Big data and AI algorithms are in the center of a new deal between China’s largest retailer JD and leading search engine provider Baidu. JD will provide its wealth of consumer data while Baidu will use their AI skills to help advertisers understand their users better.
The partnership will enable advertisers to target users directly within Baidu’s apps through content partners and offer a more tailored e-commerce experience. From the announcement:
As part of the partnership, the company’s flagship mobile search app, is providing JD “first-level” access points to the hundreds of millions of mobile users in China who use Baidu to connect with the information and services they need, from its core search platform and suite of products ranging from mapping, music and video, to its popular chatroom platform Baidu PostBar (Tieba). The access points allow users to make purchases of JD products without ever needing to leave the Baidu apps, providing consumers a seamlessly integrated user experience.
This is not the first app integration for JD. The company has been combining its e-commerce with mobile applications since its entry into Tencent’s WeChat which has proven a successful case of mobile chat and e-commerce integration, according to the company.
JD has also recently inked a strategic cooperation agreement and a data-sharing protocol with Nielsen, the world’s leading information and measurement company. Together they plan to launch a collaborative launch of a big data product called Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA).
