How to apply Internet thinking to car sales

On March 28, the O2O e-commerce platform created by SAIC Motor - "Chexiang.com" was officially launched. It will rely on SAIC's major brands and thousands of dealers to provide customers with one-stop solutions, vehicle sales and after-sales services. This also means that the automobile e-commerce war has entered a new era. At this point, most car companies such as Geely, JAC, SAIC, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, etc. have been "shocked". Car companies that have not yet had time to be shocked are also actively deploying e-commerce channels. Behind the excitement, what exactly does Internet thinking bring to the automobile industry? How should the automobile marketing model change under Internet thinking?

What exactly is Internet thinking? A simple understanding is to subvert traditional industrial thinking. Consumers have become more customer-oriented and have consumer sovereignty. The empty slogan "Users are God", which has been used by businesses to deceive, will be fully implemented and implemented in Internet marketing, and will no longer be a false and empty theory. From R&D to design to marketing to after-sales, all activities are conducted around users.

1. R&D and design: user-led

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In Under traditional thinking, designers have the final say in the R&D of many car companies. There are also many conservative and closed companies where the boss has the final say. Even the boss who does not understand the aesthetics of cars casually decides what is high here and what is low there. The shape of the car eventually created a batch of crooked models that were not accepted by the market.

Internet thinking requires automobile companies to make full use of big data, comprehensively analyze the preferences, needs and complaints of target consumer groups, and create products that consumers like most. In this way, users are both producers and consumers, and the products designed in this way can better meet the needs of users and avoid trial and error. For example, the Taobao brand "Qigege" in the clothing field will put the designed styles into the fan group it manages every time a new product is launched, allowing fans to vote. Its group has nearly a hundred QQ groups, reaching tens of thousands of people. , these fans determine the final trend and will naturally pay for these products.

2. Marketing Promotion: User Participation

Marketing under the Internet mindset has two key indicators: accuracy and effectiveness.

WeChat marketing is one of the most powerful marketing tools for Internet thinking. The essence of WeChat lies in interaction and ubiquitous interaction, giving users a strong sense of participation. At the same time, the chain spread of WeChat word-of-mouth marketing is very fast and can quickly increase the brand’s popularity.

A few days ago, SAIC Roewe became the first car company to sell cars on WeChat. It cooperated with Tencent to launch the "Donate 1 cent to Tencent public welfare and enjoy an exclusive Roewe 350 car purchase gift package activity". Users can participate in Tencent activities Use the page to snap up reserved information, activate WeChat payment, donate one penny to Tencent charity, and purchase a Roewe 350 car at a Roewe dealer to receive a Roewe car purchase subsidy.

This activity is a full reflection of Internet thinking and a comprehensive application and innovation of digital precision marketing. First of all, the marketing target is precise. Users who reserve information on the event page must be "quasi" users or potential users of Roewe, which can help car companies quickly and accurately find their target groups. Secondly, the power of "word of mouth" has been brought into full play. Users participating in the activity will post their status in their circle of friends, and the information will radiate and spread outward in a geometric progression, laying a good foundation for SAIC to gather more target users. Basic; this kind of marketing method of participating in public welfare also makes consumers feel the company's sense of responsibility, leaves a good brand impression on the company, and increases the emotional points of users when buying cars.

3. Channel Innovation: From B2C to O2O

Under the influence of Internet thinking, the reconstruction of sales channels is the first to change. Automobile companies with a strong sense of crisis have also keenly felt that China's automobile marketing market has entered a transition. The four-S sales model that has lasted for many years is about to end, ushering in a key transformation node-the era of Internet marketing. The future of sales must be O2O retail, combining online and offline to create a full-process experience. SAIC is keenly aware of this trend and has created Chexiang.com. Chexiang.com will cover the entire life cycle of users from car selection to car purchase, use and replacement, and even extends to car-related life areas, such as Auto insurance, finance and other service chains.

Although some people praise SAIC’s e-commerce business and some speak ill of it, it is undeniable that the O2O model is the only way forward for automotive Internet marketing. The premise of Internet marketing is big data. To have big data, you must have a large amount of consumer information. Information obtained by relying on third-party platforms usually has many errors and is difficult to achieve accuracy. To have massive real data, you must build your own platform. If SAIC's e-commerce platform is successful, SAIC's major brands will be able to achieve precision marketing and reduce marketing costs; it may even be possible to achieve customized services, predict model sales in advance, reduce inventory, and reduce costs.

For car dealers, relying solely on traditional channels to sell products has hit a ceiling. In the future, having products and brands with individuality and fans will be the way to win. The fastest and most effective way to have fans is the Internet. Use Internet thinking to build and sell cars.

As Zhang Ruimin, chairman of Haier Group, said: "If you can adapt to and control the Internet, now is the best era; if you deviate from it, you will be greeted by a disaster."