On February 6, Alibaba's AI model Qianwen launched its "Spring Festival Treat Plan." Within just nine hours of the campaign's start, users had placed over 10 million orders through the Qianwen app. Subsequently, Qianwen topped the free app charts with its "one-cent milk tea" promotion. But first, consider this: how interested are you in grabbing digital red packets in an app? For many who are accustomed to WeChat group red packets, the appeal might seem limited. However, what if the stakes were significantly higher? For instance, 4.5 billion yuan in red packets. That could instantly amplify the attraction. Traditional campaigns like collecting five blessings have become outdated in recent years, with AI model red packets taking center stage this year. This vividly illustrates the scene during the current Spring Festival holiday. Combined, Alibaba, Baidu, Tencent, and others have rolled out cash red packets totaling 4.5 billion yuan. With potential entries from other major tech firms, the holiday red packet battle has become exceptionally lively. In essence, this year's Spring Festival period is no longer just about competing for traffic; it is a critical battle where tech giants, under the guise of red packets, are cultivating user awareness and adoption of their large AI models. The ultimate victory will be determined by user retention rates after the festivities subside.
The competition among major firms during the Spring Festival period reflects two layers of our memory regarding holiday red packets. In childhood, only monetary gifts could soothe the prolonged excitement. Later, with the rise of mobile internet, digital red packets replaced the traditional, heartfelt way of giving. From a societal perspective, digital red packets have turned the Spring Festival into a must-win arena for internet giants, as no one wants to miss this once-a-year opportunity for brand exposure. How many users can be reached during the Spring Festival Gala? Consider the data: this super IP, carrying national sentiment, holds immeasurable traffic value. According to QuestMobile, during the 2025 Spring Festival holiday, the average daily active internet users exceeded 1 billion, with red packet exchanges surpassing 80 billion times, equating to nearly 60 red packets sent or received per person in China. For major tech companies, the Spring Festival is like an annual examination—not only does it bring a short-term surge in traffic, but it also allows for rapid product penetration through a national-level scenario, an opportunity that comes only once a year.
In the 2026 Spring Festival period, the investments by major firms reached new heights, though their strategies varied. ByteDance adopted a scenario-binding approach, with its Volcano Engine securing the exclusive AI cloud partnership with the CCTV Spring Festival Gala at the highest bid, marking the first time such a partnership was established in the gala's history. Leveraging this national event, ByteDance not only supported billions of data streams for the 8K live broadcast and real-time rendering but also handled millions of AI interaction requests per second, demonstrating solid technical prowess. Meanwhile, Doubao and Douyin will also exert their efforts to channel the gala's traffic into their own ecosystems. Tencent continued its tradition of using cash to pave the way, allocating 10 billion yuan to drive traffic to its new Yuanbao app, aiming to "recreate the glory of WeChat red packets." With red packets of up to 10,000 yuan each and rules allowing withdrawal to WeChat Change without thresholds, the Yuanbao app topped the free chart on Apple's App Store on its launch day. Baidu chose a steady approach, with a 5 billion yuan red packet campaign lasting over a month, until March 12. Unlike mere cash distribution, Baidu integrated the red packets deeply with the AI functions of its ERNIE Assistant. Users can unlock red packets through interactions like guessing passwords based on horse images, AI special effects scenarios, and collecting cards to solve lantern riddles, attempting to familiarize users with the ERNIE Assistant's versatile toolset during the process. Alibaba's strategy was the most distinctive: Qianwen introduced a heavyweight plan, investing 3 billion yuan to initiate the "Spring Festival Treat Plan," collaborating with ecosystem partners like Taobao Quick Purchase, Freshippo, and Fliggy to cover all aspects of user daily life—food, travel, and entertainment. During the campaign, each user can receive up to 21 no-threshold freebie cards worth 25 yuan each, equivalent to 525 yuan, with a chance to win a Qianwen AI life card valued at 10,000 yuan. The activity page indicates that the second wave of benefits will begin on February 13, where users can claim cash red packets of up to 2,888 yuan. On February 5, ByteDance's Doubao officially announced on its public account that this New Year's Eve, Doubao and friends have prepared some "hardcore" gifts. Doubao hinted that clues are hidden in posters, with answers to be revealed soon.
Looking back, Spring Festival traffic is not like tap water; it is mineral water that can irrigate an ecosystem. The substantial investments by major firms essentially target the Spring Festival scenario's ability to cover the entire population. Whether it is ByteDance binding with the gala, Tencent's cash bombardment, or Alibaba's technical warm-up, each is attempting to leverage this special occasion to achieve large-scale user reach. However, beyond the volume of traffic, they are more concerned with whether these users can be impressed by AI functions and develop long-term usage habits.
