Car sedan square promotion plan

First, the project background
1. The nature of the implementation of the project unit Audi China Audi China is a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group Audi in China. Established in 1988, it is responsible for the marketing and after-sales service of complete vehicles and parts of Audi brand imported cars in China. Since its establishment, Audi China has successfully sold 100,000 imported Audi cars in China. So far, the Chinese market has become Audi's largest market in Asia.
Rhodes Public Relations Ltd. Rhodes Public Relations Limited is a global public relations company headquartered in New York. With more than 50 years of history, Rhodes Public Relations Limited is the world's second largest independent public relations company. With a turnover of more than $50 million, it has more than 800 employees worldwide. Its global operations include marketing of consumer products, corporate image management, and crisis management. Founded in 1989, Rhodes Asia has been in business in China for 12 years. It has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. It conducts public relations activities on behalf of well-known multinational companies in many industries, and has extensive management of public relations projects throughout the country. experience. In the past 12 years, Rhodes has established close relationships with media across the country and has strong media control. The company employs Chinese employees as its main business backbone. In XX, in the survey and evaluation conducted by Gallup China Consulting, Rhodes was rated as the most powerful and influential public relations company in China's auto industry. At present, the main automotive customers in the automotive industry are Audi China, FAW-Volkswagen Audi.
2. Challenges and Opportunities The Audi A8 sedan is one of three products that Audi plans to introduce to the Chinese market in XX. Domestic sales targets are senior officials such as senior government officials, diplomats, business leaders and celebrities.
The Audi a8 sedan is the most expensive and most advanced flagship product in the Audi luxury sedan series. It is also the magic weapon for Audi to compete with the Brunswick s-class sedan and the BMW 7-series sedan. In China, the luxury sedan market is still growing, and the market size is still small compared to economy cars and mid-range cars. Despite this, the competition is fierce. Audi, merceds-benz, bmw, volvo and other internationally renowned brands segment the luxury car market. It is worth noting that in the luxury sedan market, brand awareness is the main competitive means of these major manufacturers.
Although the sales index of the a8 sedan developed by Audi is not large, it has a very publicity effect, because the buyers are public figures such as senior officials and social celebrities. Therefore, the public relations goal determined by Audi China is to use the special position of the a8 sedan in the field of luxury cars to enhance the overall image of the Audi brand in China. To achieve this goal, Audi has hired Rhodes PR to plan and implement a strong media reporting program.
The more serious challenge comes from the fact that although Chinese consumers are not familiar with the Audi a8, the Audi a8 is not a new model just launched in the international market. How to repackage, reposition, and introduce its features to Chinese consumers, this undoubtedly puts high demands on the planning capabilities of Rhodes Public Relations.
In Europe and the United States, media reporters in the automotive industry often have deep automotive expertise; professional journalists in China still need a learning process for automotive technology and are just beginning to get involved in test driving activities. Therefore, one of the main issues facing public relations activities is how to explain to them the many technical advantages of the a8 sedan and the various benefits that the owner can enjoy according to the professional level of the Chinese media. Due to the tight schedule of time, the difficulty of carrying out this activity is even greater.
3. Implementation of the project area for the consumption status of luxury cars in China. This project is selected for implementation in three cities: Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. These three cities are also the cities with the most concentrated consumption of luxury cars in China. The three cities were selected to influence the markets in North China, East China and South China through public relations activities.

Second, the project investigation
1. Media research China's automotive professional media reporters have no professional knowledge and understanding of the test drive activities. How to implement a unique and memorable public relations campaign for the status quo of the Chinese media; at the same time, can accurately convey the characteristics of the Audi a8 to the media? Before the implementation of the public relations activities, Rhodes Public Relations Co., Ltd. conducted a telephone interview with 20 major domestic automobile and lifestyle magazines. Specifically understand the following questions: What are the requirements for the reporter's test drive activities for a new luxury sedan? What kind of location does the reporter want to choose? Is the time a day or a half day or is it appropriate to arrange it in the evening? How long do they want to test drive? According to the survey results, most reporters hope that the event will be a full day, and the event venue should be selected within a 1-2 hour drive from each host city. Through research, we fully understand the needs of media reporters, which is very helpful for the more targeted implementation of activities by Rhodes Public Relations.
2. Before the implementation of the market research activities, Rhodes Public Relations conducted a full investigation of the Chinese luxury sedan market. The survey found that in the Chinese luxury sedan market, the main competitors of the Audi a8 are the Brunswick s sedan and the BMW 7 series sedan. According to the survey, before this, although the Bruns s-class sedan and the BMW 7 series sedan had certain sales in the Chinese market, they never implemented a specific model of the public relations activities and test drive activities in the Chinese domestic market. . It is also known that BMW China plans to implement the “Perfect Experience” tour test in the Chinese market, but it does not target public relations activities for a specific model. Therefore, the public relations activities that Rhodes Public Relations will implement will be the first model launch and media public relations activities in China's high-end luxury sedan market, which is of extraordinary significance. The core value of the Audi brand in the world is "technology leadership." The public relations activity planned by Rhodes Public Relations for Audi China has achieved “public relations leading” – leading the competition in public relations activities and planning.

