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Infiniti: late but in no rush
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IT would be better, of course, for latecomers to follow their own pace, and more importantly, find their own voice.
“We all want to run faster, and we have so many ideas, but we need to take one step at a time,” said Daniel Kirchert, managing director of Infiniti China. “It is impossible to compress into one year what has taken other brands 10 or even 15 years to accomplish.”
After two years of preparation, Infiniti will finally begin operations of its first Chinese plant later this year. But the luxury arm of Nissan, which has primarily marketed its products in the US, needs more than price competitiveness to make further inroads in China.
The Germans now comprise up to 80 percent of the premium car market here because of their pole position in production localization.
Since August, Infiniti has been trying to reinvent itself as the most “emotional” luxury car brand in China. As the premium auto market heads toward overtaking the US in size, probably this year, there will be increasing demand for different brands and product experience, said Kirchert.
Promoting cars through emotional appeal is meant to contrast with the preception of German cars being rational and cool.
Infiniti sponsored the hottest TV reality show last year, “Where Are We Going, Dad,” where its JX 7-seater SUV was featured as a symbol of family affections. It is also sponsoring the popular TV documentary on food and regional culture in China, called “A Bite of China Season 2.”
“The first impression people have of Infiniti is one of beauty and style,” said Kirchert. “But that didn’t create a clear brand image. That’s why we want to make a change, with our new marketing concept Gan Ai. It represents who we are and the values that Chinese consumers can identify with.”
Gan Ai translates as “dare and love” in Chinese. By daring people to stay true to themselves and express their own emotions, Infiniti wants to reach out to customers with young mindsets.
Infiniti is also trying to appeal to motorists’ sense of adventure. At the recent launch of its Q50 sports sedan, five amateur racers were invited to take on four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel on a racetrack. Featuring the world’s first direct adaptive steering technology, the car will compete head-on with the BMW 3 series, which is known for its great handling and maneuverability.
As a minority player in the market, Infiniti still needs to step up its marketing efforts to position its products, said He Kuo, sales director of Infiniti China. A variety of marketing campaigns are indeed increasing the brand awareness, but whether they can translate into purchases is another story, said auto analyst Zhang Zhiyong.
In the first quarter of this year, Infiniti sales in China surged 153 percent from a year earlier to 6,158 units. To sustain that momentum, the company will have to keep exploring lower-tier cities in China that have big untapped potential.
But market dynamics in areas outside major metropolises are less likely to be swayed by a newcomer because consumers there tend to choose well-established brands. Their vehicle choices are influenced less by references to young mindsets and more by explicit ad campaigns, Zhang said.
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