Why are car manufacturers “in love” with video platforms?

The advertising logic of the automotive industry has changed in recent years. Among them, medium and long video platforms have gradually become one of the important scenarios for automotive brand marketing. So under this trend, what new ways and changes have emerged in automotive marketing? In this article, the author interprets the content with case studies. Let's take a look.

With the awakening of new energy vehicles, the advertising logic of the entire automotive industry has undergone a qualitative change. In particular, the medium and long video platform, as an important scene for brand mind marketing, has become an indispensable key position for automotive advertising.

Judging from the market in the past two years, a large number of cases, new gameplay, new scenarios and new values ​​have emerged through the joint creation of many automobile manufacturers and medium and long video platforms.

Today, most automakers are looking for more ways to break through the marketing circle around the brand. In this article, we try to dismantle four automotive and medium- and long-form video platform marketing cases, and analyze the value chain and marketing methodology behind them.

The video platform needs the money from the host manufacturers, and the host manufacturers need the power of the video platform even more. If the two are rich, powerful and well-matched, getting married is the only goal of a relationship.

1. Four underlying logic changes in automobile marketing

New car-making forces are emerging, domestic traditional car companies are embarking on the road to brand upgrading, and traditional luxury car brands are gradually lowering their price ranges. The domestic automobile industry has become a battleground for all kinds of people.

In this competitive environment, the entire industry is undergoing more fundamental changes in four dimensions:

First, marketing channels.

There is a clear trend of channel integration for automobile companies that integrates public and private domains. They need to continuously communicate with consumers through all channels, output brand concepts and value propositions, and influence users' perception and preference for the brand.

Second, marketing audience.

The post-90s and post-00s are becoming the mainstream population in society. For these new generations who grew up with the Internet era, consumption is no longer a simple material demand, but also a combination of expressing their inner demands and spirit. For young people, cars are no longer just a means of transportation, they need products that give them more personality and emotional definition.

Third, marketing form.

Brands need to change from being passive to being active, allowing users to actively participate and push the brand into the hearts of users. By accurately capturing and satisfying consumers' value propositions, they can transcend the low-level interest relationship of "buying and selling" and establish a more solid bond between users and brands.

Fourth, marketing technology.

Technology has given car companies more imagination. Today's smart cars bring consumers an imagination of car life. At the same time, technology has also brought new changes to car marketing, such as digitalization, virtual space, and the combination of metaverse technology. In the future, car marketing must be deeply integrated with technology.

As automobile marketing enters the second half, the current marketing model of automobile companies is facing new challenges. The more complex and changeable the automobile marketing environment is, the more it is necessary to find the right direction and solution based on the underlying logic, and classic cases are undoubtedly the best instructions.

Feiyu Finance selected four automobile brands as cases of cooperation with long video platforms, including [Tencent Video x FAW-Volkswagen Lanxun] , [Bilibili x Lincoln] , [iQiyi x Volvo] , and [Xigua Video x Changan Lantuozhe] .

With the help of these cases, new ideas can be opened up for automotive brand marketing in 2023 and the future can be seen in advance.

2. Tencent Video x Lanxun: Hardcore Metaverse Conference

As concepts such as virtual space and metaverse become popular, more and more companies are choosing to hold press conferences online in the cloud.

But for car companies and other companies with strong offline experience, how can they seamlessly integrate the brand core into online press conferences and convey product features more intuitively? Tencent Video and FAW-Volkswagen Lanxun held a metaverse press conference, providing a new marketing model for car companies.

Based on the underlying logic of the game and the brand appeal of FAW-Volkswagen Lanxun, Tencent Video has built a strong story core through rich storytelling and plot settings, and covered a diverse social universe that includes the IP universe, the real universe, and the Lanxun universe.

For example, in the main storyline area of ​​"Dream Cruiser Universe", users can choose from three scene systems: "Hardcore Adventurer", "Mysterious New Gentleman" and "City Dreamer". Users can unlock the various performances of Lanxun one by one and feel the charm of the new car in the exciting game levels.

This sense of real experience and participation is inseparable from the visual aesthetic ability, domestic comic production and commercialization ability, and CG technology ability accumulated by the Tencent Video team over the years, which creates a surreal visual spectacle for the brand that cannot be achieved by various conventional shooting methods.

In addition to the immersive gaming experience, Tencent Video has adopted an innovative live broadcast mode that combines the real and the virtual, inviting two virtual characters, Tang San and Xiao Wu, the protagonists of the "Douluo Dalu" animation, to collaborate with real-person anchors to explain the concept and gameplay of the Metaverse Conference to users in a virtual and real way, accompanying users across the dimensional wall.

This innovative format not only allows users to more easily understand the highlights of the event and achieve the purpose of accompanying users across dimensional walls, but can also help brands further expand their younger follower groups and increase their presence among the new generation of young consumer groups through a younger tone of voice.

This Metaverse launch conference continues the linkage between the public and private domains under the Tencent ecosystem.

