Hua Xia Shi Bao·2026-01-27 14:50Core Viewpoint - The competition among tech companies for user acquisition and traffic during the Spring Festival has intensified, with a focus on AI-driven initiatives, particularly cash red envelopes [2][3][4]. Group 1: AI Red Envelope Initiatives - Tencent's AI assistant, Yuanbao, announced a plan to distribute a total of 1 billion yuan in cash red envelopes starting February 1, while Baidu's app will offer 500 million yuan from January 26 to March 12 [3][4]. - Baidu's decision to issue red envelopes through its app instead of the Wenxin app is aimed at maximizing exposure and user engagement, as the two platforms serve different purposes [3]. - The competition for red envelopes is particularly fierce for the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, with ByteDance's Volcano Engine confirmed as the exclusive partner for this event [3][4]. Group 2: User Engagement Strategies - The AI assistants are not only focusing on red envelopes but are also enhancing user engagement through new features like group chat capabilities, which aim to create more usage scenarios and increase user stickiness [4][5]. - Baidu's Wenxin app has launched a "multi-agent" group chat feature, allowing users to collaborate with AI assistants in various tasks, while Tencent's Yuanbao introduced a social AI feature called "Yuanbao Club" [5][6]. - The goal of these features is to shift user reliance from basic AI functions to more interactive and social experiences, thereby increasing user retention [6]. Group 3: Market Position and Competition - According to data from December, Doubao leads the native AI application market with over 200 million monthly active users, followed by Yuanbao with 112 million [6]. - Baidu's Wenxin assistant has surpassed 200 million monthly active users, indicating higher engagement compared to its standalone app [6]. - The current market is characterized by intense competition among major players, with a focus on establishing the next generation of traffic entry points in the C-end market [6].