"Individual Youth" has grown up and AutoNavi has launched a new "Voice" strategy

In this era, personalization has gradually become the core demand of mobile Internet users, and all businesses show this trend. The map navigation service, which has always been known for its "precision, professionalism, and thoroughness", seems to be forever incompatible with adjectives such as "personal, funny, and personalized".

If we say that Yu Yongfu took over AutoNavi and "joined hands" with Sister Zhiling, turning AutoNavi, a provider of digital map content, navigation and location services, from a "stereotyped uncle" into a "young man with individuality", then, one year later, this "young man with individuality" has grown up and formed his own personalized navigation style.

The “New Voice” strategy is the first anniversary celebration of AutoNavi

On September 23 last year, Yu Yongfu, President of Alibaba Mobile Business Group and President of AutoNavi Group, announced the company's "New AutoNavi" strategy: focus on user needs, focus on making the best map navigation products, focus on the technical research and development of map navigation products, and have no commercial goals within three years.

In the past year, AutoNavi Map, which proposed the "New AutoNavi" strategy, has indeed been committed to providing users with the best travel and location information services. Whether it is the "professional time-honored" self-driving navigation, congestion avoidance, real-time traffic big data, or the industry-leading bus navigation, LBS open platform, and celebrity voice navigation, they are all within the scope of the new strategy, bringing a new round of rapid growth to AutoNavi.

The landmark event of AutoNavi's transformation is the addition of celebrity voice navigation function. According to Dong Zhenning, vice president of AutoNavi Group, the launch of the two navigation voice packages of Lin Chiling and Guo Degang has brought great growth to AutoNavi: Lin Chiling's "sexy voice" has made AutoNavi map downloads more than 6 times that of usual days; and Guo Degang's "joke voice" has helped AutoNavi map's rate of new users increase by 230%, daily active users increased by 36%, and at the same time promoted to the TOP2 position on Apple App Store.

"In the past year, 'voice' has played a vital role in the rapid development of AutoNavi Maps." Dong Zhenning believes that data is the cornerstone of Internet maps, products represent the ability to serve users, and voice is the best communication medium for users to enjoy services, which can "personalize" maps. He said that AutoNavi has decided to upgrade voice to a new strategy for the next stage. "Focusing on travel and location information services has helped AutoNavi achieve success, and 'voice' is an important part of it. After becoming an independent strategic direction, I believe it will continue to bring new value to users and the company."

Add a "Siri" to Maps Navigation

With the release of Amap's new "voice" strategy, Amap Maps has also ushered in a round of comprehensive voice-related upgrades, and all enhancements are centered around the three core points of "more professional, better understanding of you, and happier."

Based on the "professional" product foundation, Amap has improved more details, striving to improve the timing, occasions, and content appropriateness of voice reminders during navigation, and provide more professional navigation services. For example, its recently launched "off-screen navigation" concept allows users to complete the entire travel process by bus, walking, or driving without "looking with eyes" or "controlling with hands", just by listening.

"Understanding you" refers to the "semantic analysis" module that has been strengthened in AutoNavi Maps and integrated into the voice search and voice control functions, similar to adding the "Siri" voice assistant to navigation. For example, during navigation, users only need to say "AutoNavi AutoNavi" to activate voice control, and AutoNavi Maps will automatically increase the navigation volume by saying "the sound is too low", and AutoNavi Maps will automatically push nearby refueling locations by saying "the car is out of gas".

Dong Zhenning said, "As an Internet map manufacturer with top strength in both products and data, AutoNavi can be compared to a person with a complete 'upper and lower body', which is an advantage that Baidu and other competitors do not have. And with the continuous deepening of the new 'voice' strategy, I believe AutoNavi will soon become a person with more 'individuality', providing users with more humane travel navigation services."

Last year, Yu Yongfu proposed that "maps should return to their basics and become the best map navigation products. Functional extensions on maps should be based on user needs rather than commercial purposes." After going O2O, AutoNavi began to "make a difference" in the map field, launching a series of functions including "Bus Navigation", "Happy Navigation", "Indoor Navigation", and "Zhou Xingxing Voice Pack".

At this stage, most Internet companies are eager to find a business outlet for themselves, which has caused many good products to get lost in the process of finding an outlet, while ignoring issues such as what the basic needs of users are and how to improve the user experience.

In fact, whether Gaode has performed well in the past year can be fully reflected in daily travel. If you often use the "Express" service, you can draw conclusions from the driver's choice.

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.