Tag: Alibaba

  • Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea.

    Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea.

    GOA: “This is the time for renaissance in advertising because of the availability of technology”, asserted Isobar global CEO Jean Lin, while shedding light on how the backbone of ideas without limits is the importance of innovation.

    Quoting Alibaba’s success story, she mentioned that creativity is the key to make everything successful. “In the digital age it’s about delivering ideas without limit. The key point behind innovation is that the idea actually exists, we have to just innovate.”

    She further outlined that according to a PWC research in 2013, companies that look to innovate grew faster by 60 per cent, compared to the 20 per cent growth of companies that were taking on each other. The rate of change of society is a function of the age at which youth were introduced to the dominant technology of the time.

    Lin explained how Alibaba.com had launched a singles day sale in 2015 which got it sales worth $ 14.3 billion on that day. With 69 per cent of the sale from mobile devices, shoppers from 200 countries participated and 16,000 international brands were bought. “People from all over the globe can buy online. India is one of the highest border-less buyers worldwide. Now clients don’t have to look at other brands within their geography, they need to compete with prices even in other countries.”

    She also presented the example of Disneyland’s investment in the magical wrist band which worked well for the company as well as helped the travellers to track ticket, hotel room key and for getting reservations in hotels.

    The next thing that she spoke about was programmatic videos. She cited the example of how Unilever used this in technology where it showed 100,000 different videos for different people for a deodorant brand. “Even for programmatic video, content is required. It will take different thinking though. It gives viewers higher satisfaction. Technology helps, but it takes a creative to think of creativity in a different way”.

    The case studies of how Pinterest came up with its predictive shopping and how Youtube provides 100 per cent shoppable videos were also briefly discussed by Lin. “Ideas without limits is when YouTube and Pinterest take e-commerce seriously and MasterCard introduces the concept of Pay by selfies,” she added.

    Going further, she divided ideas into two types:

    Ideas that reimagine the last mile

    With an array of examples like UMood, Coca-Cola, etc, Lin pointed out that an idea should be limited only be for an ad campaign.

    Ideas that invent and reinvent

    “Innovation comes from an idea that already exists”, voiced Lin. She used examples of Sky Tip, GM Co-driver, Fiat, etc.

    She emphasized on the new role of agencies which is not only about creatively solving problems. “Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea. That’s a key to win. We need to grow with clients. This will come when tangible results are seen. When you think of ideas without limit, it can happen.”

  • Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea.

    Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea.

    GOA: “This is the time for renaissance in advertising because of the availability of technology”, asserted Isobar global CEO Jean Lin, while shedding light on how the backbone of ideas without limits is the importance of innovation.

    Quoting Alibaba’s success story, she mentioned that creativity is the key to make everything successful. “In the digital age it’s about delivering ideas without limit. The key point behind innovation is that the idea actually exists, we have to just innovate.”

    She further outlined that according to a PWC research in 2013, companies that look to innovate grew faster by 60 per cent, compared to the 20 per cent growth of companies that were taking on each other. The rate of change of society is a function of the age at which youth were introduced to the dominant technology of the time.

    Lin explained how Alibaba.com had launched a singles day sale in 2015 which got it sales worth $ 14.3 billion on that day. With 69 per cent of the sale from mobile devices, shoppers from 200 countries participated and 16,000 international brands were bought. “People from all over the globe can buy online. India is one of the highest border-less buyers worldwide. Now clients don’t have to look at other brands within their geography, they need to compete with prices even in other countries.”

    She also presented the example of Disneyland’s investment in the magical wrist band which worked well for the company as well as helped the travellers to track ticket, hotel room key and for getting reservations in hotels.

    The next thing that she spoke about was programmatic videos. She cited the example of how Unilever used this in technology where it showed 100,000 different videos for different people for a deodorant brand. “Even for programmatic video, content is required. It will take different thinking though. It gives viewers higher satisfaction. Technology helps, but it takes a creative to think of creativity in a different way”.

    The case studies of how Pinterest came up with its predictive shopping and how Youtube provides 100 per cent shoppable videos were also briefly discussed by Lin. “Ideas without limits is when YouTube and Pinterest take e-commerce seriously and MasterCard introduces the concept of Pay by selfies,” she added.

    Going further, she divided ideas into two types:

    Ideas that reimagine the last mile

    With an array of examples like UMood, Coca-Cola, etc, Lin pointed out that an idea should be limited only be for an ad campaign.

