This paper focuses on automotive new retail, analyzes the characteristics of new retail forms and digital strategies in the automotive industry, and proposes a new retail platform construction path for users for the reference of the majority of car companies.
First, the characteristics of the new retail form of automobiles
With the development of new retail concepts, the automotive industry is also actively exploring. So what is automotive new retail? For example, vehicle e-commerce, the offline car sales model to online, through the user order to complete the e-commerce of the car sales link; such as O2O, that is, the combination of online interaction and offline experience; such as brand experience store, which is the upgrade of offline consumer experience, that is, the traditional 4S store car sales model upgraded to the multi-element brand connotation experience mode; such as auto finance, with the help of Internet thinking, in the car production, circulation, sales and other aspects of the financial products; such as live car sales / car watching, Drain and convert via live online video communication. ...... In fact, these belong to the category of new auto retail, but different forms of expression. Automobile new retail is a very big concept, as long as the Internet or big data artificial intelligence technology, to achieve the car production, circulation, sales, after-sales and other aspects of the upgrading and restructuring of the format, such a model belongs to new retail. In short, automotive new retail is the use of new technologies to innovate the three elements of people, goods and fields in the whole link of the automotive industry.
1. Case observation
Next, through three cases, we will further understand the new retail of automobiles.
Case 1: A traditional car company began to explore new auto retail in 2017, and they realized that the core of auto new retail is to integrate online and offline and reshape the consumer experience, so they set up a special user experience department and upgraded the user experience to a company-wide strategy. In addition to online e-commerce, the most important innovation is to establish its own offline experience store in the core areas of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and other major cities, which is convenient for consumers to deeply experience the characteristics of automobile products, cultural characteristics and quality services in places with convenient transportation and comfortable environment, and to create a good brand feeling for consumers through exquisite services, with better results.
Case 2: A new energy vehicle company uses Internet thinking to create a completely different model from traditional car companies - all-weather marketing model, that is, regardless of time and place, through online and offline channels to carry out activities in various places. During the Spring Festival in 2021, they carried out more than 420 activities across the country, and the average daily store retention increased by 20%+. How did they achieve this large-scale, 24/7 marketing model? It depends on three points: (1) The direct sales system they have established, stores and services are separated. Different from the traditional assessment mechanism of 4S stores, they do not have hard requirements such as sales indicators for stores, but mainly based on labor results, more work and more gains. (2) Let the directly operated stores participate in the user's activities throughout the life cycle, and the experience in all aspects of car buying, picking up and using the car can be upgraded. (3) Motivate users to participate in co-creation, so that users can take the initiative to create content, share value, formulate rules, and share the results of business benefits.
Case 3: In addition to providing supply chain services, an Internet car company also cut into the financial service scene to provide loans, financing and procurement for car dealers across the country. They have established nearly 300 warehouses across the country and have a huge logistics network. At present, it has developed into a comprehensive automobile trading service platform. 2, new retail insight Although each car company or dealer has its own focus on new retail attempts and innovations, in summary, there are still many of the same trends: First, brands are closer to users. Whether it is the digital transformation of brand marketing or the innovation of distribution model, including the establishment of a direct sales system, every innovation is that the brand is approaching consumers and narrowing the relationship with users. Second, the full-link multi-scenario experience is upgraded. Car companies have begun a new exploration in the whole link of research and production supply and marketing services, and they are pursuing the upgrade of the user experience of the whole link, optimizing the service system, and improving work efficiency. Third, cross-border new model innovation. In recent years, more and more cross-border cooperation models have emerged, such as Internet companies doing cross-border supply chains, leasing platforms doing cross-border automobile production and sales, etc. Another example is the cross-border cooperation between WEILAI Automobile and Suning, which cooperates and upgrades in channels and consumer experiences, and gradually infiltrates services with the help of each other's channels. The emergence of cross-border models will bring consumers a more convenient experience, more diversified and more hierarchical services. Fourth, the culture of co-creation has risen. Car brand is no longer on top, but encourages users to join the operation system, let users speak out, let users decide. The rise of co-creation culture has made the brand more humane, more emotional, and more able to reach the hearts of consumers. From a consumer perspective, they will have a greater sense of belonging and ownership of such a brand. Second, the digital exploration of automotive new retail with the development trend of new retail, how should auto companies adjust and respond to digital transformation? As mentioned earlier, the new retail of automobiles is the innovation of people, goods and fields, so the digital strategy of car companies must reconstruct and integrate these three elements. In the past, in the process of exploring new retail, most of the car companies tried in a certain link, such as the aforementioned live broadcast car sales or the establishment of a direct sales system, etc., but the construction of a certain link alone was not enough to form a good operation ecology and data ecology.
