Sales data for the first quarter showed that AST had soared from zero market share to 50%, while the IBM share represented by Leg had plummeted from 75% to 40%. In just one quarter, AST had defeated IBM with overwhelming superiority. What was even more concerning was that many of the orders in the first quarter had been finalized before the partnership was terminated, meaning IBM's market performance was still inflated. AST, on the other hand, was a brand entering the mainland market for the first time, and every bit of its sales figures was genuine.
Media analysis pointed out that AST's success was not only due to Xintong's powerful promotion but also inseparable from the practicality of its localized system. In an era where English was not yet widespread, a Chinese-character system was of great significance to the domestic computer market. IBM's closed system could not support Chinese-character cards or similar systems, making agents appear passive when facing consumers. When most consumers went to buy a computer, their first question was, "Is it localized?" If they did not get an affirmative answer, they would leave immediately, unwilling to listen to any detailed explanations. Therefore, AST, which prominently marked "localized" on its main units and monitors, became the consumers' top choice.
Xintong's advertising strategy achieved remarkable results. Based on this, He Yuzhu proposed that Xintong Company should expand into overseas markets and planned to hold an "Overs…
Chapter 167