Reporter Chen Yannan reports from Beijing
"Less than 20 days after the release of the Xiaomi SU7, there are too many 'never expected', I want to talk to you about it. On April 18, Lei Jun, chairman of Xiaomi Technology, opened the first live broadcast after the release of Xiaomi SU7. During this period, he interacted with consumers, connected with Wei Jianjun, chairman of Great Wall Motors, answered questions from netizens, gave gifts, and warmed up the Beijing Auto Show. During the two-hour live broadcast, Lei Jun once again provided a "model" for Internet marketing. The number of viewers exceeded 100,000 in just one minute of the broadcast, among which topics such as "responding to dress imitating Musk" and college entrance examination results once again landed in the center of the Internet.
In fact, after seeing the "sky-high traffic" after the listing of Xiaomi Auto, the car-making boss began to learn Lei Jun's marketing "combination boxing" and "business experience", not only opened various social platform accounts, personally delivered cars, and even flocked to the live broadcast room in a high-profile manner.
The battle of automobiles in the Year of the Dragon has gone beyond the price battle and spread to the land of traffic. "Forced me to be a 60-year-old man to participate in the live broadcast. Yin Tongyue, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Chery Holding Group, said frankly in the live broadcast room, "This (live broadcast) is also using new Internet thinking to learn from Yu Chengdong and Lei Jun, and how to explain and introduce (models) in person." ”
It was not only Yin Tongyue who was "forced", but also Wei Jianjun, who was also 60 years old. Wei Jianjun, who has always been low-key, also took the initiative to step into the "spotlight" recently. "The market is fierce at the moment, and everyone is anxious. He confessed. On April 15, Wei Jianjun, wearing a red and black motorcycle suit, appeared in front of the camera on time and started the live broadcast "debut" in a restrained manner. 3 days later, Wei Jianjun opened a Douyin account again, but this time he seemed to be more natural in the connection with Lei Jun, when Lei Jun asked about the live broadcast experience, Wei Jianjun obviously adapted, he generously said: "The Internet is more inclusive than imagined, and the interaction itself is also a kind of self-confidence, and the Great Wall will face users more (closely) in the future." ”
Wu Pei, a senior media person who conducted a live broadcast with Yin Tongyue, told a reporter from China Business Daily: "Live broadcast (becoming) has changed from something that only new forces will do, to (currently) the CEOs of various car companies standing in line for their brand products (tool)." Talking about the feeling of live broadcasting, Wu Pei said: "Yin is always very networked. As soon as the words "European luxury brands intend to use the E0X platform of Xingtu Star Era to create high-end new energy vehicles" came out, it became a hot search. The reporter noticed that as of press time, on Weibo, there were #尹同跃称欧洲豪华品牌想用奇瑞平台#的阅读量达到了1287 6,000.
Zhan Junhao, a well-known strategic positioning expert and founder of Fujian Great Aim Brand Positioning Consulting, told reporters: "The creation of the chairman's IP does have a positive effect on enhancing the brand image of the company. An influential and relatable chairman can bring more attention and trust to the business. However, this does not mean that every chairman is suitable to be the protagonist of the live broadcast. For those chairmen who lack a netizen base or are relatively introverted, behind-the-scenes planning may be more suitable. When building the chairman's IP, we should pay attention to the fit between his personal characteristics and the brand image, and avoid excessive packaging or hype. At the same time, it is also necessary to pay attention to preventing possible negative effects and ensuring the positive impact of IP creation. ”
"Founder Marketing" On: From "Nervous" to "Adaptive"
The reporter saw that in front of the camera, Wei Jianjun drove the vehicle through the busy road section of Baoding City, personally tested the intelligent driving function of the Great Wall Motor, and showed the outside world the ability of NOA in traffic light recognition and intersection turning, obstacle recognition and flexible detour, and driving through asymmetrical intersections and lane lines blurred.
Facing the camera, although he is not good at words, Wei Jianjun also showed Great Wall Motor's attitude of actively "embracing" emerging marketing methods. After the test drive, Wei Jianjun said that the live broadcast was a good start, and Great Wall Motors had always been "just doing nothing" before, not using the Internet and digital media, and everyone was aware of the problems. In the future, it is necessary to register an account on the global platform, including the video side, to communicate with consumers in real time and in real time.
