By Zero Degrees
The traditionally conservative Great Wall Motors has also embarked on the live streaming journey.
On April 15th, Wei Jianjun, Chairman of Great Wall Motors, made his debut in live streaming. To promote the brand and expand its influence, bosses of various automotive companies are really going all out this time.
Chairman of Great Wall Motors, Wei Jianjun
On the morning of the 15th, Wei Jianjun's live streaming experience had just ended when a few hours later, Xia Yiping, CEO of Xpeng, and Robin Li, Chairman of Baidu, went live to experience the latest Xpeng P01 in the live broadcast room.
Interestingly, just the day before, Chairman of Chery, Yin Tongyue, live-streamed testing the long-distance highway advanced driving capabilities of the Star Era ET. Earlier, Xiaomi Chairman Lei Jun, with a hint of reserve, opened the car door for the first batch of Xiaomi car owners, posing for a group photo. Meanwhile, the veteran participant in new energy vehicles, NIO Chairman Li Bin, also started a live broadcast to test the endurance of the 150-degree battery pack.
One after another, as each finished their turn, automotive industry bosses flocked to the live broadcast room, setting aside their dignity.
Behind the frequent appearances of these bosses in the live broadcast room lies the reflection of the fierce competition in the current new energy industry - to the extent that even automotive industry bosses must rush to the camera for marketing.
One can't help but marvel, "The influence of the live broadcast room, even automotive industry bosses can't resist."
01 Automotive industry bosses start "grabbing the spotlight"
Chery Chairman Yin Tongyue candidly admitted in the live broadcast room, "This time (live broadcast) also utilizes new Internet thinking, learning from Yu Chengdong, learning from Lei Jun, how to personally explain and introduce (the car model)." He also joked, "Forcing this old man of 60 to participate in the live broadcast."
Chery Holdings Group's Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman, Yin Tongyue, joined forces with Luo Zhenyu, the founder of the Dida app.
"It's my first time doing a smart driving live stream, and I'm feeling really excited."
On April 15th, Wei Jianjun, Chairman of Great Wall Motors, did his debut live stream, testing the full-scenario NOA (Navigation on Autopilot) of Great Wall Motors.
During the live stream, Wei Jianjun drove the vehicle from the complex "Liudao Kou" in downtown Baoding to narrow streets, successively testing driving scenarios such as traffic light recognition and turning at intersections, obstacle recognition and flexible avoidance, as well as full-scenario lane changing and lane management. Wu Huixiao, Vice President of Intelligentization at Great Wall Motors, and Jiang Haipeng, Senior Director of Intelligent Driving at Great Wall Motors, also participated in the live stream and provided real-time answers to netizens' questions.
It seems that for a long time, Great Wall Motors has been criticized for being too traditional. Now, the big boss is flexing its muscles in the live streaming room, which signifies not only product promotion but also a significant shift in marketing strategy.
Just a few hours after Wei Jianjun left the live streaming room, at 3:30 p.m. on the same day, Robin Li and Xia Yiping, CEO of Jidu Auto, conducted an experiential live stream of "point-to-point navigation assistance driving". The day before, Yin Tongyue, Chairman of Chery Group, together with Luo Zhenyu, founder of Dida, and automotive critic Wu Pei, also hosted a live stream.
At the age of 61, Li Shufu, Chairman of Geely Holding Group, and Yu Minhong, founder of New Oriental and CEO of Dongfang Zhenxuan, have entered the live streaming scene, likely due to intense competition.It seems that under fierce competition, live streaming is no longer a defensive business but more like a standard marketing practice. In the past, traditional carmakers scorned such flashy displays, considering this method of live streaming as "cheap." However, with the skyrocketing traffic dividends, live streaming to showcase cars has become a standard practice for car companies.
On the first day of sales, with 88,898 orders pouring in, who wouldn't want a piece of the booming prosperity?
On April 16th, Xiaomi's Lei Jun posted on Weibo, expressing surprise at the overwhelming response to the Xiaomi SU7 within less than 20 days and wanting to chat about it. Lei Jun will live stream on April 18th to share the success of the Xiaomi SU7 launch, with sales exceeding expectations three to five times within 20 days, credited to the Xiaomi model and cultural values.
Just a few weeks ago, at the Xiaomi car SU7 launch event, leaders from companies like NIO, Xpeng, XPeng, Great Wall, and BAIC were present. Despite revealing a price range of 215,900 to 299,000 yuan, the SU7 received consumer support. Within 27 minutes of pre-orders opening, they achieved 50,000 pre-orders, with 88,898 orders on the first day.
This frenzy around Xiaomi's cars has made it an undisputed winner in terms of traffic in the industry. The traffic boost following the launch of the Xiaomi SU7 has been evident in its sales. With such high levels of attention, it's hard for other car company leaders to sit still.