Third, project planning
1. Specific public relations objectives ● Enhance the overall brand image of Audi cars in China by using the excellent quality of the Audi a8 sedan, making it a representative of luxury configuration and leading technology;
● Create consumer demand and assist Audi sales personnel to achieve sales targets this year;
● Fully promote the outstanding selling points brought by the leading technology of Audi A8, such as all-aluminum body structure, full-time four-wheel drive system and other leading technologies and the new feelings brought by these technological advantages to consumers;

● Urge the media to conduct extensive and continuous reporting throughout the implementation of the project;
● Audi a8 is mainly for official vehicles, so it is necessary to strengthen public relations with government departments.

2. Specific public relations planning ● Organize news media representatives to participate in the test drive and test ride of the Audi a8 sedan, let them experience the living style enjoyed by the a8 sedan family;
● Designed four demonstrations based on the theme promoted in the official launch of the Audi A8 sedan. The purpose of these activities is to explain the advantages of the a8 sedan in terms of “time, space, safety and creating a quiet atmosphere”. And the interactive way of interest shows the unique enjoyment that the a8 sedan brings to consumers;
● Engage Audi technicians and professional testers to teach the various technologies and driving characteristics of the a8 sedan;
● Through the elegant art performance, the status of the Audi a8 luxury supreme.
3, the target public ● senior government officials, business leaders, diplomats, celebrities and other high-level people, they have a high social visibility.
4, the main dissemination of information ● The meaning of the Audi brand concept - humanity, passion, leadership, vision.
● The characteristics of Audi a8 are summarized as "time, air, safety, quiet":
Time charm - the powerful engine of the Audi a8 saves a lot of time on the journey; the car is equipped with a luxurious integrated vehicle system that allows the owner to make the most of the journey time;
Space charm - the Audi a8 sedan provides ample interior space for the occupants. In addition to the spacious interior, it also has the highest comfort and the most luxurious equipment. Therefore, many heads of state and state-owned convoys have chosen Audi a8;
Safety charm – advanced technology such as all-aluminum space frame structure and full-time four-wheel drive system enable the Audi a8 to provide the maximum level of safety that ultra-luxury cars can provide;
Tranquil charm - the excellent soundproofing of the Audi a8 creates a very peaceful atmosphere inside the car.
5. Media selection ● Various newspapers and electronic media that play a leading role in public opinion in the automotive industry;
●Professional publications and TV programs that promote high-end lifestyles;
● some text media for the general public;
6. Specific means of communication ● Interactive expert explanation - Audi technical experts from Germany introduced the various high-tech equipment of Audi a8 to the reporter with professional knowledge background. When introducing the all-aluminum body structure of the Audi a8, German experts asked reporters to hold a small iron gecko toy with a magnet and test it on the Audi a8 body. As a result, it can be imagined that the Audi a8 uses an advanced all-aluminum body structure, and the iron toy certainly cannot be attached. The scene was very active and the reporters were amazed. Rhodes is using this ingenious and interesting means of communication to spread the Audi A8 "Technology Leading" concept to media reporters in an unforgettable way.
● Art performances closely related to the theme - how to make the media reporters deeply impressed the "quiet" characteristics of the Audi a8? It seems difficult to let every reporter sit in the car to experience peace. When Rhodes communicated the information to be disseminated to media reporters, it did not adopt a blunt indoctrination method. Instead, it uses a method of generating associations from perceptual knowledge and then deepening into rational understanding. Rhodes Public Relations Company specially invited the famous Guqin masters of the Central Conservatory of Music, Professor Li Xiangwei, to give the media reporters a unique "quiet class". Take the activities in Beijing as an example. In the antique courtyard of the first city in the world, the breeze is lightly delivered, and Master Li improvises, or let the reporters play the title. Only listen to the ancient sounds, a clear ancient style "mountain flowing water", the sound of sparse outside the window, and then floating people can immediately clear the mind. The unique design of the Audi a8 drawing board behind Master Li has a distinct image. Listening, seeing, and being rendered, the reporters have elegantly experienced the tranquility of the Audi a8.
● Eye-opening test performances - how to show the Audi A8's extraordinary * vertical characteristics to media reporters? Rhodes Public Relations invited a professional test driver from the Audi headquarters in Germany, and Mr. Crant, who was a European racer, performed a thrilling test for the reporters at the test site. In order to reflect the excellent control performance of the eSP electronic stability program equipped with the Audi a8 in extreme situations such as skidding or high-speed braking, Crant spreads the steering wheel and extends the car with a speed of 120 km/h. Top skylight, while pressing the brakes. The Audi A8 made a sharp turn at 720 degrees on the field and stopped in front of the reporter. Only a scene that can be seen in a film stunt show took place, and the media reporter applauded enthusiastically. The tester's wonderful performance left a deep impression on the reporter, but more importantly, the extraordinary control of the Audi a8 made the reporters convinced.
● Real-time interactive network communication - in order to achieve the interaction between consumers and car owners.
Audi China has launched a small Audi a8 website. Consumers who love a8 can learn more about a8 through this special website and can communicate directly with Audi China.
● The reporter personally tested the Audi a8 - the event reached a climax in the reporter's personal test drive Audi a8 event. The reporter test drive was carried out accompanied by a professional test driver. The test drive format is also not interesting. When the driver accelerates to a speed of 80 km / h, the reporter rushes to brake and experience the superior performance of the Audi a8 abs anti-lock brake system. Through the test drive, the media reporters were deeply impressed by the excellent safety performance of the Audi a8. The superior performance of the Audi A8 has not been deliberately spread, but through the experience of the reporter, I have reached the conclusion.
7. Coordination with management and support ● In the public relations activities, more than a dozen Audi a8 cars are needed to pick up the reporters to go to the test site.
Although the Audi A8 is a very expensive limousine, Audi China specially coordinated its dealers in China and finally mobilized 10 Audi a8 for test run.
● 10 Audi A8s and their maintenance vehicles form a huge fleet. After coordinating with the local traffic management department, the local traffic control department dispatched a police car to clear the road, and the problem of vehicle driving was solved satisfactorily.

