Is the information flow product-centric or user-centric?

In life, the things we come into contact with the most are commodities, and each commodity has its own classification. Over the years, we have developed a proven and widely used system for how we categorize our products. For example, the following three types of product classification methods.

books

2. Movies

3. Music

This classification method is of course simple and clear. When you need a product, you can follow the map and you will definitely find the product you need. To keep up with the trend, I call it the X-type classification method. Can you think of a better way to classify it? The following is a new idea, and I believe you have seen this classification method before.

1. Books

2. Movies

3. Music

This classification method is different from the traditional X-type classification method. I call it label classification method. For comparison, this article calls it Y-type classification method. Do you see the difference between the two? If you are a user, which product classification method is more attractive to you?

The difference between X-type classification and Y-type classification

Through the above cases, I believe you have a certain understanding of the difference between X and Y classification methods. In order to illustrate the problem, it is necessary to define Type X classification and Type Y classification.

X-type classification method: a method that takes the product itself as the center and classifies products according to their own attributes. It faces the mass market and represents a universal mass taste and mainstream culture. Its characteristic is stability. Once it is determined to be unchanging forever, almost every product can be classified into these categories.

Y-type classification method: a method that focuses on user needs and classifies users based on user labels (mentality or preferences). It targets segmented (niche) markets, represents a personalized taste, encompasses subcultures, and is characterized by instability and constant evolution as market and user demands change.

The most common classification method we see in life is the X-type classification method. You may have adapted to the X-type classification method and think it is good. That’s because you haven’t seen a better classification method. The Y-type classification method is exactly this method. In fact, this classification has begun to work in many brands .

X-type and Y-type classification of stores

Let’s take two very common products, clothing and home furnishings. The picture below is the classification of JD.com’s clothes and JD.com’s clothes and home furnishings” data-target-sentence=”The picture below is the classification of JD.com’s clothes and furniture”>Classification of home furnishings.

JD.com's classification obviously belongs to the X-type classification method. Let’s take a look at Taobao’s classification of these two products in the picture below.

Obviously, Taobao's new classification method belongs to the Y-type classification method. Still the question above, if you are a user, which product classification method is more attractive to you? I think you all already have the answer in your mind, right?

In addition to e-commerce websites, the Y-type classification method has also begun to be gradually accepted and applied in physical shopping malls. This is the concept of business formats and theme spaces.

The innovative lifestyle theme space “Yuejie” currently being built by Chaoyang Joy City on the 6th floor is just such an exploration. "Yuejie" integrates creative retail, home life, gourmet restaurants and bars, music cafes, art salons, and beauty and accessories. Retail, catering, and experience formats are presented in an area ratio of "2:5:3", constructing a multi-dimensional and three-dimensional living space through cross-border business integration.

Li Rui of Chaoyang Joy City said when talking about this issue: "We used to have one floor for men's wear, one floor for women's wear, and one floor for sportswear. Now we require mixed clothing. Today, we must re-combine objects with the main line of people in order to truly meet the potential needs of today's consumers. This is our time. You can go and have a look when you have time. Every time Chaoyang Joy City builds a space, what I want to do is not to attract investment or do engineering renovation, but to publish the values ​​of this space and publish a booklet on the values ​​of this space."

(X-type classification market)

(Y-type classification store)

The above are just two examples I gave. In fact, many brands have noticed this problem and have begun to gradually implement this classification method. Many new brands have used this to establish their own business models and achieved a certain degree of success.

Small brands that achieved a comeback through Y-type classification

1. Books: Duozhaoyu, Tsutaya Bookstore

Duozhaoyu is a second-hand book trading platform. While many e-commerce platforms are selling books at low discounts and there are big players like Kongfuzi.com, Duozhaoyu has maintained sustained growth and user activity. I believe this is inseparable from its book classification strategy of adopting the Y-type classification method. The first time I learned about Duozhaoyu was when I heard the founder Wei Ying introduce it at a small salon. When I opened this small program (it didn’t have an APP yet), the first thing that attracted me was the classification of books. It does not have the traditional book classification method, but only has one classification, namely Y-type classification (the latest version also adds traditional classification). This classification uses a book list method to allow people to find their own labels. Its success to date is inseparable from the adoption of this taxonomy. As a second-hand book trading platform, if it also adopts the Y-type classification when selling second-hand department stores in the future, it will definitely be attractive.

