Download the June 2013 issue of CKGSB Magazine: Future of Freemium
COVER STORY:
The Future of Freemium:
In light of the recent debate over whether WeChat should start charging its users, CKGSB Magazine takes a close look at the freemium model in which a company provides the bulk of its services free of cost and amasses a huge user base. It only charges a premium from a handful of users who subscribe to the value-added services. The story looks at the viability of the model and how companies like Chinese gaming giant Tencent are finding ways of keeping their services free. The story also looks at how the model has worked globally with companies like Skype, LinkedIn and Evernote.
SNAPSHOT:
What’s in a Brand?: China’s top 10 brands and the companies behind the logos
CHINA INSIGHT:
- 4G in China: Can China’s mobile networks make good on 4G after failures with 3G?
- Smeared!: How smear campaigns can hurt business in China, and what can you do as a company when you are the target of such a campaign.
- No Love Lost: Can foreign car makers in China continue to dominate the Chinese market while appeasing their Chinese counterparts?
- The Freeze: Regulators have suspended IPOs on China’s stock markets. What’s their strategy and how will it affect Chinese companies?
- Upwardly Mobile: Swarms of start-ups in mobile technology are feeling the effects of hyper-competition, illusive investment and fickle consumers.
- The Ascent: China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are making progress in honing competitiveness, despite political burdens.
- The Switch: How PC-manufacturer Lenovo is gearing up for the era of tablets and smartphones.
BUSINESS BAROMETER:
- Blip in Confidence: According to the Business Conditions Index brought out by CKGSB’s Case Center and Center for Economic Research, China’s entrepreneurs forecast modest figures for company growth in the coming years due to concerns over a slowing economy.
VIEWPOINT:
- Real Estate: CKGSB’s Prof Liu Jing on why now is not a time to buy.
CONVERSATIONS:
- The Thinker Interview: Stuart Hart, one of the two proponents of the Bottom of the Pyramid theory, on the evolution of the idea that revolutionized business thinking and sustainability. (Video Interview here)
- The Lady de Rothschild Interview: Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild believes that capitalism is not a lost cause. It only needs long-term thinking and a more human face. (Video Interview Part 1 & Part 2)
- C-Suite: Shi Tao, Vice-President (Retail) of the Chinese e-commerce retailer Jingdong, on lessons from its global push.
- Q&A: Ogilvy & Mather Asia Chief Knowledge Officer and Cultural Insights Director Kunal Sinha on why China’s lower-tier cities hold the key to the country’s growth.
BOOKSHELF:
- Edward Tse, Chairman Emeritus (Greater China), Booz & Co, shares his picks for financial and spiritual reads.
DOWNTIME:
- Brewing Sophistication: In China tea is more than just a beverage. It is a living history, as rich, complicated and sophisticated as you want it to be.
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