The marketing war in the automobile circle is in full swing, and the bosses have gone down to do things in person, climbing on the roof of the car, talking ruthlessly, and fighting all kinds of battles. These are just appearances, but in fact, the undercurrent is the increasingly fierce competition between car companies. Volvo has chosen to be low-key and pragmatic, and has adhered to the "safety" principle for 30 years and continued to build good cars.
In 2024, the Volvo China Open will start again. In the past 30 years, Volvo has invested in China, and has seen China's golf population soar from 100,000 to one million. Why does a car brand go to great lengths to create a sporting event for 30 years? What's the story behind this? Golf and entrepreneurs have always been inextricably linked. Business giants such as Rockefeller and Warren Buffett are fond of swinging, because it is not only a technical job, but also contains gentlemanly etiquette and humility. Chinese golf has gone from the fringes to the mainstream, and in addition to the efforts of famous players such as Feng Shanshan, Volvo has made great contributions.
In 1994, Volvo first approached the Hong Kong High Tech Association to co-establish the China Open Golf Championship. Today, it has become the most influential international professional event in the mainland. So, why has Volvo not given up for 30 years? One key word is "faith". For Volvo, safety is paramount.
During the thunderstorm in Shenzhen, the chairman of the tournament, Zhao Qin, was faced with a choice: to continue the competition or to cancel it, and she did not hesitate to choose the latter, because "safety comes first". From the invention of seat belts to continuous safety innovations, to today's "sense of safety" concept has been upgraded, Volvo has always put people first.
Sustainability is another of Volvo's brand concepts, and low carbon runs through the entire race process, from the small scoreboard and water station to the pure electric shuttle bus. Volvo has also introduced the EM90 Scandinavian pure electric luxury MPV as the exclusive car for the event, hoping to advocate a new way of low-carbon travel. Sustainability inevitably comes with a "green premium", but that's not a big deal for Volvo. In its view, sustainable development is the unwavering direction that will not compromise on commercial interests.
As early as the 2008 financial crisis, Volvo continued to make efforts in the field of safety. Now, they are aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of the whole life cycle of automobiles, and carry out systematic innovation in the whole process of design, production, and use. In the past two years, Volvo has bucked the trend, and its sales growth rate is higher than the average of luxury brand fuel vehicles. This may be the best reward for focusing on the original intention and sticking to the duty.
As Zhao Qin said: "Volvo does a lot of things not with commercial interests first, but to recognize who it is and what it insists on." With a clear goal, a lot of options come naturally. In the past 30 years, Volvo has been consistent, infecting and driving countless people with the power of the brand. Looking forward to the future, this Nordic brand can bring us more spiritual touches and thoughts.