Lao Luo Weibo 1799: The double-edged sword effect of excessive marketing

Because of jet lag and insomnia, I checked Weibo in the middle of the night and saw a war of words. Well, then it was a very common scene in the domestic Android manufacturer circle. Meizu released a new product MX 4 priced at 1,799 yuan. First, Xiaomi mobile phone people accused Meizu of hiring Internet trolls to flood the Weibo screen. Then, Luo Yonghao, the founder of Smartisan Technology, also forwarded this Weibo, thinking that he was attacked in the same way.

Luo Yonghao said on Weibo, "In the first few days after Meizu was released, there were thousands of "1799" "netizen comments" on my Weibo every day, which made it impossible to communicate normally with readers. Unfortunately, my PR department colleagues had to delete the water army posts day and night to maintain the normal operation of Weibo."

The competition among domestic Android manufacturers is fierce, and it has become a fierce red ocean. Compared with the verbal attacks between users of other manufacturers, the verbal battle between Xiaomi and Meizu is the most intense. Many people may know the background of the feud between the two companies, so I don’t need to say more. I dare not casually define whether there is a water army attack between the two companies.

However, it is a little hard to understand why Meizu used the Internet trolls to attack Smartisan and Luo Yonghao. Given the current public opinion atmosphere and shipment volume of Smartisan, it is hard to believe that mainstream manufacturers are afraid of their competitive threats. Even if they hire Internet trolls, it will cost a lot of money to bring in actual sales. Why would they spend the budget on a very niche manufacturer instead of targeting more direct competitors?

Let's make a negative assumption. Meizu did hire Internet trolls to discredit Xiaomi. That's logical. After all, the two manufacturers have many grievances, and the users they target are also a general group - young users who pursue high cost performance. Let's make another negative assumption. Meizu hired Internet trolls to flood other domestic manufacturers. That also makes sense. Meizu needs to expand its influence and increase its sales. But they also have production capacity difficulties now, and users have to wait if they want to buy.

But why did Meizu hire a troll army to discredit Hammer? The troll army marketing budget should be spent on weakening direct competitors and bringing in potential users. Hammer users are not Meizu's target group. Does Meizu have too much PR budget to spend?

Hammer phones are high-end phones priced at 3,500 yuan (based on 4G standards) among domestic phones, far higher than the fiercely competitive market of Xiaomi and Meizu phones below 2,000 yuan. Moreover, the Hammer user base is composed of those who are idealistic, support the spirit of craftsmanship, identify with Luo Yonghao's dream, and are willing to pay a high price to help Luo Yonghao win the competition.

"Just be serious and we will help you win!" Such user groups will not settle for mediocrity. They are eager to be different, looking forward to the emergence of a Chinese version of Steve Jobs, and hope to stand with Luo Yonghao at the "crossroads of technology and humanity". Judging from the many microblogs of Hammer users forwarded by Luo Yonghao, I don't think Hammer users will choose the cost-effective Meizu phone, because they seem to be more loyal than Apple users, and have a passionate and fanatical support attitude towards Hammer and Luo Yonghao.

Unless the Meizu PR team is really crazy, they will not harass Luo Yonghao and the Hammer phone. Moreover, mocking the Hammer phone with the price of 1799 is more mocking the cost performance of the Hammer phone, which will only anger the die-hard Hammer fans and will not convert Hammer fans into Meizu users.

So how did the large number of 1799 under Luo Yonghao's Weibo come from? This is more likely the reaction of excessive marketing.

In the past, during his entrepreneurial journey, Luo Yonghao used a lot of exaggerated vision and belittling content to raise the expectations of Hammer's potential users and his loyal fans, believing that Luo Yonghao could create a product that would change the world. I don't need to list all the boasts and ridicules that Long Ge has made over the years, as they have all become classic topics of conversation or jokes.

The Smartisan launch event created a miracle of attention. Luo Yonghao achieved such a marketing effect only by relying on his charm, connections and bragging. It is indeed unmatched. In this respect, Luo Yonghao is more powerful than Xiaomi, which focuses on social marketing. He should publish a new book on marketing.

But the more you brag, the more ridicule you have to endure. Luo Yonghao's marketing method is a double-edged sword. While it gets the most attention at the lowest cost, it also brings negative effects to the Hammer brand. Excessive marketing itself is the most criticized problem of domestic manufacturers before. Now it has been taken to the extreme by Luo Yonghao, which of course easily arouses the disgust of Weibo users who are not fans of Hammer. During the period after the release of the Hammer phone, any negative news about Hammer may be exaggerated and ridiculed by netizens who dislike Luo Yonghao. It's not that they really hate the Hammer phone, but they want to expose the bullshit he has boasted.

The comments about 1799 on Luo Yonghao's Weibo are not necessarily from Meizu's trolls, but more of a mockery of him and Hammer. Since you choose to use exaggerated methods to entertain the public for marketing, you have to accept the fact that you are being mocked by the public in the form of entertainment and spoofs. You can't just allow yourself to laugh and scold, but not allow the audience to mock and fight back. Meizu's pricing just gives those Weibo users who can't stand the exaggeration and belittling of their peers' marketing methods a good reason to fight back.

While Luo Yonghao is boasting, he is also a serious person. To be fair, the materials and components used in the Hammer phone are high-quality, the interface and software are also bright spots, and the service provided to users is also attentive. However, as the first product created by a startup company, it has both strengths and weaknesses, which is also natural. The Hammer phone is good and a little amazing, but it is not as high as Luo Yonghao's boasting, at least not in the first generation.

However, such a high-end mobile phone that has just started has suffered from the backlash of the founder's over-exaggerated marketing, and has been widely ridiculed for various defects that exist or do not exist. This is not a good thing for Smartisan Technology.

In the face of the adverse effects of excessive marketing, you don't have to be so serious about accusing yourself of being persecuted. Since you have chosen entertainment marketing, you must have an entertaining spirit. Laughing it off, increasing Hammer's production capacity, and developing better new products are actually the most effective means of response.

Note: This is a commentary article. Readers who want to watch the fun don't need to @老罗, and he won't come to confront me. Lao Luo is very busy and will only confront those influential media people. I can't affect the sales of Hammer. Besides, even if he confronts me, I won't fight back. Compared with his eloquence, my fighting ability is dregs. No matter whether I am right or wrong, I can't beat Lao Luo, and I may not even have the chance to finish my words.

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.