After the live broadcast, Wei Jianjun also said on Weibo: "For the first live broadcast, the team and I were nervous, and the technical team was under a lot of pressure and put in a lot of effort. In the future, I will try more live broadcasts to share the bits and pieces of Great Wall Motors with you. ”
3 days later, Wei Jianjun appeared in Lei Jun's live broadcast, and this time the same frame also became a "surprise". In the face of the second live broadcast, Wei Jianjun looked more relaxed, and even took the initiative to invite Lei Jun to play drift at the Great Wall Test Site.
It is understood that Wei Jianjun is a "technical controller", and it was his old partner Wang Fengying who was often facing the public before, but not long ago, Wang Fengying joined Xiaopeng Motors. Faced with a "gap" in marketing, in recent days, Wei Jianjun is trying to seize the "traffic" password, such as attending the Xiaomi car press conference with other car company bosses, posting a number of updates on social media, and frequently interacting with Lei Jun.
Similar to Wei Jianjun, Yin Tongyue is a "science and engineering man", and he has rarely "appeared" before. In this regard, many industry insiders suggest that many car companies have solid technology, but they cannot blindly bury their heads in hard work, and it is necessary for consumers to keep abreast of the current technological progress.
In the face of Xiaomi Auto's strong marketing attack, Yin Tongyue's number of platforms is also increasing. On April 14, Yin Tongyue contributed his live broadcast debut. He said frankly in the live broadcast: "We have always regarded less bragging and more practical things as the core culture of our company." Therefore, it is a bit difficult to change the fear of speaking into a characteristic of the enterprise. ”
Zhan Junhao told reporters: "The remarks of Yin Tongyue and Wei Jianjun reveal the down-to-earth and low-key cultural characteristics of traditional car companies. However, their livestreaming behavior in recent days seems to mark a shift, and there are multiple reasons behind this. On the one hand, with the intensification of market competition and changes in consumer demand, traditional car companies need to interact more actively with the public and demonstrate their brand image and technical strength. On the other hand, as an emerging marketing method, live broadcast has the characteristics of strong interaction and fast communication speed, which has a positive effect on enhancing brand awareness and influence. Therefore, traditional car companies such as Chery and Great Wall are also trying to break through the traditional image and show their innovative and open side through live broadcasting. ”
In fact, the first half of the automotive industry is electrification, and the second half is intelligence, and "intelligent driving" has also become one of the important factors in consumers' car purchase decisions. "However, there are still many challenges and uncertainties in the development of the intelligent driving field, and car companies need to be cautious and avoid excessive hype and exaggerated publicity. Bai Wenxi said. "Car companies should ensure the safety and reliability of intelligent driving technology and avoid damaging the brand image due to technical problems. Secondly, it is necessary to pay attention to user experience and service quality to ensure that consumers can truly feel the convenience and advantages brought by intelligent driving technology. Zhan Junhao told reporters.
The live broadcast debut invited cross-border "friends" to help show the hard power of technology
"This coffee is not for drinking, we will put this cup of coffee there (in the car) for a while and see if it will be spilled later. Wu Pei said in the live broadcast. "It's going to be a little fuller. Yin Tongyue said. According to Wu Pei, the coffee will be placed on the cup holder of the Star Era ET, and the car will be driven for hundreds of kilometers, and if the chassis is really stable enough, then this cup of coffee will not be spilled. He also revealed: "I added this cup of coffee temporarily. ”
The reporter noticed that in this live broadcast, many bosses also invited cross-border "friends" to come to help. In addition to Yin Tongyue's invitation to Luo Yonghao and Wu Pei, not long ago, Li Shufu, chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, partnered with Yu Minhong, founder and chairman of New Oriental Education Group, also launched a unique online live broadcast.
Yuan Shuai, one of the organizers of the "New Farmer" Peiyu Project for short video and e-commerce live broadcasts, told reporters: "The live broadcast form of cross-border combination can bring complementary effects and enhance the attractiveness and influence of live broadcasts. For example, car company bigwigs can use their influence and resources in their respective fields to bring more exposure and attention to car companies by cooperating with well-known Internet entrepreneurs and media people. At the same time, this cross-border collaboration can also bring fresh ideas and ideas to the live content. ”
Yuan Shuai further told reporters: "With the rapid development of new energy vehicles and intelligent network technology, traditional car companies need to more actively demonstrate their innovation capabilities and technical strength to attract more young and technology-oriented consumers." As an emerging marketing method, live streaming can directly reach consumers and show the advantages and features of products, so it has become the first choice for car company bosses. ”
The reporter noticed that in the live broadcast, "intelligent driving" has also become a field where many car companies have made concerted efforts. "The bigwigs are making efforts in the field of intelligent driving because they believe that this is the future development trend, and it is also an important way to show the technical strength and brand image of the enterprise. Bai Wenxi, vice chairman of the China Enterprise Capital Alliance, told reporters.
