Taxi-hailing apps are fighting again, this time for entry

Signs of Didi Dache and Kuaidi Dache competing with each other in the subsidy war have reappeared.

In the past two days, they have each announced two cooperations, extending their cooperation tentacles to operators and real estate websites. On October 13, Didi announced an alliance with China Telecom, and the two parties will cooperate in multiple aspects such as mobile data, personalized packages, and mobile terminals. Kuaidi chose China Unicom. In the real estate field, Didi chose Sina Leju, where users can use Didi to book a car, and Kuaidi chose another real estate website, Sohu Focus.

Almost at the same time, both announced cooperation with the same type of enterprises. The two actions of Didi and Kuaidi could not be a coincidence. What is more logical is that after the subsidy war ended, they started a competition for the entry layout of partners.

Alliance Operators

Didi and Kuaidi first set their sights on operators’ traffic discounts. In previous subsidy wars, both Didi and Kuaidi had provided cash subsidies for traffic based on online time to encourage drivers to use their apps.

After Didi cooperated with China Telecom, China Telecom could provide Didi users with preferential traffic pool or traffic package services, as well as preferential mobile terminals and personalized package products. Didi said it would open its own channels and establish a dedicated data interface to connect with China Telecom's platform.

Another important point for users is the optimization of the response speed of calling a car. After Didi cooperated with China Telecom, Didi could optimize the algorithm through China Telecom's network and mobile Internet data technology, better optimize the Didi information platform, and improve the user experience of pushing travel service information to passengers and drivers.

The content of the strategic cooperation between Kuaidi Taxi and China Unicom is slightly different. In addition to traffic services, the two parties mainly explore the interoperability and exchange of user sharing and points systems based on communications and social networks. Prior to this, Kuaidi and Shanghai Unicom have already tried the point mall model. Unicom Shanghai users can use Unicom points to redeem Kuaidi taxi vouchers.

Entering the real estate O2O market

In addition to operators, Didi and Kuaidi have also targeted real estate websites. On October 14, they announced their cooperation with Leju and Sohu Focus respectively, and emphasized the closed loop of O2O.

Leju's 40,000 WeChat sales offices have added a special service called "Didi House Viewing", which allows users to call Didi taxis with one click through the WeChat sales offices. Kuaidi will be connected to the Sohu Focus Web and APP terminals to provide taxi services for Sohu Focus users.

This means that a closed loop has been formed: users find their favorite properties through real estate websites such as Leju and Sohu Focus, and then use Didi and Kuaidi to book a taxi for house viewing. After viewing the house, they can use Didi and Kuaidi to call a taxi home. In this process, home buyers can enjoy the reduction of taxi fees, save time, and improve the house viewing experience.

The cooperation between Leju and Didi also includes the extension of the "red envelope" application. Projects under development include the distribution of Leju-sponsored cash red envelopes, as well as welfare sharing activities in the form of "I'll reimburse you for viewing a house", providing more convenience for users to view houses offline.

O2O entry war

Didi and Kuaidi already have rich experience in building an O2O closed loop. From taking a taxi to getting off the taxi and using online payment, an O2O closed loop has been formed between drivers and passengers.

After the subsidy war ended and Didi and Kuaidi both started business car rental, the two companies began to focus on "travel", linking up their originally independent O2O fields and engaging in fierce competition for partners.

As Cheng Wei, founder and CEO of Didi, said, taxi-hailing apps are a natural portal to mobile local life services. Zhao Dong, co-founder and COO of Kuaidi Taxi, also said that in the future, more resources will be integrated to form a complementary and closed loop at the business level and accelerate the common development of the O2O field.

Another thing that is foreseeable is that the taxi-hailing software will not be limited to the field of taxis or commercial vehicles. Didi said that in addition to taxis and Didi private cars, it will also expand the services of buses, subways, commercial buses and other means of transportation.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.