If previous years' red packet battles were about "whoever gives more money wins," the 2026 Spring Festival period has seen a complete upgrade in strategy. Red packets are no longer merely benefits; they serve as "admission tickets" for major firms to guide users in experiencing their large AI models, with the core objective shifting from user acquisition to mindset cultivation. This transformation is vividly reflected in the interactive designs. For example, to claim Yuanbao red packets, users need to update the Yuanbao app to version 2.55.0 or above, enter the homepage, and click "Grab 10 Billion" at the bottom to access the main Spring Festival activity venue. Running from February 1 to February 17, the activity includes two core玩法: "main venue lucky draw" and "blessing phrase red packets," where users can win up to 10,000 yuan in cash. To receive ERNIE red packets, users can guess passwords through the ERNIE Assistant: Baidu's official Xiaohongshu account "@Baidu Search" posts daily "horse image clues," and users associate the image content with corresponding password words. By clicking the "AI" icon at the bottom of the Baidu app homepage to enter the ERNIE Assistant and inputting the guessed password, hidden red packet surprises are triggered. For Qianwen's benefits, after updating to the latest version of the Qianwen app, users immediately receive a 25-yuan freebie card, and the chatbox automatically suggests ordering a milk tea. These designs share the same logic: allowing users to naturally engage with large model functions in轻松有趣 scenarios. Previously, many perceived large models as distant from daily life, merely tools for writing or calculations. However, Spring Festival red packet interactions have made AI接地气—it can write couplets, create stickers, solve riddles, or even summarize group chats. Red packets act as tickets, enticing users willingly into the large model product playground. Major firms understand that user stickiness driven by cash incentives is ultimately temporary. Only by allowing users to genuinely experience the practical value of artificial intelligence can short-term traffic be converted into long-term users. This mindset cultivation process requires patience, akin to sowing seeds. For instance, a user generating couplets with AI for the first time might find it novel; using AI to write blessings the second time感受到便捷; by the third time, using AI to solve work problems could lead to dependency. The Spring Festival period offers an ideal sowing opportunity: major firms use red packets to lower the barrier for trial, then employ practical AI functions to gradually build user trust, with the ultimate goal of making their large models become "super assistants" in users' lives.
After the festivities fade, the real商业 competition lies in retention rates. For major firms, user acquisition during the Spring Festival is only the first step; post-holiday retention rates and ecosystem usage frequency are the key metrics determining who can transition from traffic争夺 to controlling a super入口. Initially, active user numbers on respective platforms may peak during the gala or the entire Spring Festival period, with users possibly participating in multiple firms' red packet activities simultaneously. Therefore, merely counting which side acquired more users based on red packets, without deduplication, holds limited significance. After all, user acquisition driven purely by利益很难带来长期留存; only products that genuinely meet user needs can stand firm after the red packet effect diminishes. For major firms participating in the 2026 battle, retention pressure remains substantial. It is likely that most users seeking quick benefits will leave after cashing out. The 90-day long-term retention rate might stabilize around 20%, representing the core user base that truly认可 product functionality. This figure aligns with the general pattern for internet tool products, indicating that the retention battle for major firms won't be easy. Thus, to win the competition for large model user mindset in 2026, the core logic is simple: make users "find it useful and indispensable." The super入口 of the AI era isn't built by accumulating traffic but on high-frequency usage and deep dependency. If users only open the app once during the Spring Festival to grab red packets, such traffic holds little value. However, if users rely on the AI assistant daily for information, writing, or tasks, the product becomes a true super入口. User acquisition is a one-time transaction; retention is the long-term business. The money burned by major firms during the Spring Festival is essentially to gain an opportunity to showcase AI capabilities to the entire population. But after the showcase, the key to ultimate victory lies in whether they can consistently provide valuable services and make their AI products indispensable in users' lives. It is too early to judge winners or losers now, as building an AI ecosystem isn't achieved overnight, and cultivating user habits requires time. Reflecting on this Spring Festival, what we grabbed wasn't just red packets but the admission tickets to large models,铺就 by major firms with real money. From ByteDance's scenario binding to Tencent's cash bombardment, from Baidu's deep interactions to Alibaba's technical预热, each is attempting to seize the era's initiative through this special节点. However, after the热闹, rationality must return; traffic brought by red packets is like tidewater, rising and falling rapidly. What truly retains users isn't temporary cash incentives but product capabilities that solve real problems and ubiquitous ecosystem services. The AI war among major firms has only begun with the Spring Festival period; subsequent battles over retention, technological iteration, and ecosystem refinement will be the more challenging持久战. Perhaps, as Ma Huateng said, hoping to重现 the glory of WeChat red packets, but WeChat's success never relied on red packets alone but on subsequent continuous social innovations. The super入口 of the AI era同样需要这样的长期主义. For now, let the bullets fly for a while. As the festive atmosphere fades and the red packet effect recedes, the red packet battle is about to begin. Are you ready to experience red packet玩法 through large models?