    Ideas that invent and reinvent

    “Innovation comes from an idea that already exists”, voiced Lin. She used examples of Sky Tip, GM Co-driver, Fiat, etc.

    She emphasized on the new role of agencies which is not only about creatively solving problems. “Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea. That’s a key to win. We need to grow with clients. This will come when tangible results are seen. When you think of ideas without limit, it can happen.”

  • Disney & Alibaba to launch OTT service in China

    Disney & Alibaba to launch OTT service in China

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company has inked a multi-year licensing deal with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group to bring its digital subscription service DisneyLife to China via Alibaba’s online shopping site Tmall.

     

    The Mickey Mouse-shaped device is priced at $125 for a one-year subscription and requires an Internet connection.

     

    DisneyLife will provide Alibaba customers in China with an all-encompassing and immersive family friendly digital experience. The content will include Disney and Pixar’s movies, animation series, games, e-books, songs, travel services and Disney theme parks and resorts information.

     

    Subscribers can access Disney merchandise and can also obtain information about, and plan a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland as well as Shanghai Disney Resort when it opens in 2016. In addition to the DisneyLife experience, shoppers can access other Alibaba products and services.

     

    The Walt Disney Company, Greater China managing director Luke Kang said, “For nearly a century, Disney’s focus on quality storytelling and innovation has delivered audiences around the world the best stories, shared moments and extraordinary experiences. Disney and Alibaba share an ambition to exceed our audience’s expectations. DisneyLife directly connects us to China’s digital population and provides millions of kids and families the ability to explore and engage with Disney.”

     

    “As we deliver on our goal to meet the needs of a consumers’ daily life, DisneyLife, launched by Ali Digital Entertainment Business Unit together with Disney, will provide the only holistic and trusted family friendly digital destination in China,” added Alibaba Digital Entertainment Business Unit general manager and Youku Tudou business group co-president of Wei Ming.

  • Silicon Valley’s Peel buys Fission Labs R&D; names Kishore Poreddy as India head

    Silicon Valley’s Peel buys Fission Labs R&D; names Kishore Poreddy as India head

    MUMBAI: Just before the much-anticipated visit by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Silicon Valley to focus on supporting innovation & technology in India, California based company Peel has acquired the Cloud R&D division of Hyderabad-based Fission Labs, which will now become Peel India.

     

    Fission Labs CEO and co-founder Kishore Poreddy will become the head of Peel India.

     

    A key player in smart home control, Peel has been working on a variety of cloud computing projects with Fission Labs over the last few years. As a result of this acquisition, the founders of Fission Labs, specializing in high end, scalable cloud-based solutions, data analytics, web and mobile applications, cloud management and testing services, along with about 30 software engineers will become part of Peel in India.

     

    Peel makes it easy for Indian consumers to switch to a smartphone remote because it works with all popular brands of TVs and air conditioners sold in India, and 600 set-top boxes (STBs), including those from Airtel, Tata Sky, Dish TV, Hathway, DEN and Siti Cable. For Indian consumers, Peel features TV listings from WhatsOnIndia.

     

    In addition to being used to control TVs, STBs and other entertainment devices, the Peel Smart Remote app is also optimized to control multiple brands of air conditioners and heaters, with more smart home devices planned for the future.

     

    “Asia and South Asia, particularly India, are very important growth markets for us, which has 125 million registered users of the Peel Smart Remote app that brings universal remote control and intelligent content discovery to smartphones. A Wharton Business School graduate, Indian-origin Thiru started his career at Apple as an engineer and product manager, where he helped author the first Mac OS X build system,” said Peel CEO and co-founder Thiru Arunachalam. 

     

    “We’re big believers in the Make in India initiative, which has created the perfect environment to set up a local entity to help us innovate more effectively for the global market,” added Peel co-founder and chief product officer Bala Krishnan.

     

    Krishnan, who holds engineering degrees from the University of Madras and University of Arizona, spearheaded the acquisition.

     

    Peel offers a “full stack” solution to help smartphone manufacturers introduce IR remote control to their products, including SmartIR firmware, hardware sourcing, cloud services and the Peel Smart Remote app. Several Indian phone manufacturers and distributors, including Alcatel OneTouch, Celkon, Karbonn, Panasonic, and Xolo, have already integrated the Peel solution into their phones, along with HTC, TCL and Samsung.

     

    “This is an exciting time to be doing R&D in India. Peel’s user base in India and globally is doubling every nine months and we look forward to playing a major role in ensuring continued future growth and innovation, particularly in the area of cloud scalability,” said Poreddy.