In addition to Duozhaoyu, another heavyweight physical bookstore that adopts the Y-type classification method is the famous Japanese Tsutaya Bookstore. Muneaki Masuda changed the traditional library classification method based on publishers and authors, and instead adopted 22 categories that are more in line with real life. In his book, Masuda Muneaki said, "If it's a cooking section, it could be 'collecting books on the history and practice of medicine and food', and if it's a travel section, it could be 'introducing Prague from an artistic perspective', and then collecting books, periodicals and magazines according to these themes."

To give just one outrageous example, in the Tsutaya bookstore in Ikebukuro, the BL genre books include "devilish attack", "arrogant attack", "peerless attack", "sinister attack", and "yandere attack" in the attack category alone. There are also pain-themed, erotic, training-themed, and toy-themed books for those with a heavy taste. All kinds of genres are included.

2. Movie: TVCat, what to watch tonight

The early days of smart TVs were a time of fierce competition among video software. At that time, I installed an application called TV Cat (now renamed Cloud Video MoreTV). The biggest surprise for me was its movie classification, which also adopted the Y-type classification method for movie classification.

A few years ago, a small application called "What to Watch Tonight" (later acquired by Baidu) became popular on Weibo. It focused on movie recommendations. The reason for its success was the Y-type classification method and personalized movie recommendations for individuals, which was a way of abandoning the traditional movie classification method.

3. Music: NetEase Cloud Music

There is probably no need to say much about NetEase Cloud Music's Y-shaped classification. Everyone has experienced it. This is one of its biggest differences compared to other music software. NetEase Cloud Music was able to snatch the market from the giant crocodiles in the end, and the Y-shaped classification of playlists played an indispensable role. The first time I used NetEase Cloud Music was entirely because of the value its playlist function brought me.

4Cars: Cars

In the field of bulk commodities, such as automobiles, this classification method has actually always existed. When buying a car , many consumers do not necessarily look at the function and performance of the car, but rather the label attributes of the car - that is, whether the attitude it represents is in line with their own mentality.

Below is a screenshot of the car classification on Autohome’s homepage . It is obvious that it uses the X-type classification method.

The following is the classification method of a car mini-program in WeChat . It is obvious that it adopts the Y-type classification method.

How the Y-type classification was born

The birth of the Y-type classification method is actually a classification method that was born under the background of consumption upgrading in the era of mobile Internet . It is achieved through the following three changes.

Finding products - shopping in stores: In an era of commodity scarcity, people buy goods based on demand, and they look for what they need directly according to the category. This is also the reason why the X-type classification method was born. In the context of consumption upgrading, people are troubled by the increasingly abundant commodities and do not know what to buy. The user's logic for purchasing goods has changed from searching to browsing. When a user is browsing around on his mobile phone out of boredom, if he sees a product that matches his label, he may buy it directly. I believe that many people who visit Taobao do not go there with the intention of buying, but rather to browse, and may even place orders for certain products while browsing. At this time, the Y-type classification method comes into play. If one of its categories matches the user's label or mentality, it will prompt him to place an order.

Imagine if a user opens Taobao with the mindset of shopping, and the homepage is directly the first-level classification, and he can only proceed to the next step by making a selection, the user will definitely be frustrated. But if the homepage is various label classifications that suit people's mentality, then he will definitely click according to his needs.

People look for information (products) - information (products) look for people: In today's fragmented world, information and commodities are extremely abundant and even overflowing. The way people obtain information and commodities has changed from people looking for information (products) to information (products) looking for people. In this case, whoever has the information or commodity that can attract users wins the first step. The Y-type classification method must have advantages in this regard.

Product-centered - User-centered: In the final analysis, the X-classification method is a product-centered classification thinking, which is entirely intended to solve the needs of product suppliers to manage products, while the Y-classification method is a user-centered classification thinking, which is based on user labels or mentalities, and is also intended to solve the ultimate needs of users - psychological needs.

The era of consumption upgrade of mobile Internet has witnessed a shift from a commodity-centered to a consumer-centered one, and also a shift in consumer demands from the era of mass commodities to the era of personalized commodities. The Y-type business classification method, that is, the label classification method, is a commodity classification method that formally meets the needs of this era. So in the end, if you still don’t know how to classify products: go and take a look at Douban’s Doulist. As the originator of Y-type classification, I believe it will give you a reference.

The author of this article @寻空的启录 is compiled and published by (Qinggua Media). Please indicate the author information and source when reprinting!

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