Core Insights - The recent 618 shopping festival demonstrated a significant shift in the e-commerce industry towards valuing genuine growth and long-term value, moving away from the previous focus on low prices and refund culture [2][4][22] - Taobao and Tmall reported that 453 brands achieved over 100 million yuan in sales during the event, marking a 24% year-on-year increase, with major brands like Apple, Xiaomi, and Nike leading the sales [2][5] - The introduction of various "supporting excellence" policies aims to help quality original merchants grow, emphasizing the importance of real transactions and customer satisfaction [3][6][10] Group 1: Changes in E-commerce Strategy - The focus on genuine transactions and support for quality merchants represents a major change from previous years, with real transaction growth being a key performance indicator [4][22] - Taobao has implemented a new "real experience score" system to provide a more accurate reflection of consumer experience, reducing the impact of fraudulent practices like fake reviews and refunds [7][9] - The platform has restructured its store system to enhance user experience and streamline operations for different types of merchants [7][8] Group 2: Membership and Customer Engagement - The emphasis on merchant membership programs has increased, with over 10,000 top brands collaborating to offer shopping incentives to members, enhancing customer loyalty [10][11] - New promotional strategies, such as shopping cash rewards, are being utilized to encourage repeat purchases and strengthen the relationship between merchants and their customers [10][11] Group 3: Cross-Channel Customer Acquisition - The integration of external platforms like WeChat, Xiaohongshu, and Douyin for customer acquisition is a significant advantage for merchants, allowing for streamlined marketing efforts [12][13] - During the 618 event, the platform invested 3 billion yuan in subsidies to support merchants, enhancing their ability to attract customers through various channels [12][13] Group 4: Improving Business Environment - The e-commerce industry is moving towards a healthier business environment by addressing issues like refund abuse and fraudulent practices, which have plagued the sector in recent years [19][20] - Taobao has introduced measures to combat malicious refund requests and improve the integrity of transactions, thereby fostering a more trustworthy marketplace [20][21] - Continuous efforts to optimize the business environment are essential for allowing quality merchants to thrive and connect effectively with consumers [22][23]

Core Insights - Tmall's 618 shopping festival is set to launch its second wave, with Alibaba providing various growth initiatives for merchants, including integration of AIGX technology to enhance operational efficiency [1] Group 1: AIGX Technology Implementation - The AIGX technology system has been successfully implemented across various Tmall services, improving product visibility and consumer engagement through AI-driven indexing and recommendations [3][4] - During the 618 shopping festival, AI is expected to significantly enhance merchants' production and conversion efficiency, addressing the high consumer demand [4] Group 2: New Product Launches - Tmall has introduced the AIGC product "Image to Video," which has generated over 1.5 million video materials for merchants, reducing video production time by more than 15 days on average [5] - The "Image to Video" feature allows merchants to create dynamic short videos by simply uploading product images, thus improving product browsing and conversion rates [5] Group 3: Marketing and Advertising Enhancements - The "All-Station Promotion" has been upgraded to "Product All-Station Push," utilizing AI to identify and promote products with potential GMV growth, resulting in a 10% increase in ROI delivery rate [6] - The marketing tools have assisted over 1.4 million merchants, with notable increases in sales for key products, such as a 2.7 times increase for Haier's core products [6] Group 4: AI Assistance for Merchants - Tmall has provided AI Agents to assist merchants in managing their stores, performing over 1.8 million store management tasks, including data analysis and content creation [7] - The "Business Manager" has served over 7 million merchants, generating over 100 million marketing materials and conducting extensive data analysis during the 618 preparation and sales period [7]

Core Viewpoint - The core lever for growth during the 618 shopping festival is to bring AI back to the crowd, emphasizing the importance of early and precise preparations for businesses [2][3]. Group 1: Market Trends - The consumer market is showing a steady recovery, with retail sales in Q1 increasing by 4.6% year-on-year and online retail sales up by 7.9%, with physical goods online retail growing by 5.7% [2]. - In 2024, 365 brands achieved over 100 million in sales during the 618 event, with over 36,000 brands doubling their sales, marking it as a significant business explosion in the first half of the year [2]. Group 2: Consumer Behavior - Modern consumers are complex, blending rational and emotional factors in their purchasing decisions, which presents challenges for brands in formulating marketing strategies [5]. - During promotional periods, consumer behavior shows distinct wave patterns, with different consumer segments exhibiting varied content consumption habits and purchasing rhythms [6]. Group 3: AI and Consumer Engagement - Alibaba Mama's "618 Business Blue Book" focuses on human-centric strategies, utilizing AI capabilities to identify and engage target audiences effectively [3][8]. - AI's role is to enhance the understanding of consumer segments, allowing brands to implement a full-cycle strategy from audience selection to engagement and retention [6][8]. Group 4: Industry-Specific Strategies - The guide provides actionable methodologies for four key industries: sports and outdoor, apparel, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), and home electronics, emphasizing the need for brands to adapt to specific consumer motivations and behaviors [10][19][23]. - For the sports and outdoor sector, brands should focus on building consumer interest and engagement through targeted marketing strategies during the 618 period [11]. - In the apparel industry, understanding style preferences and trends is crucial, with a focus on high-value consumers who are sensitive to fashion trends [16]. - The FMCG sector requires brands to establish mechanisms for continuous consumer engagement and retention, leveraging AI for targeted marketing [19]. - For the home electronics industry, brands must help consumers build decision-making intent and utilize platform resources to facilitate conversions [23]. Group 5: Long-term Growth and AI Integration - The transition from "audience targeting" to "audience management" signifies a shift from a traffic-based logic to an asset-based logic, enabling brands to create a sustainable growth ecosystem [28]. - The emphasis on understanding and managing consumer relationships is seen as a critical factor for long-term success in the evolving market landscape [30][31].