Fourth, the project implementation
1. Difficulties encountered in project implementation
l The choice of project implementation site is the biggest difficulty encountered in the implementation. The site to be implemented must meet the following conditions: The site must conform to the image of Audi's high-end luxury car, high-end, luxurious; have enough test space; convenient transportation, no more than 2 hours from the city center. It is very difficult to find a venue that meets three conditions at the same time. Taking the site of Beijing as an example, Rhodes PR spent nearly a hundred hours visiting all the venues in Beijing and surrounding suburbs that might be suitable for the above conditions. It can be said that in the process of finding the venue, Rhodes Public Relations spent a lot of energy. Despite this, the last sought after site customer expressed great satisfaction.
In each event city, Rhodes has chosen locations that are known for their high-end and luxury:
Beijing: The First City of the World, this is a hotel/entertainment complex designed in the style of the Forbidden City. It has walls, watchtowers, lakes, Buddha steps, gardens and tea houses. It is only 50 kilometers from the city center.
Shanghai: Xijiao Hotel, a five-star hotel used to host heads of state and other distinguished guests.
Guangzhou: The seaside resort, used to be a hotel for the VIP reception of the Guangdong Provincial People's Government.
l Preparation time is extremely urgent. When the client finally confirms the plan, it is only two weeks away from the project implementation time. In just two weeks, Rhodes PR has faced huge challenges in completing the implementation details in such a short period of time. All employees of Rhodes Public Relations worked overtime and finally completed preparations for the implementation of all activities in a short period of time.

