Beijing, April 30 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- In four years, EPIN Media has evolved from a start-up to a nationally recognized award-winning company. Its president Feng Li was named 2006 China Top 10 New Media People at the China Media Investment Annual Convention in January. The company also won the Best Growing Potential Media Award by the Advertiser magazine and CCTV, Top 10 New Media by China Baoye Net, the 2006 No.1 Investor's Choice for China Community Award and the 2006 No. 1 Investor's Choice for China Real Estate. Mr. Feng Li attributed the success to the company's focus on technological advancement, market positioning and business model.
Revolutionary Technology
Technological innovation lies at the core of success for every creative media company, and certainly defines the beginning of EPIN Media's journey. EPIN is the home to a group of Internet technology and business management experts.
Mr. Feng Li recognizes the significance of technological innovations from his years of research experience in the United States. "History tells us large-scale developments of the creative media industry are often propelled by new technologies. Now, with the widely application of new technologies such as the Internet, the prime time of our industry is right around the corner."
Since its inception in 2002, EPIN Media has concentrated upon technology advancements. As the first to "digitalize" China's railway systems, it introduced a multi-media information platform. Closed-circuit televisions were eliminated from railway trains.
A variety of new technologies were EPIN Media's brainchildren, thanks to its collaboration with Tsinghua University. Its passenger information service system has become part of the railway digitalization project by the Ministry of Railways. It is a subsystem of the 38 key information systems on the Ministry's agenda. "The system is not only a significant collaboration endeavor by the Ministry and Tsinghua University, but also a nationally recognized innovation project that seamlessly blends high-tech with creative industry," Mr. Li added.
Mobile Media Tapping New Market
The late renowned media critic Marshall McLuhan envisioned media as a critical driving force of society decades ago when he asserted "The medium is the massage." The ever-increasing expansion of new media in recent years proved him right. New media exhibits their significant role in every aspect of human lives. People on the road apparently signify another important market.
China is the world's largest market for railway transport. Research shows that the railway is the top choice of Chinese travelers. At present, there are more than 6,000 railway stations, handling more than 2,600 trains on a daily basis that transport more than 1.5 billion travelers every year. The number of travelers is expected to almost triple by 2020.
EPIN Media proposed the notion of "railway mobile media" in 2005 based on extensive research on market audiences. It further announced the vision of building the largest railway mobile media in China on August 17th, 2006.
"Mobile media target mobile audience whose most distinct characteristic is purposiveness. We provide all kinds of services to meet their purposive needs," Mr. Li explicated.
AC Nielsen's latest research report resonated with Mr. Li's opinion. The report said that railway mobile audience comprised high-income males aged between 20 and 54. With an average age of 32, these passengers represent opinion leaders and important consumers who exert significant influence on other societal members.
Mobile audience can help disseminate information to cities of all sizes. Relying on the railway system, EPIN Media has built a multi-level market that reaches all corners of China.
New Business Model
EPIN Media hosted the first nation-wide business promotion conference in Hangzhou last November. Nearly 100 advertisers from Shanghai, Hangzhou and Ningbo attended. Attendees showed particular interests in EPIN's unique media platform and business model that blends technology with media.
"Our decision to partner with EPIN Media is because of its advantages as China's largest railway mobile media platform, which can maximize our profits," said Xiaoming Wu, general manager of Yujie Advertising Firm. Her firm just partnered with EPIN Media prior to the conference.
Mr. Feng Li is confident in building partnership with more advertisers. He said, "Passengers may feel isolated when staying for a long time on the train. Our media platform can make the trip more enjoyable with all sorts of services."
Travelers often are more prone to try out new things when on the road. Their consumption behaviors may change because of traveling. They are more receptive to advertisements and more likely to purchase commodities.
In respond to passengers' unique demands, railway mobile media arrange commercials based on train schedule. The conventional notion of prime-time commercials is not applicable any more. EPIN has partnered with many well-known companies, such as Tsinghua Tongfang Computer Company, Coca-Cola, Yili Group, ASUSTek Computer Inc., and the Cereal Way Food Technology Development Co., Ltd.
EPIN Media is committed to serving passengers with all sorts of information and programs. Its innovative notion of mobile media interested Enlight TV Production Co., one of China's largest entertainment programs providers. Partnered with Enlight TV Production Co., EPIN Media airs Pepsi Music Billboard, Top TV Series and Style.
Other partners include Tsinghua University, Communication University of China, AC Nielsen, CCTV, Phoenix TV, and Xinhuanet.com.
EPIN Media has branches in Beijing, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, among other cities; offices in more than 10 cities, with services covering major cities and tourist sites.
