The Q50 is scheduled to be launched in China next year. [Photo Provided to China Daily] 

Brand recognition

A latecomer in the Chinese market, Infiniti has been trying to improve its brand recognition among local consumers by differentiating itself as an emotional brand from the leading German competitors.

"We believe that brand comes before sales," Daniel Kirchert, managing director of Infiniti China said in a recent media event.

"If Infiniti wants to make a breakthrough into the mainstream premium car club in China, we need to catch up with the major German competitors in terms of brand influence."

He noted the most important work for the company now is to invest continuously in brand building and the efforts will eventually pay off in good sales results.

"We want more customers to like the brand and feel that this is the brand that could represent their own personality," he said.

A recent successful effort of Infiniti's emotion-driven marketing strategy is its sponsorship of a popular Chinese TV reality show Where Are You Going, Dad?, a program that documented the adventures of celebrity fathers and their children in some rural places in China and won high ratings among young, urban audiences.

It has also been widely discussed on the Internet, especially on Weibo, China's answer to Twitter.

After the show was aired, Infiniti drew growing attention among consumers and attracted more visits to the showroom, according to the company.

And more importantly, cooperation with such a show that advocates family love and bond underscores Infiniti's image as an emotional brand that resonates with the target consumers, company executives said.

Infiniti held a series of marketing events in September this year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional celebration for family reunion in China. The campaign toured major cities across China and effectively introduced Infiniti's brand character as one that celebrates family values under the tag of "give yourself and your beloved more time and space".

Infiniti defines its target customers as Young Minded Premium Consumers which can be summed up as 4Cs, namely character, cutting-edge, consonance and connection, referring to their individualistic styles, interest in innovative technology and thinking, pursuit of understanding and shared value, and Internet lifestyle.

Kirchert said that such customers are neither defined by their actual ages nor necessarily limited to a certain region. The focus will be on the bigger cities initially, he said, but the target market is also growing in medium and small cities, he added.

The company plans to increase its dealerships to 80 by the end of 2014 and to cover places where Infiniti has no presence now, especially in the third- and fourth-tier cities, to satisfy the needs of the growing YMPCs that, according to Infiniti represent the largest market potential.

 

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