Car dealers struggle to survive during the epidemic: 4S stores collectively launch live broadcasts, and BMW NIO strives to become an Internet celebrity
Che Dongxi
文?|?Xiaohan
After repeatedly extending the 2020 Spring Festival holiday, most parts of the country have entered the Spring Festival holiday starting from February 10. working status.
However, since the epidemic has not yet been completely suppressed, governments and medical institutions at all levels still recommend that everyone should not go to crowded places to avoid infection. This situation has caused enterprises engaged in catering, commerce, entertainment, retail and other businesses to suffer mass losses. The automobile industry, which mainly relies on 4S stores and offline outlets for transactions and after-sales services, has also been deeply affected.
However, there is a saying in China that there are always more solutions than difficulties.
In addition to the reassurance that major car companies have given dealers to "lower assessment targets and support dealers to tide over difficulties", including luxury brands such as BMW and Audi, Ford, Buick, Toyota, and Hyundai Joint venture brands such as Geely, Changan, Great Wall and other independent brands, as well as new car companies such as NIO and Xpeng, are also vigorously exploring the potential of online marketing.
They attract consumers’ attention through various methods such as online live broadcasts, online VR car watching, and cross-border marketing with mobile games. After obtaining the data of potential car buyers, they then use door-to-door test drives, online Loan approval, door-to-door delivery and other online methods are used to complete the transaction.
Even car companies such as FAW Jiefang have launched short video marketing training classes for dealers to help dealers quickly get started with online marketing methods.
The period from the resumption of work on February 10 to the time when the epidemic was completely controlled can be said to be the hottest period for online marketing in China's automobile industry.
1. The automobile industry collectively goes online? Online car sales are booming again
On February 10, some first- and second-tier cities and many industries ushered in the first wave of resumption of work. The 4S stores of car brands are open for business, but due to the epidemic, it is easy to imagine how deserted the business is.
In contrast to the lackluster offline activities, online marketing activities continue to be hot.
Early in the morning on February 10, when I opened the live broadcast interface of the Douyin APP, in addition to the common handsome guys and beauties, a series of avatars with car logos appeared - including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi. , there are also Buick, Toyota, Volkswagen, Geely, Changan, and Changan. It looks like an online auto show, very lively.
Since the outbreak of the epidemic during the Spring Festival, while car companies have donated money and materials, they have also introduced measures including lowering dealer assessment targets and increasing online marketing efforts to offset the negative impact.
New players like Weilai who do not follow the conventional path have even started live broadcasts of car talks and car sales since February 1st. It can be said that they have been prepared for a long time. .
However, BMW and most car companies have resumed work strictly in accordance with the dates set by the government. Online activities such as live car talks only officially started on February 10.
An interesting phenomenon is that this wave of online car sales activities is clearly divided into two main bodies.
The first wave is the manufacturer faction represented by new car companies such as Weilai and Xiaopeng. They directly conduct live broadcasts and other online activities in the name of manufacturers, which is directly related to their direct sales model. Of course, the actual execution parties are mainly stores directly affiliated to the manufacturers.
Traditional car companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota, Geely, Great Wall, and Hongqi mainly rely on dealers to sell cars, so their live broadcasts and other online marketing activities are mostly based on 4S stores. , manufacturers do not directly participate much.
It should be noted that there are many sales channels for various traditional car companies all over the country.
On the Douyin platform alone, Che Dongxi observed people from Qingdao, Linyi, Ningxia, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Liaoyang, Yanbian, Yiwu, Kaifeng, Shenyang, Baoding, Tianjin, Chengde, Weifang and other places. 4S stores sell cars on live broadcasts, involving a large number of car brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar Land Rover, Audi, FAW-Volkswagen, SAIC Volkswagen, Buick, Infiniti, Dongfeng Nissan, Geely, Changan, Toyota, Hyundai, Hongqi, Audi, Chevrolet, etc.
If the scope is expanded further, comprehensive car dealers, second-hand car dealers, and car repair shops will also be included in the online activities.
It can be said that whether it is 4S stores in counties, prefecture-level cities, or stores in provincial capital cities, first- and second-tier cities, they have all participated in this vigorous online car sales activity, which can be called The automobile industry "collectively goes online" to sell cars.
2. Live streaming and online showrooms are the main focus? NIO and BMW are the most active
Chexixi learned about it through Weibo, WeChat and other channels, represented by 4S stores and some car manufacturers There are two main forms of online marketing activities for major car brands. One is live broadcast of car watching/talking about cars, and the other is online car showrooms. At the same time, there are also some forwarded comments on Weibo, lottery draws, and cross-border cooperation with mobile games. Marketing and other activities are supplemented.
