Core Viewpoint - The launch of the Gaode Street Ranking by Alibaba has sparked a competitive response from Meituan, indicating a strategic move in the local service market, with significant financial backing and promotional efforts involved [2][20]. Group 1: Gaode Street Ranking Launch - Gaode Street Ranking was launched on September 10, 2023, and has since engaged users through various promotional activities, including a lottery with high-value prizes [3][4][8]. - The initiative has reportedly cost Alibaba over 10 billion yuan in direct promotional expenses within the first month, reflecting a "burn money for traffic" strategy typical of Alibaba [9][10]. - Gaode's commitment to "never commercialize" the ranking aims to create a trustworthy data-driven platform, contrasting with existing local service platforms that rely on ratings and reviews [10][12]. Group 2: Competitive Landscape - Following the launch of Gaode Street Ranking, Meituan announced its own "Street Fire Ranking," indicating a direct competitive response to Gaode's initiative [22][27]. - Other competitors, including Baidu and Douyin, have also reacted by enhancing their own service offerings, showcasing the competitive dynamics in the local service market [23][27]. - The local service market is still in its early stages of online penetration, with significant growth potential projected, which makes this competitive landscape increasingly critical for all players involved [20][22]. Group 3: Business Model and Revenue Streams - Gaode's current revenue model primarily relies on B2B services, including advertising fees, merchant bidding fees, and commission from various services [12][16]. - The Gaode Street Ranking has the potential to drive significant foot traffic to local businesses, with over 1 billion visitors reported during the recent holiday period [14][16]. - Future revenue growth for Gaode will depend on the successful integration of the Street Ranking with its existing services and the ability to monetize the increased traffic effectively [16][20].

Core Insights - A competitive battle for local life service market share has erupted among map applications and local service platforms during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, with significant user engagement and innovative strategies being employed by companies like Gaode Map and Baidu Map [1][4][7] Group 1: Gaode Map's Strategy - Gaode Map's "Street Ranking" attracted 400 million users in 23 days, with daily active users exceeding 360 million as of October 1 [4][5] - The platform reported a 300% increase in traffic for small businesses and a 150% year-on-year growth in orders for the local dining industry during the holiday period [4][5] - Gaode has invested over 1 billion yuan in subsidies to encourage in-store consumption and waived entry fees for all dining merchants for one year [5] Group 2: Baidu Map's Approach - Baidu Map launched the "AI Go·Ranking" in collaboration with Meituan and Ctrip, featuring various categories such as food, attractions, hotels, shopping, and entertainment [3][4] - The platform integrates user ratings from multiple sources, allowing users to purchase in-store packages directly through Baidu Map [3][4] - Baidu's strategy reflects a broader trend of interconnectivity among platforms, aiming to enhance user experience and market presence [4] Group 3: Content Platforms' Role - Douyin (TikTok) introduced its "Heartfelt Ranking" for hotels, covering 443 unique lifestyle hotels across 39 cities, emphasizing user engagement through likes and shares [6][7] - Douyin's approach focuses on content-driven rankings, with significant user interaction reflected in over 35 billion views related to lifestyle hotels in the past year [6] - The competition among platforms highlights a shift in consumer behavior towards local services, with a need for balancing commercialization and user experience [7]