Opponent Debater Wang Ziruo Exits, Where Will Grees Channel Reform Go?

Tech 2024-08-17 13:01:45 Source: Network

Opponent Debater Wang Ziruo Exits, Where Will Grees Channel Reform Go?Wang Ziruo has been quite busy lately. A week ago (August 9th), he appeared as a person subject to enforcement, with the Shanghai Shuhui Venture Capital Center (Limited Partnership) applying for enforcement of a dispute

Opponent Debater Wang Ziruo Exits, Where Will Grees Channel Reform Go?

Wang Ziruo has been quite busy lately. A week ago (August 9th), he appeared as a person subject to enforcement, with the Shanghai Shuhui Venture Capital Center (Limited Partnership) applying for enforcement of a dispute. The Shenzhen Nanshan District People's Court issued a restrictive consumption order against him, with an enforcement target of approximately 33.83 million yuan. Four days ago, he was also a key figure in Gree's channel reform, taking the stage at the New Marketing Strategy Summit and New Product Launch Conference, promoting and interpreting the new marketing model. However, this past Friday (August 16th), it was revealed that Wang Ziruo had "resigned", no longer an "employee".

Times Finance journalists attempted to contact Gree Electric Appliances (000651.SZ) and Wang Ziruo himself, but received no response. However, according to Gree insiders, Wang Ziruo's information is no longer searchable on the Gree internal OA system "G platform". Some media even reported that Gree employees stated that relevant documents have been signed by different people.

With the departure of Wang Ziruo, the head of the digital channel reform project, where will Gree's channel reform go? As for Wang Ziruo, after spending over a thousand days and nights at Gree, experiencing multiple identities: internet celebrity, Dong Mingzhu's right-hand man, and head of the digital channel reform project, will he, in a way, end up taking a similar path to his former "opponent debater" Luo Yonghao? How he writes his own "True Repayment Story" might become Wang Ziruo's next question.

Wang Ziruo's Sudden Departure

On a calm Friday afternoon, August 16th, the news of "Wang Ziruo's Resignation" trended on Weibo, with related discussions spreading across major headlines. But just four days ago, Wang Ziruo still appeared as a leader at Gree Electric Appliances headquarters and head of the digital channel reform project. Gree officials mentioned that Wang Ziruo expressed confidence in this reform and transformation, saying, "We will use the most gentle and least impactful methods to help dealers transition smoothly and re-energize our market!"

However, just four days later, Gree insiders told Times Finance journalists that Wang Ziruo's name is no longer searchable on the "G platform" used by Gree.

From founding ZEALER to joining Gree, Wang Ziruo has never lacked hot topics and stories. But the frequent occurrence of ups and downs in the news within a week is certainly unusual.

In mid-2021, Gree experienced two personnel changes: technology self-media personality Wang Ziruo joined Gree as Vice President; in the same year, Meng Yutong joined as President Assistant. Meng Yutong left Gree in mid-2022, while Wang Ziruo's departure likely occurred in August 2024.

Since then, Wang Ziruo has been with Gree for over three years, experiencing over a thousand days and nights. It has also been 28 months since he took the stage and became the head of Gree's digital channel reform project (March 2022).

During his time at ZEALER, Wang Ziruo started from scratch and created a big digital evaluation cake for the internet age. But at Gree, approaching the age of 35, Wang Ziruo's name was mostly linked to Gree's channel reform and even Gree chairman Dong Mingzhu.

Gree's Channel Reform

A key turning point in Gree's channel reform was the second quarter of 2020. At that time, Gree implemented "new retail" marketing model reform nationwide, using live streaming, building online "Gree Dong Mingzhu Store", and offline experience stores. Another keyword for reform was the "Cloud Network Batch" system. After using the system, the most significant difference was in the scenario of purchasing retail household air conditioners. Unlike the traditional long offline purchasing channels, when purchasing retail air conditioners, dealers only need to purchase according to the price list on the "Gree Net Batch" app, and the payment will be directly transferred to Gree headquarters.

According to Times Finance journalists, in May 2022, Wang Ziruo had already visited Anhui, the first province to implement Cloud Network Batch reform, to give a presentation on the channel. In May 2023, Wang Ziruo made his first appearance as the head of Gree's channel reform project in Jiangxi. In November of the same year, Wang Ziruo accompanied Gree chairman and president Dong Mingzhu to receive a television interview, going viral with his catchphrase "I never look at my salary slip from Gree," sparking heated discussions.