Compared with static graphics, marketing posters, or cool commercials, live video with real-time interactions between real people is undoubtedly the best model for selling cars online.
Che Dongxi watched the live broadcasts of multiple car brand 4S stores on Douyin. The content formats are also varied and very rich.
There are sales staff from 4S stores who use mobile phone cameras to watch videos of cars in the store; there are maintenance technicians who explain car knowledge to the camera and answer questions about using cars of this brand; there are 4S store trainers who take Sales consultants drive popular models on the road and talk while driving; there are also sales staff in the 4S store parking lot, demonstrating automatic parking, automatic reversing and other black technology functions.
As a leader in new car manufacturing companies, NIO’s live broadcast is not only relatively early, but its gameplay is also constantly upgrading.
In addition to the common sales staff’s routine of talking about cars/selling cars/testing cars, Weilai also invited some car owners to conduct live broadcasts to explain the product features of the car experience as car owners. Later, he also challenged the clerk to do plank support, explain coffee knowledge and other "non-business" operations, and used events to attract traffic.
Among traditional car companies, BMW is the player that pays the most attention to online marketing.
Unlike most other brands that rely on 4S stores for decentralized online marketing, BMW also organized official live broadcast events.
The manufacturer's personnel will give a more professional explanation of its models, and complete schedules will be made for each model, which will last from February 10th to March 1st.
▲BMW’s official live broadcast arrangement is quite complete
In addition to explanations and video test drives, its activities also include barrage Q&A and lottery activities. BMW's official Weibo and other manufacturer channels have also carried out simultaneous publicity, making it the most professional and most active traditional car company in conducting online live broadcasts.
In addition to live broadcasts with high participation, car companies such as Ford, Toyota, Honda, Geely, Great Wall and many other car companies focus their online marketing on online showrooms.
Through online dissemination of posters and other methods, users are guided to scan the QR code to enter the official website to view parameters and introductions. At the same time, manufacturers such as Changan Ford have also introduced the concept of VR exhibition halls to attract users to view panoramic photos on the official website. View the car from all angles.
In Che Dongxi’s view, the online showroom model is actually a generation behind the live broadcast model that enables direct communication. At the same time, the official Weibo and WeChat accounts of most car companies actually do not promote their online activities in a focused or targeted manner.
There is a feeling that while 4S stores across the country are busy selling cars online, manufacturers are still a little unhurried.
3. How to sell a car online? You can do it through test drive, loan and delivery
Since the rise of the Internet, car companies’ participation in online marketing is no longer a novelty or phenomenon. This phenomenon of the automobile industry collectively going online to sell cars caused by the epidemic. In addition to the wide participation, what are the other characteristics?
From Che Dongxi’s point of view, in addition to the large number of players participating in this collective online car selling trend, another important feature is the “real style” – that is to say, this time the car sales are Really good at selling cars.
Previously, whether it was car companies or 4S stores, most of their online marketing activities were to acquire customers. If they wanted to make a deal, users still needed to go to an offline 4S store to sign a contract, pay fees, and withdraw money. Take the vehicle to complete the transaction – selling cars online is more of a gimmick.
However, due to the impact of the epidemic this time, after offline transactions were temporarily blocked, some car companies and 4S stores have actually made online car buying a reality.
▲Changan Ford’s online car sales support the entire process
Take Changan Ford’s online sales activities as an example. After users view the car in the online showroom, if they are interested, their 4S Store staff will provide door-to-door test drives, allowing users to complete test drives near their homes.
If the customer is determined to purchase, an online loan qualification review process can also be provided. After completing the loan procedures, the staff will deliver the new car to the user's doorstep and complete the signing and handover of various procedures.
Judging from Changan Ford’s process, selling cars online is no longer like the previous gimmick marketing. Cars are becoming real online shopping, just like users buying mobile phones and computers online. product.
In addition to Changan Ford, Geely’s official Weibo also announced its cooperation with the 58 car brand under 58, launching an online car purchase activity. It also provides door-to-door test drives and door-to-door delivery activities, allowing users to stay at home. households realize the purchase of new cars.
▲Geely is involved in the entire process of online car sales
Of course, in order to avoid epidemic infection to the greatest extent, the manufacturer has also implemented some safety protections in its door-to-door service.