IP image welcomes the top of "traffic": the "empathy" model may break the circle?
Wang Xin, the founder of the 13th Automobile Line, told reporters: Cars used to be "high", and the distance between them and consumers is the industrial characteristic of the manufacturing system as the core. The focus of automotive companies is on cost, system, R&D, production, and supply chain. As for consumers, they often hand over this part of the task to dealers and sales companies to promote, plan, and collect customers step by step. The distance between enterprises and consumers is separated by a series of media such as communication platforms, media, vertical websites, and distributors. Compared with automobiles, consumer electronics have been in harmony with the masses from the very beginning.
"The changes that are taking place in the marketing approach of the automotive industry include more interactive and social media marketing, as well as a greater focus on brand image and product technology display," Bai Wenxi told reporters. In fact, the emergence of Xiaomi Auto, a product that combines the attributes of "car" and "consumer electronics", is breaking the traditional way of selling cars. Especially with the blessing of Lei Jun, the "President of Shuangwen", Xiaomi cars have a very high topic and a strong social currency value.
It is understood that Lei Jun was previously called "the realistic version of Xiao Nai" by netizens because of his amazing hair, good body shape, happy marriage, and high worth of many elements of a successful life. Because this image is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, Lei Jun had to refute the rumors in the live broadcast: "I am not the top student in the college entrance examination, and I don't have a cold 4 billion in the card at the low point of my life, let alone 'Shuangwen male protagonist', success in life is definitely not Shuangwen, but relying on dreams, struggles and nobles." ”
Compared with other decent bosses in the automotive industry, Lei Jun is more active on social media. At the same time, he is also one of the few bosses who has opened social accounts on multiple platforms at the same time and has a huge following.
According to data, in the past 30 days, Lei Jun not only posted 207 blog posts on Weibo, but also released 45 videos on Douyin, introducing various details of Xiaomi cars in an all-round way. Product and business responses.
"I will insist on daily updates on the Douyin platform, which allows me to get closer to consumers. The form of live broadcast is more direct, and we will try to open the functions such as gift-giving, bringing goods, seckill, and PK according to everyone's requirements. The first article of Xiaomi's culture is to make friends with users and be user-centric. Lei Jun said.
According to industry analysts, the fast and immediate nature of social media requires brands to respond quickly to the concerns of netizens. Compared with the official account, the founder is not only more humane, but also can form emotional resonance with netizens. Therefore, Lei Jun's social account has become one of the important positions for Xiaomi Auto to create topics and guide public opinion.
In response to the phenomenon that the bigwigs have left the live broadcast, Wang Xin suggested that the live broadcast can be more empathetic: "Compared with Lei Jun's entrepreneurship of Xiaomi for more than ten years, Wei Jianjun, Li Shufu and other entrepreneurs' car entrepreneurship has been longer, has more stories, and experienced greater ups and downs than Xiaomi." Tell these stories in series, so that everyone can not only see a certain technology of a car company, but also see the story of an automobile entrepreneur. The reason why the boss is live broadcast is that he hopes to get a lot of traffic attention while removing some impetuousness and prejudice, and gaining more emotional recognition in reality. Since this is the case, then let's start with the truth, don't imitate Lei Jun, let alone deliberately create the characters of Li Shufu, Wei Jianjun and Yin Tongyue, their real selves are very exciting. ”
However, Zhang Xiaorong, president of the Deep Science and Technology Research Institute, told reporters that new energy vehicles are still on the tuyere, and it is easy for car companies to get traffic through live broadcasts. The importance of building the chairman's IP to enhance the corporate brand image cannot be ignored. For car bigwigs, the naturalness and communication skills they perform in live broadcasts are very important. It is recommended that car companies should be moderate in topic manufacturing and chairman IP creation to avoid excessive hype leading to negative impacts.