-01- Three-Dimensional Connection, KOC as the Hub From the perspective of traditional enterprises, three-dimensional connection involves integrating offline, community, and online channels. The path is: Offline → Community → Online. However, this is an abstract description. Specifically, during the connection process, who is the main entity connecting the three dimensions? The offline entity is naturally the terminal store, i.e., the B-end. Direct-to-C-end is e-commerce. Who is the online entity? Naturally, it is the user end, i.e., the C-end. Then, who is the community entity? Some might say the store owner is the group leader, or the staff is the group leader, or someone is specifically responsible for operating the community. If understood this way, it would introduce the chaos of private domain traffic with traces of micro-commerce into the three-dimensional connection. This is exactly what three-dimensional connection opposes. Who is the main entity of community connection depends on the purpose of community connection. To connect the three dimensions, it must not be merely migrating offline users online. During the migration of users online, it is best to achieve three goals: First, reaching the C-end, which is a basic requirement, as traditional channels only reach the B-end; second, amplifying the number of C-end user groups; third, enhancing C-end user stickiness. Achieving these three goals involves both existing stock migration and incremental growth. We believe that rather than describing it as offline → community → online, it is clearer to express it with three main connection entities: B-end → KOC → C-end connection. The offline entity is the B-end, the community entity is the KOC, and the online entity is the C-end. Why use KOC as the community connection entity? Because only KOC communities can achieve the above three connection goals. Traditional offline is 2B, e-commerce is 2C, and three-dimensional connection is BC integration. If three-dimensional connection were merely 2B2C, it might indeed just be a migration of offline traffic. The best connection model for three-dimensional connection is 2B2KOC2C. KOC is the hub of three-dimensional connection and the central link to connect the three dimensions.
-02- Three-Dimensional Connection, Three-Stage Connection Three-dimensional connection is not a one-time connection but involves two stages of breaking through and three stages of connection. First Stage: Offline connects to community, i.e., B→KOC connection. The current popular private domain traffic practice is to have dedicated personnel create groups, build communities, and then use various policy temptations to keep the community active. This approach directly associates the B-end with the C-end. Although group creation amplifies the C-end, the quality of the C-end is not high. From the current practice of group operations primarily based on group creation, there are two major problems: First, the number of users has not increased; it merely achieves user connection. Although technical means like group buying are used, they still rely on policy temptations and lack stickiness; Second, without an increase in SKUs, incremental growth is difficult. Community e-commerce that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic has generally low activity, and most brands have abandoned it. Community group buying, which has developed rapidly in recent years, shows decent platform performance, but for each "group leader," the average order value and sales are not high, akin to chicken ribs. From a retail perspective, continuously increasing supply chain and SKUs can be sustainable. However, from a brand perspective, offline connection to communities poses a major problem with user activity. Through practical exploration, we believe that offline B-end connecting to KOC communities is the best choice. When the B-end directly connects to the C-end, the number of C-end users is limited, but through KOC's first-level amplification, the number of indirectly connected C-end users greatly increases. The number of KOCs is limited, and it is possible for the B-end to establish strong relationships with KOCs. KOCs have strong relationships with C-end users. Second Stage: Community connects to online, i.e., KOC→C connection. We have always believed that the more life-oriented a community is, the more commercial value it has. We oppose alienated communities, i.e., those established purely for commercial purposes. For community-to-online connection, the best choice is KOC community connecting to online. The strong relationship characteristics of KOCs determine that they have natural influence in communities, and unlike KOLs, KOCs have influence among acquaintances (strong ties). Although KOCs influence fewer people than KOLs, the conversion rate of strong ties is usually higher than that of KOLs. The push mode for KOC communities entering the online space is usually not policy-induced pushes but generally the following two scenarios: First, cognition is completed during offline interactions, and then the cloud store is pushed; second, because of sincere identification, they share on social platforms, such as taking photos and checking in. Community-to-online connection relies on mini-program pushes. In the discourse system of the three dimensions, online is the social cloud store, which has fissionability. Third Stage: Offline connects to cloud store, i.e., B→C connection. As long as the first two stages are connected, the offline-to-cloud-store connection is naturally completed. B→C connection: transaction is relationship. As long as there is a transaction, there is an opportunity to deepen the relationship. In the process of deepening the relationship, two actions can be completed: First, establish user stickiness and form repeat purchases; second, discover potential KOCs and use KOCs to expand connections.