     

    The company now has offices in the US, China, India, and South Korea, and this acquisition brings the company’s total headcount to about 100 employees worldwide.

     

    With a three-year sales growth of 1607 per cent, Alibaba-funded Peel ranked 287 among the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies this year.

  • Snapdeal raises $500 million investment from Alibaba, SoftBank & Foxconn

    Snapdeal raises $500 million investment from Alibaba, SoftBank & Foxconn

    MUMBAI: Snapdeal has secured an investment of $500 million led by Alibaba Group, Foxconn and SoftBank to power its digital commerce ecosystem.

     

    Existing investors Temasek, BlackRock, Myriad and Premji Invest also participated in this round.

     

    Snapdeal co-founder and CEO Kunal Bahl said, “We see this milestone as a significant endorsement of Snapdeal’s strategy and commitment to creating life changing experiences for millions of small businesses and consumers in India. With global leaders like Alibaba, Foxconn and SoftBank, in addition to our other existing partners, supporting us, our efforts towards building India’s most impactful digital commerce ecosystem will be propelled further, enabling us to contribute towards creating a Digital India.”

     

  • Alibaba acquires 20% stake in Suning for $4.63 billion

    Alibaba acquires 20% stake in Suning for $4.63 billion

    MUMBAI: Alibaba Group Holding is all set to invest approximately $4.63 billion (RMB28.3 billion) for a 19.99 per cent stake in China’s consumer electronics retail chains Suning. After the closing of the investment in Suning, Alibaba will be the second-largest shareholder in the company.

     

    Concurrent with Alibaba’s investment in Suning, Suning will invest up to $2.28 billion (RMB14 billion) to subscribe for up to 27.8 million newly issued ordinary shares of Alibaba. After the investment, Suning will hold approximately a 1.1 per cent interest in Alibaba’s enlarged issued and outstanding share capital.

     

    The strategic collaboration between Alibaba and Suning marks a milestone that signals the further integration of digital and offline retail. The collaboration will bring benefits to hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers who use Alibaba’s online platforms and Suning’s offline channels. By cooperating, Alibaba and Suning will be able to provide holistic and more convenient shopping experiences, as well as superior customer service to users looking to purchase online and through mobile devices.

     

    As part of the transaction, Alibaba and Suning have entered into an agreement to build on synergies in e-commerce, logistics and incremental business through joint omni-channel initiatives. Under the collaboration, Suning will open a flagship store on Alibaba’s Tmall.com platform, focusing on consumer electronics, home appliances and baby products. The store will offer high-quality product offerings at attractive prices and an unparalleled superior shopping experience. Suning’s flagship store will be a major win for Tmall.com, and reflects Tmall’s status as the premiere platform for brands and retailers who wish to establish their online presence and direct engagement with customers.

     

    In the area of logistics, Suning will become a partner of Cainiao, Alibaba’s logistics affiliate and Suning’s logistics services cover almost all of the 2,800 counties and districts in China. Suning boasts a nationwide logistics network covering over 90 per cent of China’s counties including eight national distribution centers, 57 regional distribution centers, 353 city forwarding centers and over 1,700 last-mile delivery stations. With Cainiao’s intelligent delivery solutions and Suning’s well-developed distribution network, customers can expect to receive their orders in as fast as two hours in the near future.

     

    This collaboration highlights how Alibaba Group’s unrivalled leadership in mobile commerce and payments makes it possible for offline retailers to have an aggressive and successful omni-channel strategy. This collaboration brings together a strong bricks-and-mortar operation with an extensive online customer base and resources. Capitalizing on Suning’s extensive network of offline stores and leveraging Alibaba’s edge in data technology, both parties can explore online-to-offline and offline-to-online commerce opportunities that better serve customer needs and preferences. The collaboration will provide many tangible benefits to consumers. For example, consumers will be able to have a physical experience with the product in store, while at the same time being able to operate other areas – such as ordering and payment – through their own mobile device. Not only will customers be able to enjoy the tremendous amount of offerings and pay directly via the Alipay Wallet on their mobile device, they will also be able to experience the products and after-sale services in person in Suning’s over 1,600 physical retail stores in 289 cities across China. In addition, Suning’s retail stores, as well as its over 3,000 after-sales service locations and over 5,000 affiliate servicing partners in 320 cities across China will also be able to perform important after-sale maintenance or repair services to Tmall consumers.

