line and service system. At the same time, we will actively pay attention to and explore overseas markets, work together with more international partners, provide better and more interesting digital content for children around the world, contribute more to the international development of China's digital publishing, and gradually enhance the influence and radiation of China's excellent original digital publishing.
The "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Publishing Industry" proposes to promote the publishing industry to go out at a high level, enhance the international competitiveness of the mainland publishing industry, and better promote Chinese culture to go global. In the context of "publishing power, cultural power", digital publishing bears an important responsibility and is an important force to realize this vision. In the future, Zebra will continue to focus on the in-depth combination of leading technology and professional content, and spread China's excellent publications and culture to the world.
High-quality development is the premise, foundation and key to digital publishing going global. With its leading technical capabilities, strong content research and development capabilities and product innovation, Zebra will tell the international community the story of China's achievements in the development of scientific and technological civilization in the new era and the innovation and development of digital content through the medium of publishing.