Zhang Yong, CEO of Nezha Auto, even said, "Learning marketing from Lei Jun is not embarrassing!"
Surrounding the "traffic carnival" event of Xiaomi cars, many industry leaders have also joined the fray. Apart from Wei Jianjun and Robin Li, there are also CEOs of other car companies, including Li Bin from NIO, Zhang Yong from Nezha Auto, and Li Shufu from Geely Holding. The content and format of live streams by each car company vary, including test drives, Q&A sessions with netizens, product introductions, and factory tours.
It seems that the automotive industry is transitioning from secluded car manufacturing to open marketing. Whether it's He Xiaopeng, Li Bin, or Li Xiang, they are all adept at using social media to create buzz for marketing purposes.
At this stage, car companies are divided into two major approaches:
First, establishing a reliable image through the company's bosses, like Lei Jun did with his personal brand, creating the image of Xiaomi as "born for dreams."
Second, adopting risky strategies to become a topic of discussion, such as Huawei's Yu Chengdong's widely circulated phrase "far ahead." Li Xiang, founder of Ideal Auto, is also known as the "king of Weibo."
The reason behind the live streaming by car industry bigwigs is not only to see the increase in brand recognition and attention from traffic marketing but also to leverage personal branding to draw traffic and, most importantly, spark market discussions and attention to enhance brand awareness.
In the battlefield of new energy vehicles
The Chinese new energy vehicle industry market is enormous and has strong growth potential. According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in 2023, China's production and sales of new energy vehicles increased by 35.8% and 37.9% year-on-year, respectively, with a market share of 31.6%. That year, China's sales of new energy vehicles accounted for nearly 65% of the global total. China has been the world's number one in new energy vehicle production and sales for nine consecutive years.
Such a super-sized market has attracted more car companies to enter the fray. But with the increasing number of players, competition is intensifying.
Xiaomi's cars, priced between 215,900 and 299,000 yuan, have added fuel to the already intense competition in the new energy vehicle market.
In fact, it has been observed that competition in the Chinese new energy vehicle market has intensified this year, with many new cars being launched. Many new energy vehicle companies such as BYD, Geely, Xiaopeng, Changan, and Wuling have lowered prices of their brands, with price reductions ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of yuan. BYD even lowered the starting price of two of its models to 79,800 yuan, ushering in a new phase of "electric cheaper than oil."
According to related brokerage statistics, since the beginning of this year, the average price of 12 "participating" car companies, including BYD, has decreased by 11%, while the average price of A-level and B-level sedans has dropped by more than 30,000 yuan. Major car brands are adjusting prices to further consolidate market share, allowing the passenger car market to undergo a new round of price competition.
Amidst the price war, top executives of car companies are stepping into the limelight from behind the scenes.
It seems that car companies, through live streaming marketing, are ultimately aiming to increase product exposure, enhance market awareness, improve consumer perception of products, and ultimately boost product sales.
However, it's worth noting that while some car companies are maintaining growth, others are facing elimination. Previously, the restructuring case of WM Motor has been accepted by the Third Intermediate People's Court of Shanghai, with creditors negotiating a bankruptcy restructuring plan. On April 2nd, GAC announced that due to ongoing operational difficulties, goods ordered through GAC Mall (excluding traffic goods) would not be delivered, and founder Ding Lei recently received a "Restriction of Consumption Order" issued by the Minhang District People's Court in Shanghai.
In order to survive, on International Women's Day on March 8th, Yang Yueqing, HiPhi project director, appeared in GAC's official live stream to vigorously promote sales.
In the live broadcast room, unlike other car companies promoting their new energy vehicles, GAC's live broadcast covers two main categories: fresh produce and specialty snacks. Some view GAC's marketing strategy as a gimmick, while others see it as a self-sufficient approach since GAC sells goods to employees, ensures profits for car owners, and doesn't limit itself to promoting its own new energy vehicles.
Through GAC's live broadcasts, one can also observe the current challenges in the competition among new energy vehicles.
In fact, if one were to search globally for the entrepreneur most adept at reinforcing marketing through social media, it would undoubtedly be Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Twitter has served as an effective feedback mechanism, allowing Musk to quickly gauge external opinions and promptly address rumors while disseminating the latest Tesla updates. Leveraging his influence on social platforms, Tesla has at times refrained from spending a penny on advertising, with Musk himself being the primary source of traffic.
Now, this trend of high traffic aggregation and the strategy of swift victories has prompted many Chinese automotive industry executives to rush into the realm of social media. A report released in March 2024 revealed that nearly 200 automotive industry executives have joined Weibo, with a 30% increase in automotive industry executives in 2023 alone.
In 2024, marketing efforts among automotive giants will be exceptionally lively.
