With the rise of social **, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has undergone earth-shaking changes in the Chinese market. The century-old brand was once a symbol of the wealthy, but now it is being conquered by China's internet celebrity scene.
Over the past few years, Chinese influencers have appeared to show the world their lavish lifestyles. One of the most striking phenomena, however, is that influencers seem to be playing a "Rolls-Royce party". The social platform is full of **and** of Internet celebrities showing off "Xi Ti Rolls-Royce", as if this car has become a necessary prop for Internet celebrities to show their wealth and status.
What is remarkable is that the sales figures of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars are also rising in line with this trend. From 2020 to 2023, Rolls-Royce's global sales soared from 3,756 to 6,032 units, setting a record for the highest sales since the brand's inception. What is behind this magnificent growth that is driving the revival of this century-old brand?
First, let's take a look at the Chinese influencers' cult love for Rolls-Royce. On social platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu, countless Internet celebrities have posted **and** of "Xi Ti Rolls-Royce", forming a kind of ridicule of "Internet celebrities have a Rolls-Royce". This has caused many people to wonder, why are these young people so obsessed with this century-old ultra-luxury car?
Relevant people pointed out that behind the purchase of Rolls-Royce by Internet celebrities, it is actually more of a performance of "showing off wealth" and "social show". By owning a Rolls-Royce, these influencers can not only show their wealth and success, but also gain more attention and recognition within their social circles. And Rolls-Royce, as one of the world's top car brands, has naturally become the "dream car" they chase.
What's even more interesting is that Rolls-Royce's sales in the Chinese market are closely related to the car buying boom of Internet celebrities. According to the brand's official data, in 2020, Rolls-Royce's global sales will be 3,756 units, of which Greater China will account for about 305%。By 2022, the proportion of sales in the Greater China market will further climb to 27%, second only to the US market. This is undoubtedly a testament to the significant contribution of the Chinese market to Rolls-Royce's sales growth.
So why has Rolls-Royce become one of the top choices for Chinese influencers to show off their wealth? In addition to the luxury quality of the car itself, Rolls-Royce has also actively expanded its popularity in the Chinese market in a variety of ways. The brand not only made frequent appearances on social platforms, but also invited well-known Internet celebrities to take test drives, laying a solid social foundation for Rolls-Royce in China.
However, influencers aren't just buying Rolls-Royce for show-off. Some analysts believe that the behavior of Internet celebrities buying cars is more out of social recognition and identity symbolism of the brand. In China, a country with a large middle class, influencers can show their successful personas and improve their social status by owning Rolls-Royces and other occasions.
However, unlike Rolls-Royce's booming sales, some other traditional luxury car brands are facing some challenges in the Chinese market. In the case of Porsche and Bentley, their sales fell by 15% and 18% year-on-year, respectively, in 2023. This has led to the question of why some brands are losing their competitiveness in China's luxury car market.
When analyzing this phenomenon, we have to mention the competitive environment in the Chinese market. Super luxury car brands such as Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini have almost no direct competitors in the domestic market, while the most popular models of domestic independent brands are only in the million-level market. In contrast, brands such as Porsche are between hundreds of thousands and millions, and have been subjected to strong competition from domestic independent brands, resulting in a decline in sales.
In addition, the rise of new energy vehicles is also an important factor in the transformation of the luxury car market. More and more consumers are concerned about environmental protection and energy saving, which makes some traditional luxury car brands lose some of their appeal in the market. In particular, relatively low brands like Porsche often have more advantages in the performance and intelligence of new energy vehicles, which has had an impact on its sales.
In this regard, observers of the luxury car market pointed out that the changes in the economic structure and consumption concept of the Chinese market are also driving a huge change in the luxury car market. With the continuous concentration of social wealth, old money is more willing to buy more expensive cars, and the upstarts are also paying more and more attention to the performance and intelligence level of cars. This has challenged the position of some traditional brands in the market.
In this process, Rolls-Royce strives to adapt to changes in the market by constantly innovating and expanding new energy vehicles. Rolls-Royce CEO Toston Muller Utfus has said that the epidemic has caused people to think about life and promoted the growth of consumption in luxury cars. As a result, Rolls-Royce's sales continued to climb after the pandemic, setting a new all-time record for the brand.
Globally, Porsche maintained a strong sales performance, with 320,221 deliveries in 2023, up 3% year-on-year, despite declining sales in China. Although Bentley's deliveries in 2023 fell by 11% year-on-year, its sales are still the third highest in history. This shows that these brands are still competitive in the global market.
Overall, Rolls-Royce's success lies in a combination of factors. The craze of influencers showing off their wealth has brought a strong marketing force to the brand, and the brand itself has adapted to the changes in the market by constantly innovating and expanding new energy models. At the same time, brands such as Porsche and Bentley need to find new positioning and strategies in the fierce competition to cope with the changes in the Chinese market and the huge challenges of the global market. In this ever-changing luxury car market, how brands respond smartly will be key to future development.