A Gree insider previously analyzed to Times Finance journalists that Dong Mingzhu's purpose in bringing Wang Ziruo to the forefront was to use her authority to endorse and help Wang promote channel reform. It was around the time of the November television interview that Gree's Cloud Network Batch reform accelerated.

However, less than a year later, Wang Ziruo has been revealed to have left.

Opponent Debater Wang Ziruo Exits, Where Will Grees Channel Reform Go?

From the perspective of public opinion, news of Wang Ziruo's departure has generated significant media attention for Gree, but in fact, his exit seems unlikely to have a major impact on Gree.

Wang Ziruo's Influence at Gree

Looking at Wang Ziruo's various titles since joining Gree - "Gree Electric Appliances Headquarters Leader", "Head of Channel Reform" - compared to the later arrival of Lu Luqun, "Sales Director", they seem somewhat "empty".

In the view of senior home appliance industry analyst Liu Buchun, this means that Wang Ziruo had no real power at Gree Electric Appliances. He also pointed out that Gree Electric Appliances' channels were designed and controlled by Dong Mingzhu, leaving very little room for Wang Ziruo to maneuver.

In a previous interview, an Anhui air conditioner dealer told Times Finance journalists that after listening to feedback from dealers during his visit to Anhui, Wang Ziruo said that he needed to report to Dong Mingzhu before making a decision.

"Frankly speaking, Wang Ziruo's presence or departure will not have a major impact on Gree," said Liu Buchun.

The Inevitability of Gree's Reform

However, regardless of whether Wang Ziruo is present, Gree's reform is inevitable. The other two of the white goods giants - Midea Group and Haier - have been transforming digitally since 2012. In that year, Midea launched the "T+3" flexible production model based on its digital supply chain system; Haier Group launched its B2B e-commerce platform for dealers in 2013, also providing supply chain financial services. But Gree fell behind in digital transformation by seven or eight years.

"For home appliance companies, channel reform is an inevitable trend because competition is not only about product technology, but channel capability is also an important competitive factor," pointed out Ding Shaojiang, senior industrial economics analyst and founder of Ding Technology.

On August 12th, when Wang Ziruo was still the head of the channel reform project, some media reported that Gree's channel reform work was accelerating. The new cold season will implement new retail in Guangzhou and Foshan areas, and dealers will directly place orders from Gree's new online batch system in the future.

In Ding Shaojiang's view, the main direction of channel reform is user-oriented, extending the channel to where users are. Currently, channels are becoming fragmented. In the online market, besides traditional e-commerce channels, there are also short video platforms and live streaming channels like Douyin and Kuaishou, grass-planting channels like Xiaohongshu, and food delivery and instant delivery channels like Meituan.

"For home appliance companies, diversified channel layout or omnichannel layout has become a consensus and a common development direction."

The layers of dealers and agents that make up the offline channels were once the source of power for white goods giants to compete in the market. Taking Gree as an example, Times Finance journalists previously learned that Gree's offline sales system includes about 30,000 exclusive stores, contributing a significant portion of Gree's performance. This was built jointly by Dong Mingzhu and some agents, and Beijing Haier Internet Technology Development Co., Ltd., composed of agents, remains one of the major shareholders of Gree Electric Appliances.

Transformation is Not Easy

In 2023, according to Cailian Press, a provincial dealer of Gree made a bet with the media. "I can almost guarantee that he (Wang Ziruo) will resign before Dong Mingzhu retires." "I can make a bet with you, he will resign within 1-2 years."

Opponent Debater Wang Ziruo Exits, Where Will Grees Channel Reform Go?

In June of this year, according to media reports, Dong Mingzhu admitted in her speech at the 2023 Annual Shareholders' Meeting that Gree's channel reform was "going against herself". "Our previous channel approach may have been successful, but as the market develops, the issue of 'win-win' has been placed before us."

Today, Dong Mingzhu is nearly 70, Wang Ziruo may have left, but Gree's channel reform continues.

Wang Ziruo's Next Stop

For Wang Ziruo, whether or not he is with Gree, he is still an internet celebrity. Ten years ago, when Wang Ziruo was at ZEALER, he had a public debate with Luo

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