Tencent Video has created a new interactive scene to stimulate users' consumption mentality. After the online experience, users can directly jump to the page through the mini program in the Metaverse space, add the corporate WeChat of Lanxun sales staff, and scan the code to make an appointment for a test drive. This process achieves a seamless connection between the brand online and offline without leaving the scene.

Project summary: This online virtual conference in the form of a metaverse game introduced new technologies and cutting-edge interactive logic, and achieved the integration of public and private domains under the Tencent ecological resource capabilities. The automotive industry marketing has explored a new path. Tencent Video is driven by content co-creation and relies on cutting-edge technology to deeply empower customized marketing for automotive brands.

Marketing effect: The Lanxun virtual launch received more than 532 million exposures on the entire network, with more than 35.18 million live broadcasts. The number of visits to the mini program was more than 3.22 million, and more than 17,000 people actively consulted customer service to make appointments for test drives.

Technology Index: ★★★★☆

Innovation index: ★★★★

Spread index: ★★★★

3. Bilibili x Lincoln: A two-way journey with young people

People born after 1990 have become the main consumer group in China's auto market, and the rejuvenation transformation has become a topic that the entire auto industry cannot avoid. But how can auto brands achieve soul connection with young people and seize the minds of the younger generation of consumers? The cooperation between Bilibili and Lincoln is a very innovative attempt.

Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln brand, Lincoln Motor Company launched the all-new Lincoln Z, and used Bilibili as the main platform for communication, creating an extremely immersive online virtual press conference live broadcast.

It is understood that Lincoln had already pre-embedded hot spots on Bilibili long before this press conference.

At the 2021 Bilibili New Year's Eve Gala, the all-new Lincoln Z, as an official partner, "set off fireworks" with 300 million young people. At the same time, four UP hosts from different fields appeared in the Lincoln Z time and space blockbuster, including New Year short films, calls to action, and other content that continued to output the extraordinary performance of Lincoln Z and stimulated active discussions among users during the press conference.

At the new product launch conference, in order to break the model of traditional live broadcast conferences, the Lincoln Z virtual interactive live broadcast created by Bilibili pulled users into the live broadcast, allowing users to better participate in the conference.

Bilibili has broken the space limitation of regular press conferences by using customized theater-style 3D virtual scenes. It not only has real-time press conference images, but also can accommodate brand virtual images and user interactive elements, creating a live broadcast atmosphere close to young people in multiple dimensions. For example, in the press conference, the brand virtual image becomes the MC on the left, swaying, raising hands, dancing and other movements to boost the atmosphere of the live broadcast room.

As the most iconic cultural gene of Bilibili, Bilibili has launched an interactive barrage component that can be controlled in real time. By sending a barrage, a Lincoln Z car can be generated and move freely. Through sensory and interactive means, the stickiness of users is improved.

Project summary: Lincoln Motors chose Bilibili to introduce the new Lincoln Z, which interprets the "future look" of American luxury, to the younger generation. Bilibili used the closed link of "theater-style virtual scene + barrage interaction + interest conversion" to create an innovative new car launch conference for Lincoln that is more playable and more enjoyable, achieving a "two-way rush" between the brand and the younger generation.

Marketing effect: The brand live broadcast interaction volume increased by more than 150% compared with regular live broadcasts, the peak popularity of the live broadcast exceeded 3.5 million, and topped the outdoor division rankings.

Technology Index: ★★★★

Innovation index: ★★★★

Spread Index: ★★★☆

4. iQIYI Sports x Volvo: A new crossover with powerful content

The irreplaceable influence of top sports event IPs has become an important battlefield for major brands to conduct sports marketing. The cooperation model between Volvo Cars and iQiyi Sports in the European Cup also provides a new idea for brand sports marketing.

Through in-depth cooperation with iQiyi Sports, a 24-hour multi-node live broadcast program, Volvo Cars covers hardcore fans, general fans and entertainment audiences from the professional track, opinion track, cultural track and entertainment track, and implants the Volvo brand invisibly.

First of all, iQiyi Sports has a strong commentary lineup with Huang Jianxiang, Su Dong, Jin Xiangkai, Liu Yong, Xiong Bingjie and other professional commentators as the core, which has maximized the resource advantages of iQiyi Sports in core events from a professional perspective.

In the live broadcast interaction, iQIYI sports props gameplay has been upgraded, and users can reward virtual Volvo XC60 cars in the live chat room of the event. The fun gameplay has won the favor of young users. In addition, the creative and magical voice-over of Volvo cars after each wonderful goal in the European Cup also made every European Cup spectator remember it vividly and became a hot spot for social media communication.

In addition, iQiyi Sports has created a wealth of original content around the European Cup, such as the documentary "Europa Football Chronicles" and the European Cup star variety show "European Emperor's Lucky Night", allowing Volvo's brand image to quickly capture the minds of domestic fans.

Among them, in the program "European Emperor's Lucky Night", talk show actor Hu Lan combined football with the brand characteristics of Volvo's new XC60 to create interesting memes, allowing the audience to better understand the main selling points of Volvo's new XC60 SUV.

