Center

Branding model

By Li Fangfang (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-07-24 10:18

"Doing branding is for the sake of selling the cars. So the auto producers should pay more attention to their products first," says Reitermann.

He considers that at the beginning, product quality, research and development, distribution and marketing, and talent recruitment are the priorities.

"And in China, don't forget the pricing. It is all part of a brand building."
Secondly, "making a difference" is very important when doing branding.

When it comes to advertising  in China, "we always see a successful man driving a sedan or a happy family enjoying the trip in a MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) in the advertisement. Chinese automakers always don't do a lot to make a difference."

He says BMW launched a "very funny and crazy" advertisement in the United States.
"It makes the customers emotional to buy the sedans. But in China, this kind of advertisement takes risk."

He suggests the automakers should also attach importance to making a difference in other aspects, such as developing new categories, innovating more functions, and promoting the service to upgrade the brand image.

Consistency is also imperative in branding, and it is a time investment, he says.
According to Reitermann, BMW took 20 years to become a world leading and well-known brand and it took Toyota 15 years. Hyundai spent a decade to accomplish this. "I believe Chinese brands will achieve it in about seven years, for everything in China grows so fast."

Reitermann thinks Geely  Group Co has done better than other domestic brands.
He also says domestic automakers who want to go abroad "must be very strong" at home before going out.

"It will cost a lot of money and takes great risk abroad, so they have to obtain a stable base in their own country to lower the hazards."