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Internet thinking is influencing every industry. It seems that overnight, various media have unanimously discussed cases of counterattack like Xiaomi, Diaoye Niurou, and Jiangxiaobai, analyzing what internet thinking is, exploring how traditional enterprises can go digital, turning internet thinking into the keyword with the most Great Leap Forward flavor in 2013, jointly promoting the enlightenment movement of digitalization across industries.

The question is, how can traditional enterprises connect with the internet?

Brand Personification

The first key to digitalization is brand personification, making your brand speak human language, communicate in a down-to-earth manner, and use everyday language.

Visit Beijing Chaoyang Joy City, Shenzhen Coast City, or Guangzhou Baima Clothing City, and you'll see a bunch of brand names that are neither foreign nor ghostly, hard to pronounce. Open their product introductions, and they're just about how many years they've been in clothing, how many awards they've won, what certifications they've obtained, etc.

On one hand, they treat consumers as fools who worship foreign things; on the other hand, they think consumers care about their awards and being rated as a trustworthy brand.

One important change brought by the internet is the high symmetry of information. What consumers used to find novel, high-end, and classy is now common street goods. Consumers are also clear that those fake foreign brands with fancy names are just trying to fool people, and the "consumer-trusted brand" plaques hanging in stores are bought with money, not voted by consumers.

Today, these tricks are overused and seen through at a glance! Instead of fooling people with bad tricks and being laughed at, it's better to honestly tell consumers the truth and win their trust and respect with sincerity.

The characteristic of the internet economy is user-centricity. Users' right to speak has been infinitely amplified through social media like Weibo and WeChat. The consequence is decentralized communication and user empowerment. Every user has the right and freedom to comment on you, and it's increasingly difficult for you to become the topic center or public opinion focus. That is, it's getting harder for companies to dominate the topic direction of their brand on social media.

This is similar to our social life: how others perceive you is determined by the friends who know you, not by you telling everyone how great you are. Those who do that are universally disliked.

Proactively show consumers your positive side, optimistic side, and sincere side that deserves their choice. Actively listen to consumers on social media, help those in need, rather than trying to control consumers, manage topic direction, post soft articles for PR, force promotional messages onto consumers' phone screens, block Weibo IDs that speak negatively, threaten self-media people who say bad things, or coerce consumers to delete negative reviews.

Customer to User

User thinking guides service, not customer thinking. Users can be converted into buyers (customers) or into fanatics who not only pay for themselves but also spread the word for you.

Traditional enterprises treat "customer is God" as a golden rule, serving only those who can afford their products, ignoring passersby. But in the internet era, it's precisely these irrelevant bystanders who shape your brand perception among users.

I'm sure everyone has noticed that when you mention a brand on Weibo, it's rare for the brand to proactively comment or communicate. Even if you go to their Weibo page seeking a reply, there's often no response.

The internet ecosystem is commercial democratization: communicate with consumers on an equal footing, not look down on them like an emperor conquering subjects. Instead, be like a presidential candidate or legislative council member, proactively go to the voters, visit the slums to show care and do charity (deeply engage with consumers' lives to win recognition and resonance with a public welfare image), proactively advocate your policies in public places (interact sincerely with users on social media like Weibo and WeChat to showcase your brand tone), regularly hold campaign rallies (provide VIP services for brand fans and loyal consumers, like Xiaomi's fan festival), and through a series of activities that win hearts (actual interactive activities with consumers), win the election (become a market leader).

Management Gamification

Not just marketing, management also needs change.

Many HR and managers have noticed that more and more post-90s are entering the workplace, and they're giving you headaches. They're not interested in the salary, benefits, or promotion prospects you promise. Their reason for resigning: the company atmosphere is too dull...

The post-90s generation grew up in material abundance and when the whole industry was starting to go online. They don't have the same survival pressure as the 60s, 70s, and 80s. They work not just for a salary, but more to find a job that gives them a sense of existence and achievement, and to be respected and recognized!

They're not interested in corporate culture slogans that are empty and grand, they can't get excited about grand narrative leadership speeches, they resent authoritarian management where you have to bow to leaders, and they hate rules like no personal calls on office phones or no games at work. They care about whether there are weekends off, whether they can walk their dogs at work, whether the company provides afternoon tea, whether they have a chance to speak at management meetings, whether they can skip weekend dinners, and whether they can argue with their boss without being fired...

The past management style—hierarchical, rigid processes, bureaucratic, autocratic decision-making, top-down value unification—is no longer suitable for managing them, nor for today's internet wave with high-speed information flow. If the company issues a slightly inhumane notice, it might be immediately exposed on Weibo for netizens to mock.

What to do?

Flat management is a better solution. Xiaomi has thousands of employees, but there's only one level between grassroots employees and the seven founders. Vancl, after reflection, started by removing many VP and SVP titles.

Flat management means reducing management levels, shortening decision-making processes, accelerating decision efficiency, involving more employees in decision discussions, democratizing discussions, letting all employees contribute suggestions on specific matters, and giving them enough sense of participation and existence. Downplay formal assessments, implement flexible management, strengthen communication and interaction with grassroots employees, and apply the spirit of commercial democratization to corporate management, giving newcomers enough room to grow and making them feel like owners.

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