Tian Tian Xiang Shang (天天向上, or Day Day Up for word-for-word translation) is a hugely popular Chinese TV programs – top three by ratings – among Chinese audience for its various topic and hilarious style. In addition to featuring guests from the entertainment industry, Internet barons like kaifu Lee (Innovation Works), Robin Li (Baidu), Charles Zhang (Sohu) were also invited to the show to entertain as well as semi-promote their companies. But that was a while back.
In the first two months of 2013, the show recorded four talk shows specifically on mobile apps, including one episode about apps including Changba (Karaoke app), Mojiweather (weather forecasting), Camera360 (photo app), Dianping (business reviews) and Veryzhun (flight infomation) on January 11, a dedicated episode for Baidu apps on January 18, one for Qihoo 360 on January 25 and one for iQIYI on February 8. The whole Chinese Internet industry was talking about the publicity and installation the program brought to these apps.
Mobile internet companies firstly target on client group who lives in metropolis like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou etc. This group is well-educated and trendy, and knows how to access information through new media channels. They made their own choices of apps in a more selective way.
On the other hand, youngsters grew up in 3rd the 4 tiers who made up of the majority of Day Day Up audience base are quickly rising to the mobile world. They easily became the main factor dictates the mobile internet economy with sheer user base and huge purchasing power. Case in point, almost all those apps got featured on the program made it to the Top Free chart of either App Store (China) or Google Play. That’s how influential the program could be among youngsters in small towns of China. Compared to the metropolis elite group, these audiences do not know Silicon Valley, and reluctant to try new things, however, they prefer indigenized products, and believe in the word of mouth.
The user coverage between television and new media is not coincident, that’s why mobile internet companies are eager to be on the show to impact the group they are not able to touch before. Meanwhile, new approach is required to better communicate with the new group. During the talk show, the team can promote their products directly, even though the audiences have no interest. But accompanied by the host commentary in a humorous style, the audiences will be able to accept the concept or product partly in the end. This is more acceptable compared to the hard advertisement. Since the smart phones are so popular nowadays, the audiences will be able to download the applications when they are watching the show.
The traditional television programs, are more adept with expression of serious business purport in an entertainment manner, with access to users from third and fourth tier cities, and better communicate with them. Mobile internet companies plan to expand its impact on the group that internet and new media are not able to access before, and the cooperation with television programs is the beginning.
Image credit: iQiyi
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