In recent years, the value and role of content marketing in the field of automobile marketing have become increasingly prominent. Traditional display marketing advertisements and performance advertisements can no longer fully meet the marketing demands of OEMs. Yang Song, senior vice president of Autohome and chairman of Tiantian Paiche, recently said that Autohome is undergoing a strategic transformation in marketing, and in addition to advertising and sales lead services, the company also hopes to provide public relations and content marketing services and products for OEMs. This is because OEMs are facing declining sales and pressure in the current competitive automotive market, and they need to better shape their brand image and enhance brand value to reduce pressure and improve profitability. Autohome hopes to meet the needs of OEMs by providing related services to achieve its own strategic transformation.
Yang Song told reporters that in 2023, the company's content marketing revenue will account for about 20% of the revenue of the main engine factory, and it is expected to maintain and further expand the proportion of revenue next year.
Create a new content ecosystem and provide users with high-quality connections
Changes in the market environment have pushed the automotive ecological platform into a profound change. From the consumer side, consumer behavior has changed, young consumers are more dependent on the Internet, compared to going to the store to understand the situation, they want the Internet platform to search and compare models, query**, etc. According to Autohome data, the number of consumer visits to the store has decreased from an average of 3 to 4 times to 1 to 2 times now. From the perspective of the first end, the epidemic has made OEMs, 4S stores and second-hand car dealers pay more attention to the stability of the first chain, and are more willing to increase the inventory of key parts to prevent the risk of shortage of the first chain.
Persistence and change are the driving force for enterprise development, and Autohome has evolved from advertising services and sales leads in the past to focus on the core needs of OEMs and provide first-class solutions, including advertising, clues, digital technology software products and innovative content marketing.
Zhao Yicheng, VP of Autohome Commercial Operations, also pointed out at the 2023 Golden Net Awards Pilot Show Summit that the value and role of content marketing in the field of automobile marketing are becoming increasingly prominent. Traditional display marketing advertisements and performance advertisements can no longer fully meet the marketing demands of OEMs. Especially today, the homogenization of new energy vehicles is extremely serious, the difference in products is getting smaller and smaller, and it is more difficult for traditional marketing methods to obtain the understanding and recognition of consumers, and the effect is greatly reduced. Through content marketing, it has become an inevitable trend of marketing in the new era to tell the subtle differences of products and the stories behind the brand, arouse the resonance of consumers, and achieve a win-win situation among the platform, OEMs and consumers.
It is reported that the world's first flagship MPV built by GAC Trumpchi - Trumpchi E9 went to the Arctic for scientific research, integrating keywords such as travel, nature, adventure, and exploration, and launched the first shot of GAC Trumpchi brand's cross-border joint marketing to the sea. With the help of CCTV scientific research resources & route planning, Autohome has made the official title of the Trumpchi brand climb to the top of the Yellow River Station, and has also joined forces with scholars from the Chinese Academy of Sciences + brand executives + professional editors of Autohome + rim KOL + Trumpchi owners to deeply interpret the value of brands and products from multiple angles in the name of scientific research and the industry, highlighting the concept of environmental protection. This event, with the Arctic diverse road conditions and complex environment, provides a natural test drive site, and the whole process of diversified content output, so that the event and products are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and become an excellent case of content marketing in the industry.
Yang Song said: "We must change from just advertising services and sales leads in the past to content marketing and digital technology software products. In the future, we will provide solutions to shape brand power and precipitate brand value according to the needs of OEMs, starting from purchase optimization, new car launches, breakthroughs in key areas, and the flexibility of policies. ”
Accelerate the embrace of new energy and expand the sinking market
Yang Song mentioned the penetration rate of new energy vehicles in China. According to him, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles in China's passenger car market this year is about 35%-36%. He explained the definition of new energy vehicles, including pure electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, and some extended-range vehicles. He believes that this is an irreversible trend, and it is expected that after 2025, one out of every two passenger cars sold will be new energy vehicles. He pointed out that in the past few years, the policies of ** have played a driving role, such as urban purchase and traffic restriction measures, as well as **and local** subsidies. However, in recent years, the market driving force has also increased, and the brand, model, quality and intelligence of new energy vehicles are constantly improving. For example, he said that in some third- and fourth-tier cities, there are no purchase restrictions, traffic restrictions and license plates, and the penetration rate of new energy vehicles is also very high, close to 30%.
It is reported that based on the development trend of new energy vehicles, as an Internet platform, Autohome has two innovative measures in the field of new energy vehicles.
First of all, the content related to new energy vehicles has been added on the Internet platform, including layouts, channels, program IPs and **, etc., attracting about 50% of users to browse the content of new energy vehicles and understand relevant knowledge, models and **. The second is to establish 20 new energy space stations under the Autohome line across the country. These space stations provide direct sales channels, marketing services and after-sales service support for third- and fourth-tier cities with less complete sales channels, helping OEMs quickly enter the sinking market. For users, they can also enjoy the holographic car viewing experience in these space stations, understand the full picture and details of various new energy vehicles, and complete the car purchase process through one-stop car selection services, objective and neutral explanations and immersive technological experiences, which not only satisfies the interesting experience, but also saves time, worry and money to buy a car.
It is understood that Autohome has completed the strategic transformation from vertical media to a one-stop car life service provider of "content ecology + tool service + trading platform".
Leverage IP potential energy to empower the development of the industry in multiple dimensions
High-quality IP content is a "reservoir" to help users develop their minds, and whether they can continue to create popular IP is the key to the stable growth of the ecological traffic of the content platform.
It is understood that Autohome has successfully achieved the output of brand value and conducted in-depth communication with consumers by continuously creating popular IPs, such as the "818 Global Automobile Festival". This event integrates a variety of online and offline marketing activities such as online auto show, car night, and 100 cities auto show, and cross-border combination, breaking through the restrictions of automobile groups and covering different scene segments. In the past four events, the 818 Global Automobile Festival has become a reference model for Internet + automotive marketing.
In June 2023, with the theme of "City of the Future", Autohome will hold a naked-eye 3D** festival for new energy vehicle owners for the first time, where participants can enjoy the wonderful performances of the best people from various fields, and at the same time, the latest new energy vehicle technologies and products will be displayed on site, allowing participants to experience the possibility of future travel.
By continuously building high-quality IP, Autohome has steadily increased traffic in the content platform ecology and achieved in-depth communication between the brand and users. This strategy is essential for the growth of content platforms, as high-quality IP attracts users and builds user loyalty, which in turn leads to more traffic and user engagement.
Yang Song said with confidence: "We have the ability to create a high-level, super cool super IP, and at the same time, we can also do a lot of specific projects very pragmatically, in the future, from the perspective of products, to establish a strong IP, planning public relations event marketing, and establishing alliance cooperation;From a sales perspective, content marketing is incorporated into the solution to clarify the goals and demands of product sales. In short, it is our job to provide customers with integrated solutions. ”