Facing intense competition and slowing demand, CEOs of China's electric vehicle industry are increasingly engaging in social media communication and live broadcasts. This approach is similar to that of Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and is seen as an effort to build close relationships with customers.
On the 23rd, Bloomberg reported, "From startups dressed in jeans and jackets to state-owned enterprises in shirts and ties, Chinese electric vehicle CEOs are joining live broadcasts more frequently. This appeals to younger consumers and provides an opportunity to showcase vehicle technology and performance directly to potential customers without the censorship and cost burdens of traditional advertising media."
A prominent figure is Lei Jun, chairman of Xiaomi, who has 24 million Weibo followers. In March, he unveiled Xiaomi's first electric vehicle model, the SU7, online for the first time. Millions of viewers tuned in, and subsequently, 20,000 vehicles were shipped. In May, he conducted a 3-hour and 30-minute live broadcast while traveling through Shanghai and Hangzhou, using the car's autonomous driving features, which recorded 39 million views.
Li Bin, founder and CEO of Nio, has also appeared frequently since starting his first live broadcast on his personal Weibo account in March. Videos of his cross-country trips in Nio vehicles played a decisive role in building his 600,000 followers.
Additionally, founders of other companies such as Li Supu of Zhejiang Geely Automobile and Wei Zhenjun of Changcheng Automobile have joined social media one after another. Chairman Wei showcased Changcheng Automobile's advanced driver assistance features in his first broadcast. Furthermore, Feng Xingya, CEO of the state-owned Guangzhou Automobile, and Gu Huinan, CEO of Aion, have each opened Weibo accounts. Yin Tongwei, chairman of Chery Automobile, has also been conducting live broadcasts for several months. He said, "Even someone like me in my 60s has to do this," and mentioned that industry veterans are learning broadcasting skills from their peers.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