For example, during the door-to-door test drive provided by Xpeng Motors, the sales specialist will wear a mask throughout the process. Disinfectant is also available in the car to disinfect the vehicle before the test drive and provide masks to passengers.
In fact, as China’s auto market has experienced negative growth since 2018, auto companies are also trying their best to expand ways to sell cars.
In addition to door-to-door test drive activities, some car companies have also jointly launched a short-term car rental test drive service with Didi. Users can directly rent the brand's vehicle to experience it on the Didi platform. There are also car companies that have launched their own online car-hailing services or short-term rental services, trying to find ways to let users have access to their own vehicles and increase the possibility of closing transactions.
As the epidemic cannot be completely solved for the time being, I believe that more car companies will participate in these online marketing activities and explore more ways to play.
4. Is BMW an Internet celebrity in the car industry? Transactions are mainly in the after-sales field
Whether it is opening an online showroom or selling cars live, for car companies or 4S stores, it can Realizing the deal is the real deal. So what is the result of the online gameplay of car companies and 4S stores?
From the perspective of watching the live broadcast and communicating with some 4S store employees, the overall result is not satisfactory, but it is better than nothing.
Although NIO is a phenomenal brand in the automotive industry and has a high reputation. But when Che Dongxi watched the Douyin live broadcast of Beijing NIO Center on the afternoon of February 10, he found that there were only a few dozen users watching the live broadcast. In addition, among the live broadcasts of nearly 20 4S stores that I watched, the player with the largest traffic only had a few hundred viewers.
▲A live broadcast from a FAW-Volkswagen 4S store
Only 15 people commented on the Weibo post about Geely Automobile’s online car sales plan mentioned earlier. Only one person commented on the Changan Ford article.
The performance of BMW is more surprising.
Although the live broadcast platform did not choose the auto industry’s favorite Douyin and Kuaishou live broadcast platforms, but JD.com and Taobao Live. But when Che Dongxi watched its JD live broadcast this afternoon, he found that the number of viewers was nearly 10,000, making it a relatively popular brand in the automotive industry.
However, overall, compared with the traffic of millions or even tens of millions of live broadcasts by Internet celebrities, as well as thousands of comments on popular Weibo, the results of this collective launch of the automotive industry are not satisfactory.
Several 4S store staff who participated in the live broadcast told Che Dongxi that it was their first time to engage in live broadcast and had no previous experience, so they did not know how to explain it.
“I have been doing live broadcast for four or five days, which means at least one hour a day, but it times out every time.” A live broadcast employee of a BMW 4S store told Che Dongxi.
A live broadcast room in a Honda 4S store was under the banner of a Nanning Internet celebrity driving live, but after questioning, Che Dongxi found that this Internet celebrity was not a paid professional live broadcast Internet celebrity, but a reward from the store employees. Live broadcast colleagues jokingly call her "Nanning Internet Celebrity".
In addition, Che Dongxi also found that some 4S store employees in small cities still have substandard Mandarin, unfluent speech, and even stage fright and speak dialects during live broadcasts.
This also shows that the majority of 4S stores have problems with inexperience and lack of professionals in live broadcasting, and the live broadcast effect is not ideal.
A SAIC Volkswagen 4S store manager in Henan told Chexixi that his Douyin online live broadcast was not an arrangement by the Volkswagen manufacturer, but the investor of the 4S store, a local car dealership. A unified arrangement for the business group.
"Today is the first time our store has conducted an online live broadcast, and we have received several after-sales maintenance orders." When talking about the results of the live broadcast, the manager told Che Dongxi, "When it comes to selling cars, , Live broadcast can at most help us collect some potential customers.”
Conclusion: The marketing challenges of car companies have intensified
As a high-priced product, it is difficult for car transactions to be online in a short time. Finish. This time the automobile industry collectively went online for business. The main reason was the impact of the epidemic.
It can be expected that after the epidemic is over, most 4S stores and car companies will still return to a model of mainly offline transactions.
However, judging from this epidemic, in addition to the pressure of the four modernization transformations, car companies are also facing huge marketing transformation pressures at this stage.
Under the epidemic, some car companies were able to quickly organize their efforts to carry out online marketing activities and gain traffic. However, some car companies are slower to respond and find it difficult to keep up.
With China’s auto market entering an era of negative growth, and the main consumers becoming post-90s or even post-95s, even if the epidemic does not occur, the existing marketing models of auto companies will undergo major changes.
In the future, in addition to realizing the transformation of the four modernizations, car companies will also have to put marketing transformation on the agenda. ?
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.