The former tech giant has declined, and Zhou Hongyi will do whatever it takes to see if Internet celebrity marketing can revive its flag
In the Internet technology industry, 360 used to be a dark horse, and it became an instant hit with antivirus software. However, the good times did not last long, and in recent years, 360's performance has been declining, being overtaken by emerging companies, and gradually becoming a marginal player in the technology industry. Zhou Hongyi realized that 360 needed to transform, so he decided to enter the field of influencer marketing at all costs, hoping to reinvigorate 360's popularity and influence.
The rise of the influencer economy has had a huge impact on traditional business models. With the popularization of new media such as short videos and live broadcasts, more and more young people have begun to pursue Internet celebrities, and Internet celebrities have also become a new profession. Zhou Hongyi saw this trend and decided to try influencer marketing himself.
As the founder of a technology company, Zhou Hongyi's road to Internet celebrity can be described as ups and downs. At the beginning, he sold safety masters live on Douyin and tasted a little sweetness. Later, he broke out a "war of words" with Internet celebrity Cheng in front of the live broadcast room, and the two sides sprayed each other back and forth, pushing the contradiction to a climax. This "war of words" won Zhou Hongyi a lot of attention, and his fan base skyrocketed.
Seeing the business opportunities of Internet celebrity marketing, Zhou Hongyi began to intensify. He auctioned a luxury car worth more than 3 million in the live broadcast room, although it was finally sold at a lower price, but this operation undoubtedly brought him huge exposure. Zhou Hongyi also tried various gimmicks, such as madness, coquettishness, cuteness, etc., just to attract attention.
Some netizens joked that Zhou Hongyi This is "the second sports meeting for the elderly". As a middle-aged man in his 60s, Zhou Hongyi's road to Internet celebrity has been quite tortuous. But he doesn't seem to care about the criticism, but enjoys it. Zhou Hongyi admitted frankly that he was learning new things and keeping up with the trend of the times. He has seen the examples of old friends such as Lei Jun and Ma Huateng who have successfully transformed into Internet celebrities, and hopes to learn from their experience.
The reason why Zhou Hongyi is so obsessed with Internet celebrity marketing is mainly due to business considerations. As the head of 360, he is well aware that the company is in a difficult situation. Influencer marketing may bring new opportunities to 360, such as saving advertising dollars and endorsing products. Zhou Hongyi even said that if you can earn hundreds of millions of dollars a year as an Internet celebrity, it will be worth it.
Although Zhou Hongyi's road to Internet celebrity marketing is tortuous, he does not seem to be discouraged. Instead, he stepped up and tried new gimmicks to attract attention. For example, being coquettish and cute in the live broadcast room, or yelling at the camera, and even imitating Internet celebrities. These contrived behaviors undoubtedly make Zhou Hongyi look very nondescript in the eyes of young people, but he himself enjoys it.
Some people jokingly called Zhou Hongyi, this is "the second sports meeting for the elderly". As a middle-aged man in his 60s, Zhou Hongyi can be described as stumbling on the road of Internet celebrity. But he doesn't seem to care about these criticisms, instead seeing them as a new experience and a challenge. Zhou Hongyi once admitted frankly that he was learning new things and keeping up with the trend of the times. He has seen the examples of old friends such as Lei Jun and Ma Huateng who have successfully transformed into Internet celebrities, and hopes to learn from their experience.
The reason why Zhou Hongyi is so obsessed with Internet celebrity marketing is mainly due to business considerations. As the head of 360, he is well aware that the company is in a difficult situation. Influencer marketing may bring new opportunities to 360, such as saving advertising dollars and endorsing products. Zhou Hongyi even said that if you can earn hundreds of millions of dollars a year as an Internet celebrity, it will be worth it.
For a traditional technology company, it is still unknown whether it can truly master influencer marketing. After all, the attributes of the Internet celebrity economy and the technology industry are very different, and whether the two can be perfectly integrated will need to be tested for a period of time. But Zhou Hongyi's attempt has undoubtedly brought a new vitality to the industry, and the collision of new and old business models is also worth looking forward to.
Regarding Zhou Hongyi's Internet celebrity marketing road, industry insiders have different opinions. Proponents believe that this is an innovative attempt that will help 360 seek new opportunities for growth. After all, in the current era of mobile Internet, the traditional marketing model is no longer viable, and enterprises must keep pace with the times and keep up with the trend of young people. Although Zhou Hongyi's approach is somewhat unusual, it at least shows an enterprising spirit and a sense of innovation.
Opponents believe that Zhou Hongyi's Internet celebrity marketing path is purely "old and disrespectful". A middle-aged man in his 60s is really a loss of identity and dignity by being cute and yelling on the Internet. What's more, Internet celebrity marketing and 360 Company's main business can't be matched, and the attributes of the two are too different to be truly integrated. Zhou Hongyi might as well calm down and focus on doing a good job in the company's main business, instead of pulling around and engaging in these fictitious things.
Whether for or against, Zhou Hongyi's Internet celebrity marketing road has brought a new vitality to the industry. This collision of old and new business models will surely inspire more innovative thinking and attempts. Take Zhou Hongyi as an example, although his approach is somewhat unusual, at least it shows a spirit of courage to innovate and dare to try. This kind of spirit is exactly what the development of the enterprise needs.
Whether the road of influencer marketing is really suitable for traditional technology companies like 360 remains to be tested by time. After all, the attributes of the Internet celebrity economy and the technology industry are too different, and whether the two can be perfectly integrated is still an unsolved mystery. But no matter what the result is, Zhou Hongyi's attempt has brought new ideas and inspiration to the entire industry.