-03- Scenario Experience, Activating KOC KOCs have strong relationships and influence, but why should KOCs be used by the B-end? The role KOCs play in three-dimensional connection is what we call "relationship transfer," where the strong relationships of KOCs are utilized by the B-end. KOC relationship transfer requires two conditions: First, the B-end has a strong relationship with the KOC; second, the KOC genuinely identifies with the product, not driven by interest inducement. Interest inducement is short-term, while genuine identification is long-term. Because they genuinely identify with the product, they feel that recommending it is valuable. Since KOCs are so important in three-dimensional connection, the more KOCs, the better. Where can the B-end discover and find more KOCs? There are roughly two methods: First, accumulate strong relationships historically. History can accumulate strong relationships, as relationships are the result of long-term interaction. However, history does not necessarily establish product identification. For example, a KOC may have a good relationship with the store owner but may not like all the products he sells. Second, rapidly strengthen strong relationships. The key to rapidly forming strong relationships is shared experiences. Many companies now organize team building, and outdoor experiences or expansion training are very effective. Expansion training is a carefully designed shared experience, such as temporarily forming a team to jointly face challenges. Scenario experience, if well designed, can also be regarded as a shared experience. In experience design, we have tried rapid user relationship building, which is very effective. Therefore, it is important to realize that scenario experience is not only crucial for product cognition but also for rapidly deepening relationships.
-04- Experience is High-Intensity Cognition In traditional marketing, "advertising—brand" is the mainstream cognitive model. However, this is only suitable for the C-end; it may not be suitable for the B-end. For example, investment promotion and channel management rely on human chains, a relationship-oriented cognitive model. Therefore, traditional marketing cognitive models can be summarized as: C-end brand cognition, B-end relationship cognition. In the internet era, "content—IP" has become the new mainstream cognitive model. Similarly, this is a cognitive model for the C-end. So, what is the cognitive model for the B-end? Besides traditional interpersonal relationships, experiential word-of-mouth has become a new cognitive model. The difference between B-end and C-end cognitive models can be summarized as a rule: The C-end is a high-density cognitive model, while the B-end is a high-intensity cognitive model. High-density cognitive models, such as advertising (brand) and content fission (IP), require massive undifferentiated information coverage for the C-end, forming high-density dissemination. High-intensity cognitive models require in-depth offline communication and interaction, and even more need relationship endorsement. Because high-intensity cognitive models require interpersonal communication, they are relatively inefficient and not suitable for the C-end, as the C-end has a large number of people. The targets of experiential marketing are industry leaders, experts, KOLs, distributors, terminal store owners, and KOCs, which are limited in number. Except for KOCs, the above targets are broadly the B-end. High-intensity cognition requires forming cognition that is difficult to cover in as little time (or as few times) as possible. Immersive experience is high-intensity cognition.
-05- Three-Dimensional Connection, Thoroughly Penetrating Offline Stores In three-dimensional connection, the more active online, the heavier and more thorough offline must be. Traditional stores are just sales venues. Now, stores must also take on the function of connecting KOCs in addition to offline sales. Therefore, stores need to do three things well: 1. Store scenarization. In the past, we talked about vivid displays; now we talk about scenarization to awaken users' shopping desires. 2. Stores become places to strengthen relationships. For example, tobacco and liquor stores commonly have tea tables to strengthen user relationships. 3. Terminal experience, screening KOCs, and then upgrading KOCs to deeper experiences. The sign of thoroughly penetrating offline stores is three keywords: KOC, scenario, and experience.
-06- KOC Density, Exploding Online The C-end is massive, while KOCs are limited and scarce. At the same time, the role of KOCs determines that commercialization is not their primary job (some KOCs may transform into the B-end). Therefore, the utilization of KOCs must be phased. The value of KOCs is to use relationship endorsement to compensate for the lack of C-end cognition. Once the C-end forms high-density cognition, i.e., online explosion, the phased work of KOCs is complete. The high-intensity cognition of the B-end and KOCs (thorough offline penetration) must ultimately transform into high-density cognition of the C-end (online explosion). This is two stages of a complete task. The key to the transition between the two stages is KOC density. As long as there is sufficient KOC density, such as 100 KOCs in a county, C-end density will certainly form. KOCs use strong relationships to endorse the product, transmit cognition to the C-end, and form cross-coverage of C-end cognition. Online explosion is the cross-coverage of cognitive information on the C-end online. The above logic is the same as the distribution rate in deep distribution. In the past, the logic of channel driving was that as long as the distribution rate is high enough and the store owner gives first recommendation, it can become a channel brand.
Source: Teacher Liu's Digital New Marketing (ID: liuchunxiong1964), Author: Liu Chunxiong If a tip is adopted, a reward of 400-2000 yuan will be paid.
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