2, project implementation details

l The implementation of the event was divided into two stations: in Beijing's ancient Emperor Shiji, the reporters who participated in the test driving activities were welcomed by the main officials of Audi, and were invited to watch a video about the a8 sedan, which was briefed by Audi officials. The marketing plan for the car in China and the latest market sales of Audi. Then, the reporters went to the first city of the world with ten new Audi A8 cars equipped with full-time drivers. During the driving, the car plays a set of original poems recorded by Rhodes in advance, which describe the main features of the a8 sedan in the context of classical music.
l After arriving at the event, let the reporters enjoy a fine lunch. Then guide them to visit the four interactive presentation areas. The characteristics of the Audi a8 are summarized as "Time, Space, Ann, Static". The large Chinese title explains the various topics to be expressed:
Winning space: A product engineer from Audi headquarters in Germany gave a comprehensive and brief introduction to the main features of the a8 sedan, including the all-aluminum body structure, exterior design, interior features and spacious seats used in the sedan. The best ergonomic design. Journalists can take photos and ask questions at will.
Enjoy the serenity: a violinist plays the soft and beautiful Chinese classical music on the guqin by a violinist. The reporters can make poems while they are good at it, and they will play them on the spot. In this kind of atmosphere, the reporter fully experienced the realm of "quietness" by the emotional ancient music; the sensible understanding also associates with the quiet charm of Audi a8.
Time concept: A pair of dancers perform modern dances in the context of the Audi a8 sedan and the bell tower to interpret the nature of time and its fleeting character.
Safety performance: A coach from the Audi Driving School in Germany tells and performs the safety features of the a8 sedan, including the four-wheel drive system, the anti-lock brake system and the electronic stability program, which prevents the sedan Loss of control due to wheel slippage while driving on slippery roads. The coach also performed extremely thrilling driving techniques: braking and turning immediately after the car was accelerated to 120 km/h, rotating 720 degrees in place to show the behavior of the car when not using the esp program. Then he repeated the thrilling action with the esp program and extended both arms out of the skylight to prove how the esp program effectively prevented the car from losing control.
The climax of the test drive was that the reporters accompanied the coach to personally drive the a8 sedan on the test line.

V. Project implementation results and evaluation
1. Media coverage
l In Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, a total of 126 journalists from 93 media organizations participated in the public relations activities for the a8 sedan conference. As of August 20 this year, there were 144 direct media reports in this activity.
l Among the media that have been heavily reported include: CCTV's “Qingfengying” column on June 1st, a nine-minute special report on the listing of the a8 sedan, which is the most important impact in China. A wide range of car TV shows. Guangdong Cable TV made a five-minute report on the "Car World" section on August 17. China’s largest car enthusiast magazine “Champion Racer” gave a detailed introduction to the a8 sedan in a magazine published on July 1. The "Southern City News" published on August 8th published a special article titled: "Audi has launched fierce competition with Brunswick and BMW after launching the A8 sedan in China". The article highly praised the excellence of the a8 sedan. performance. We have fully tracked all newspapers, TV stations and online media reports, see the attached newsletter.
l In the report on the a8 sedan, 97.78% of the articles reported the event from a positive perspective. At least 92.24% of the articles mentioned the name of the a8 sedan in the title, and 82.76% of the articles at least simultaneously published a photo of the a8 sedan participating in the event. In the media reports, most of them introduced the main features of the a8 sedan, such as quattro full-time four-wheel drive system, esp program and all-aluminum body structure.
2. Media feedback
l “In all domestic and foreign car test driving activities, the Audi a8 test drive in Beijing is the most creative and innovative event I have ever experienced.”----Car King Magazine
l “I have never participated in such a unique test drive as the Audi a8 media. The elegant artistic expression, the combination of the virtual and the real, conveys the characteristics of the Audi a8, and gives us such a deep impression. I think that the Audi a8 media launch The event is the most distinctive of the car media activities I participated in." - Economic Daily · Automotive Weekly
l “It is an imaginative idea to showcase the superior performance of the car from the perspectives of space, tranquility, time and safety. The arrangement of the test drive is very unique; the location chosen is very good.”-- --Car King Magazine
l The return on investment obtained from this activity is over RMB 4 million based on the value of advertising. During the three months of May, June and July, Audi’s share of domestic media coverage was 134% higher than that of Brunswick or BMW due to extensive reports on the a8 sedan.
3. Direct impact on sales Since the launch of Audi China's marketing activities in June, dealers across the country have sold 50 a8 cars, equivalent to 10% of Audi's one-year target. Audi dealers reported a steady increase in the number of customers who went to ask for sales information.
4. Customer evaluation Audi China's director, MacKaiwen, commented on the public relations event: "We are pleasantly surprised by the effect of the a8 sedan media public relations event on our sales business. This positive effect is not only reflected in the a8 sedan, but also Also in all of Audi's product lines."
Yu Dan, the public relations manager of Audi China, commented: “I am proud to see that all the journalists who participated in our Audi a8 public relations activities all believe that this is the most unique product they have participated in. It is especially suitable for Audi a8. In the international market, it is not a new model that has just been launched. Rhodes PR repackages and repositions it through clever planning. And in such a short period of time, it can complete such a first-class public relations activity, once again prove that Luo Germany is recognized as the most powerful and influential public relations company in the automotive industry. This is why Audi China has maintained long-term cooperation with Rhodes Public Relations."