     

    Alibaba Group executive chairman Jack Ma said, “Over the past two decades, e-commerce has become an inextricable part of the lives of Chinese consumers, and this new alliance brings forth a new commerce model that fully integrates online and offline. This alliance will benefit consumers and merchants by cultivating an open and transparent integrated ecosystem that will be the backbone of the future economy.”

     

    Alibaba Group CEO Daniel Zhang added, “We are seeing the integration of e-commerce with traditional commerce where consumers are able to enjoy a more engaged, omni-channel and seamless shopping experience. Customers will be able to enjoy the vast online offerings while having convenient access to physical stores. By maximizing Suning’s bricks-and-mortar assets with Alibaba’s vibrant ecosystem, we are in the best position to provide the ultimate shopping experience for all our customers.”

     

    Suning chairman Zhang Jindong said, “The collaboration between Alibaba and Suning is a milestone in China’s retail industry and its influence on e-commerce and offline retailing will be enormous. This collaboration signals a new trend in the Internet age: Strengthening China’s traditional industries by leveraging the power of Internet. It will also help transform China’s manufacturing industry and broaden the global horizons of Chinese brands.”

     

    Suning vice chairman Sun Weimin added, “We believe the strengths of Alibaba and Suning complement each other. By exploring standards and models in the O2O sector, we hope to bring real benefits to Chinese consumers.”

  • Peel smart Remote app generates 100 billion commands

    Peel smart Remote app generates 100 billion commands

    MUMBAI: Peel, a California-based company funded by e-commerce giant, Alibaba, has announced that its Peel Smart Remote app has generated 100 billion remote commands since its launch three years ago.

     

    Half of these remote commands have been registered in the last eight months only. Peel has also released a revamped version of its android app, including a customizable remote widget that can appear on a phone’s lock screen without launching the app. Peel is also available as a free app on the iTunes app Store for Apple iOS devices.

     

    The company recently topped 100 million registered users worldwide, out of which 25 million are in Asia. India has emerged as one of the fastest growing markets for Peel, doubling every six months. The large number of TV viewers give the company unprecedented insights into global viewing habits.

     

    “Our users have peeled in to 5 billion TV shows since we launched. We currently have viewer data on six shows every second that helps us improve our content discovery features and the overall performance of the app. It also provides us a unique real-time window into the living rooms of millions of households in India and 200 other countries that can help serve content that viewers really want,” said Peel co-founder and chief product officer Bala Krishnan.

     

    As an example of the insights gained, Peel looked at the top show, the top genre and the top TV brand in four metros across India based on a sampling of the insights gathered from users of the Peel app and platform.

     

    Even after nearly 1,700 episodes over the last eight years, family entertainer sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah remains the most popular show in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, but ranks at number second in Hyderabad, where C.I.D. tops the charts.

     

    Comedy Night with Kapil grabs the number two spot in Delhi, but is pushed down to number three spot in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, with C.I.D. taking up the second position in Mumbai and Bangalore.

     

    In terms of content genre, Mumbai and Bangalore viewers prefer comedies, followed by dramas and then news. They prefer comedies in New Delhi, too, followed by thrillers, then dramas. While in Hyderabad, news tops the list, followed by sports talk, then consumer programming.

     

    Among the most popular TV set brands in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore, Samsung comes first, followed by Sony and then LG. In contrast, Samsung and LG edge Sony out in the top two spots across TV brand positions among homes in Seoul, Dallas, Barcelona, Cairo and Rio de Janeiro. 

     

    In addition to being used to control TVs, set-top boxes and other entertainment devices, the Peel Smart Remote app is also optimised to control hundreds of brands of air conditioners and heaters, with more smart home devices planned for the future. “We are already the number one home control app in the world and a major source of entertainment content discovery for our users,” added Krishnan.

     

    In India, the Peel app comes preloaded on many of the leading smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy S4, S5 and S6, HTC’s M8 and M9, and models from Karbonn, Celkon, Xolo and Panasonic in India. Peel makes it easy for Indian consumers to switch to a smartphone remote because it works with all popular brands of TVs sold in India, and 600 different types of set-top boxes, including those from Airtel, Tata Sky, Dish TV, Hathway, Den and Siti Cable. For Indian consumers, Peel features TV listings from WhatsOnIndia.

  • Chinese giant Alibaba mulls part sale of film assets

    Chinese giant Alibaba mulls part sale of film assets

    NEW DELHI: The Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, which is now investing a major share in the entertainment sector, is considering selling of some of its start-up film industry assets.

     

    The businesses could be transferred to Alibaba Pictures Group (APG), the film production and investment company that has its own separate share listings in Hong Kong and Singapore. 

