Sou Hu Cai Jing·2026-01-30 12:18Core Viewpoint - Tencent and Baidu are launching cash red envelope campaigns to attract users to their AI products, but the effectiveness of this strategy is questionable due to the current immaturity of AI applications and user fatigue with cash incentives [3][4][32]. Group 1: Tencent's Strategy - Tencent's chairman, Ma Huateng, announced a cash giveaway of 1 billion yuan for its AI application "Yuanbao" during the Spring Festival, aiming to replicate the success of WeChat's red envelope feature [3][4]. - The "Yuanbao" app saw a significant rise in downloads, ranking first in Huawei's app store and second in Apple's China app store shortly after the announcement [27]. - However, the app's ranking dropped shortly after the initial surge, indicating a lack of sustained user engagement beyond the cash incentive [27][32]. Group 2: Baidu's Approach - Baidu launched a cash red envelope campaign for its AI assistant "Wenxin," offering 500 million yuan in rewards to users engaging with the app [3][31]. - Despite initial success in attracting users, the app struggled to retain them post-campaign, highlighting a lack of strategic direction [15][31]. - Baidu's AI products have not established a strong presence in high-frequency application scenarios, limiting their effectiveness in retaining users [31][32]. Group 3: Market Dynamics and Comparisons - The current AI market is still in a "user education phase," unlike the mobile payment boom where user needs were already established [32]. - The success of WeChat's red envelope was due to its alignment with existing user habits and needs, which is not the case for current AI products [11][32]. - Companies like Douyin have successfully integrated cash incentives with their business models, focusing on user engagement and retention rather than just attracting new users [21][22]. Group 4: Challenges and Future Outlook - The fundamental challenge for both Tencent and Baidu lies in the unclear positioning of their AI products, which do not yet meet specific user needs [28][31]. - The industry must focus on developing unique product capabilities and understanding user requirements rather than relying on cash incentives to drive initial engagement [32]. - The current approach of using cash giveaways may lead to temporary spikes in user numbers but will not foster long-term loyalty or ecosystem growth [24][32].