The correct way should be to reconstruct the whole ecology of people, goods and fields, and integrate the user layer, service layer and operation layer to form a large new retail platform. In the new retail platform, brand parties, consumers, distributors and various service providers can establish a direct and effective communication system, operation system, service system and management system. The "service" mentioned here is a broad concept, not limited to the often said after-sales service, but also includes the full link of automobile production - supply - sales - after-sales and other links of the service, including the user's whole life cycle of services, including people-oriented community services, lifestyle derivative services, etc. For car brand, with the help of such a new retail platform, the resources of all parties can be effectively integrated, so as to form a system of effective operation of the whole link. 1. Strategic points: The construction of a user-oriented new retail platform is in the entire strategic framework, and the key point is to build a user-oriented new retail platform. It requires four competencies:
First, on the user side, the platform should have the ability to open up and reach the full contact points of enterprise users, which not only include the contacts of online and offline users, but also the internal business system of the enterprise and multiple contacts on the vehicle and machine ends. Second, on the service side, with the help of the platform, content and service resources can be integrated, so that the management ability of the whole process of service supply and consumption can be established. Third, on the operation side, with the help of the advantages of data-driven, data-driven, the integrated management capability of the operation process can be shaped for the enterprise. Fourth, on the data side, this platform is not to replace the various system platforms within the enterprise, but to connect each system in series, give full play to the advantages of each system, and improve the overall system efficiency. 2. Construction path For such a new retail platform, how to build? There are usually five steps to go through: Step 1: Define what the goals of the new retail business are, and clarify the scope and object of operation. Step 2: Within the scope of the corresponding operation, refine the business scenarios, clarify the service types, and define the operation process design of each scenario. This is the most difficult and arduous step in the construction of the new retail platform. Step 3: Design the operation mechanism of the entire platform based on scenarios and processes, including the data solutions needed to support the operation. Step 4: Develop and build a new retail platform. Data modeling, functionalization and modularization of operational processes are often required. Step 5: After building the entire platform, run through various business scenarios to form a data-driven closed loop. 3. Strategic value to build a new retail platform, which means the improvement of operational effects and service quality for car companies. In the long run, there are mainly the following values and significances:
First of all, users will be deeply involved in the entire operation process, not only consumers, but also become service providers, in such a good ecosystem to achieve a win-win situation. Secondly, for dealers, it is no longer the role of traditional car sales and repair, but as a service provider to participate in the entire platform. By continuously improving the quality of their own services, expanding the scale of services, and achieving a win-win situation. Finally, for all kinds of service providers, on the open platform, their standard for measuring value is no longer car companies, but based on user feedback and evaluation, so that the main energy can be focused on how to improve service levels, how to gain the favor of consumers, in the long run is conducive to expanding word of mouth and improving the closure. When the three win-win results of users, distributors and service providers, it will bring about the brand side's monetization ability, service ability and brand reputation, and ultimately achieve a win-win situation for the brand side. Multi-win-win will form a virtuous circle, and will eventually bring consumers a comprehensive upgrade of content, services and experience, and achieve a win-win situation for consumers.