     

    Alibaba has major share stakes in integrated film and TV group Huayi Brothers Media, rival studio Enlight Media, Internet TV group Wasu Media, and online video platform Youku Tudou. 

     

    Alibaba chairman Jack Ma’s Yunfeng investment fund also has a major stake in Hong Kong’s Media Asia, according to Variety.

     

    “The possible business injection would be comprised of Alibaba Group’s (i) online movie ticketing business and (ii) financing and investment platform for the production of movies and other media content, both of which commenced operations in 2014,” APG said in a statement. 

     

    However, the deal is yet to be finalized, as APG said, “This new strategic direction calls for an integrated approach towards the funding, production, marketing and distribution of entertainment content.” 

     

    The proposed transfer would appear to exclude many of Alibaba’s larger and more mature film industry assets. 

     

  • Tata Group to be the ‘Alibaba’ of India?

    Tata Group to be the ‘Alibaba’ of India?

    MUMBAI: The multiple investments made by its chairman emeritus Ratan Tata in e-tail and the steep rise in the e-commerce industry seems to have inspired the Tata Group too, which is now reportedly planning a big entry into the e-commerce space with a marketplace-based model.

     

    The Economic Times reported that the site will be headed by its subsidiary Tata industries and that Tata is modeling its business on Tmall.com, which is the marketplace in the Alibaba Group.

     

    The new marketplace business, modelling on Alibaba’s Tmall.com, would allow third-party sellers on the platform. It would help generate revenues by charging a fee or commission from merchants, who will use the platform.

     

    The yet-to-be-named venture is likely to be rolled out in 2015, and will initially showcase Tata’s existing retail chain brands such as Westside, Croma and Star Bazaar. Tata is also planning to tie up with its partner Zara, which only sells online through its own sites.

     

    It will also allow other merchants to sell alongside Tata’s various units. The group has already reportedly begun enrolling vendors and hiring people, the report added.

     

    Tata already has a substantial presence in real-world retail, including joint ventures with Britain’s Tesco, Spain’s Zara and coffee chain Starbucks. Last month Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, bought a stake in Snapdeal and online jewellery retailer Bluestone.

     

    India’s e-commerce market has been booming in recent years with market leader Flipkart clocking a valuation of $7 billion in a July funding round when it raised $1 billion from a clutch of existing investors and a day later, Amazon announced plans to invest $2 billion in India.

     

    Also, India’s online retail business is expected to surge to between $19 billion and 38 billion, from about $2.3 billion in annual sales now. Enticed by the potential, other business houses like Reliance Industries and Aditya Birla Group have reportedly been hinting at forays into the e-commerce space but have not revealed any concrete plans so far.

  • Alibaba in talks with Snapdeal to enter India

    Alibaba in talks with Snapdeal to enter India

    MUMBAI: As it is ready to embark upon a new journey by launching what may be the biggest IPO ever, Chinese e-retailer Alibaba may also be making a move to tap into the growing Indian retail market through an investment in local e-retailer Snapdeal.

     

    According to an Economic Times report, Alibaba, is in talks with online retailer Snapdeal to enter India. The e-commerce giant is in discussion for a possible investment in the Indian company, but no decision has been taken yet.

     

    The report also quoted a source saying that the deal will be announced in a month.

     

    The Chinese company is expected to be valued at over $165 billion at the conclusion of its initial public offer. So far, Alibaba has only been linking Indian merchants with overseas buyers and sellers.

     

    With its entry in the Indian online retail space by aligning with Snapdeal, the Chinese e-tailer will be competing directly against market leaders like Flipkart and Amazon. Even though the Chinese company would be a late entrant, it has the advantage of size — as per sales Alibaba is bigger than Amazon and eBay combined.

     

    While on the other hand, the Delhi-based company has already raised a total of $233 million in two rounds of investments this year. The last round in May valued the firm at $1 billion. It is expected to be worth Rs 50,000 crore by 2016, according to a market rating agency Crisil.

     

    The company, in which Ratan Tata holds a stake, is also attracting attention from Japan’s largest e-commerce company Rakuten Inc and telecommunications firm SoftBank Corp, the report added.

     

    On contacting Snapdeal, the spokesperson said, “As a policy, we do not comment on such speculations.”

     

    Alibaba’s shares are set to debut on the US market on 19 September, in what could be the world’s largest ever initial public offering. It increased the price range on its offering from $66 to $68 on 15 September, reflecting strong demand from investors for the year’s most anticipated debut.