Overcoming shyness, car company CEOs are the biggest livestreamers selling cars in the Chinese auto market.

Fierce competition in China's auto market is prompting veteran executives from established automakers to join the livestreaming "war" to boost sales.

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun hit 39 million views in May with a 3.5-hour live video of him driving between Shanghai and Hangzhou. (Source: AFP)

In addition to increasing appeal to younger consumers, livestreaming gives companies the opportunity to interact more directly with potential customers and showcase vehicle technology and performance without having to go through costly traditional advertising or media.

The approach has similarities to Tesla Inc.’s direct sales strategy, which pioneered a closer relationship between owners, the brand and CEO Elon Musk through apps, social media and other online channels.

Live streams will be more personalized, often featuring auto executives on long road trips. The videos will allow potential customers to see for themselves how their vehicles perform in real time, with driving range and driver assistance features top of mind for viewers.

Xiaomi Corp. founder Lei Jun has nearly 24 million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The launch of Xiaomi’s SU7 electric car in March 2024 attracted tens of millions of online viewers. The company has since shipped about 20,000 units.

In May 2024, Mr. Lei conducted a three-and-a-half-hour livestream in which he used the autonomous driving features of his SUV 7 on a trip between Shanghai and Hangzhou. The show attracted 39 million views.

Nio Inc. founder William Li has become a regular livestreamer since his first live broadcast from his personal Weibo account in early March 2024. His cross-country trips in Nio cars have helped attract 600,000 followers.

Since then, founders of China’s legacy automakers, including the usually social media-shy Li Shufu of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. and Wei Jianjun of Great Wall Motor, have joined the streaming fray. Mr. Wei’s first livestream showcased Great Wall Motor’s advanced driver-assistance features.

Now, some executives from state-owned automakers are even getting in on the action. Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. registered its first Weibo account in May 2024, including Chairman Feng Xingya and Gu Huinan, head of its electric vehicle brand Aion.

For some, the transition from the boardroom to appearing live on camera hasn’t been easy. Chery Automobile Co. Chairman Yin Tongyue has also taken to livestreaming in recent months, stressing that veterans like himself must learn from more tech-savvy peers in the industry. “Even a 60-year-old man like me has to do this,” he said.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/vuot-len-su-ngai-ngung-giam-doc-dieu-hanh-cac-hang-xe-la-nhung-nguoi-livestream-ban-hang-khung-nhat-thi-truong-o-to-trung-quoc-276153.html