Chinanews.com client, Beijing, September 30 (Reporter Li Jinlei) "XXX has a 50% discount..." Note that this is not an advertisement broadcast in a hypermarket, but an advertisement broadcast on shared bicycles.

Shared bicycles on the streets of Beijing.

Photo by Chinanews reporter Li Jinlei

Voice ads appear on shared bicycles

　　Recently, a reporter from Chinanews.com discovered that some bike-sharing brands have launched voice advertisements. A voice advertisement will appear when Hello Bike is turned on and off. The content of the advertisement involves a well-known home appliance store.

　　On social media, many netizens share this change.

　　"It's amazing! Now shared bicycles can be advertised, and the moment the car lock is closed, "Which one is the best buyer"..."

　　"Hello, once the bike is unlocked, the voice-playing advertisement is really awkward. I drove one in the crowd after class and was frightened and froze on the spot."

　　"Will the next step be to broadcast the advertisements on shared bicycles in a loop until you get off" "Imagine if all shared bicycles become running voice billboards..."

　　"Sweeping a hello bike, it cost me 1.5 yuan to say nothing, there was a voice advertisement when I opened the lock, and another voice advertisement when I turned the lock, users and merchants charge both!"

Reviews.

Some people support some people worry

　　For the voice advertisements launched by shared bicycles, in addition to Tucao, there are also voices of support.

　　"I think it's pretty good. As long as it doesn't affect the use, it's better than shutting down. In the future, you can try to listen to advertisements by bike to avoid the cost."

　　"It's not hurtful. Don't ask you to read the ads in the app to unlock the lock. It is also good to get a new profit model for shared bicycles. Otherwise, relying on the previous subsidies to burn money and continue to put bicycles crazy is not a way of recycling economy."

　　"I can ride, regardless of so many transportation tools, and improve efficiency. It won't bother me. I really didn't notice it. After all, it makes money. I improve efficiency to work and make money without conflict."

　　"It's okay as long as it's not broadcast while walking, unlock it and broadcast it." "As long as it's cheap, I can tolerate its voice broadcast all the way."

　　However, some people raised concerns: Will there be voice advertisements every minute in the future, and only paying to eliminate advertisements?

Shared bicycles at a subway entrance in a suburb of Beijing.

Photo by Wu Tao

Shared bicycles are indeed facing considerable pressure on profitability.

　　Because of the lack of a clear profit model, some bike-sharing companies encountered a financial crisis after experiencing large-scale expansion and burned money, and the entire industry has also experienced a tragic reshuffle. The two bike-sharing giants ofo and Mobike, one fell and the other Was "collected".

　　In particular, ofo has almost disappeared from the world. Although ofo tried its best to make money, the APP became a profitable online shopping website, and the official account became a marketing account, but the refund of the deposit was still far away. Every once in a while, the deposit was scolded by hot searches. The founder, Dai Wei, also received one order after another to restrict consumption.

　　At present, China's bike-sharing market is dominated by three pillars, with Haro Bikes, Meituan Bikes, and Green Orange Bikes sharing the main market share.

　　The bicycle-sharing market is also gradually recovering. Taking Beijing as an example, the amount of bicycle rental on the Internet has rebounded rapidly.

Starting from April 2020, the average daily cycling volume has surpassed the level of the same period last year.

As of September 21, the average daily cycling volume exceeded 3 million. Among them, the daily cycling volume reached 3.559 million on September 17, which became a new historical high.

　　However, the cost of operation and maintenance of shared bicycles is high, and the high loss makes the profits of shared bicycle companies worrying, especially because of the limited monetization channels. In many places, shared bicycles are prohibited from advertising on the body.

　　Taking Beijing as an example, in accordance with the requirements of the "Guiding Opinions of Beijing Municipality on Encouraging and Regulating the Development of Shared Bicycles (Trial)", vehicles should be placed in compliance with national and industry standards, with onboard satellite positioning devices installed, and no commercial advertisements allowed.

　　With huge users and high operating costs, but car advertising cannot be done, how to survive profitably has become a problem for shared bicycle companies.

The voice advertisement that appeared this time is also regarded as an alternative exploration and attempt by bike-sharing companies to seek profit.

　　Zhao Zhanzhu, a lawyer from Beijing Zhilin Law Firm, told a reporter from Chinanews.com that the launch of voice advertisements on shared bicycles is a normal business practice and should also be one of the profit models for shared bicycles.

However, it is true that the user experience is not good, and this should be taken into consideration.

　　What do you think of the voice advertisement of shared bicycles?

(Finish)