In addition to the diverse layout of original content, iQiyi Sports uses AI empowerment and technical upgrades of viewing products to create a new virtual studio, helping to present the European Cup in a way that is more in line with the preferences of young people in China.

Project summary: With the upgrading of consumer concepts and changes in lifestyles, auto brands also need to find new marketing carriers to capture consumers and increase sales. Volvo Cars and iQiyi Sports' European Cup IP marketing achieved multiple touches in all scenarios and across screens through channels such as iQiyi APP, iQiyi Sports mobile terminal, OTT terminal, and social media matrix, achieving the integration of wide coverage and precise touch.

Marketing effect: iQiyi Sports cooperated with Volvo to create a very successful marketing case through wide coverage and precise reach. The iQiyi Sports x Volvo Cars European Cup Marketing won the 2021 Golden Touchpoint Gold Award.

Technology Index: ★★★

Innovation index: ★★★★

Spread Index: ★★★☆

5. Xigua Video x Changan Landrover: Online and offline circle marketing

How can brands achieve targeted communication by breaking through the circle? In the cooperation case between Xigua Video and Changan Landwind, we can see a new solution.

Xigua Video and Changan Landrover jointly launched the "Wild Man Project x Fishing Friends Please Take Your Place" theme event, the target audience is outdoor enthusiasts who love fishing. The target audience of the event coincides with the Changan Landrover, which integrates travel, home use, and off-roading.

How to make Changan Landwind establish communication resonance between scenes and audiences, Xigua Video takes two steps online and offline.

First of all, Xigua Video called on creators online to co-create high-quality content, generate heated topics, and rely on the identity of KOLs to endorse the brand, allowing Changan Landuo to achieve precise contact with outdoor fishing enthusiasts.

Secondly, Xigua Video demonstrated offline that Changan Lantuozhe is highly adaptable to fishing scenes. During the fishing process, it not only fully demonstrated the product features of Changan Lantuozhe, providing consumers with an immersive and interesting experience, but also released the commercial potential of the platform's content marketing IP.

Project summary: On the one hand, the content is the starting point. Xigua Video launched the "Wild Man Project x Fishing Friends Please Take Your Place" event, providing creators with a new direction in centralized theme creation.

On the other hand, marketing is used as a starting point. From online promotion to offline activities, Xigua Video has simultaneously achieved in-depth online and offline linkage, and promoted the maximization of marketing coverage through continuous fermentation on multiple terminals, allowing the platform and the brand to achieve a win-win situation in the two-way rush.

Marketing effect: "Wild Man Project x Fishing Friends Please Take Your Place" has been exposed 2.14 billion times on the entire network. Among them, Toutiao + Xigua Video's call for submissions video has been exposed 780 million times, and the Douyin topic #钓友请就位# has been exposed more than 1.19 billion times.

Technology Index: ★★★

Innovation index: ★★☆

Spread index: ★★★★

6. Thinking: Marry the platform and fall in love with fans

In the stock market, competition in the automotive industry has become fierce.

On the one hand, the average annual growth rate of China's passenger car market has declined. It is expected that the growth rate of automobile sales will remain at around 2% in 2023, and new car sales will maintain a slow growth.

Another aspect is that competition among automakers is intensifying. According to CTR Media Intelligence data, in the list of the top 50 brands in terms of advertising spending on Internet sites in 2022, there are 18 auto-related brands, and 10 brands are in the top 20.

In this squeezed environment, competition in the automotive industry has become fierce. The development trend of automotive marketing is very clear. It is not only a one-way value transfer of the brand, but also a process of continuous in-depth understanding between the brand and the user. Automotive marketing should build trust and recognition with consumers, and ultimately achieve brand value enhancement and promote sales growth.

For medium and long video platforms, which are the main marketing frontier, only by continuously improving their own service value, including in terms of scenarios, forms, and communication effects, can they better meet the value needs of host manufacturers.

In a sense, watching TV series, driving, and marriage are all long-term forces.

Two-way marriage and deep integration allow fans to feel the pleasure of love, and all three parties gain something, which is a true win-win situation.

In 2023, we look forward to seeing even cooler cases.

References:

1. Lincoln's virtual live broadcast on Bilibili shows that young people "own a car per capita" - Bilibili Business News
2. Innovative parallel universe virtual interactive press conference, igniting new momentum for the launch of FAW-Volkswagen's hardcore large five-seater SUV Lanxun - Tencent Advertising
3. Cross-border cooperation with Changan Landuozhe, what did Xigua Video's "Fishing Friends Please Take Your Seat" do right? ——Xigua Business Observation
4. Joining hands with iQiyi Sports to play the European Cup, how does Volvo enter the fast lane of sports marketing? —— iQiyi Sports

Author: wx; Article architect: Hua Ge

Source: Feiyu Finance (ID: feiyucaijing2021), discover the little beauty in every little bit