Ein hervorragender erfolgreicher Hauptleiter in Nordamerika, nicht in China
Durch Ernie Tadla
Die Bora Produkteinführung war die erfolgreichste neue Autoprodukteinführung Chinas in der Automobilgeschichte. FAW/VW konnte nicht sie bilden schnell genug.
Die Deutschen, der ruhige verletzende überschuß, der nicht ihr Werbebüro erhält, smarting wirklich, weil DMG nicht ihre globale Politik für das Annoncieren und Marketing-Art und -format folgend war. Jedoch waren Verkäufe phänomenal. VW stellte ein Weltkategorie Marktforschung Hong Kong Unternehmen an, um den Grund für die erstaunlichen Produkteinführung Resultate nachzuforschen.
Die Zusammenfassung: obgleich DMG nicht der globalen VW Politik folgte, reagierte der Marktplatz, weil die Chinesen zu jemand reagieren, das zu ihnen die chinesische Weise vermarktet.
O.K., jetzt für das grosse. Zu einer Zeit als globale Autoverkäufe im Rest der Welt die Schläuche hinuntergingen, entschied VW, das Golf, das Nr. vorzustellen. 1 verkaufendes Auto in der Welt, nach China, im schnellsten wachsenden Automarkt der Welt. Der Markt in China erfuhr 40%-50% Jahrbuchzunahmen.
Dieses Mal, VW und FAW baten um um DMG, um die Golfprodukteinführung ohne irgendwie Tenderverfahren zu tun.
DMG könnte sehen, daß VW Deutschland sein Annoncieren und Marketing in China mit einer einzelnen überwachenden Agentur vereinigen wollte, die es auch für die 2008 Olympics benutzen würde. VW, das Olympics Förderer war, war die gehende grosse Zeit in China und in DMG gewünscht innen auf der Reise.
Es war entscheidend, daß die Golfprodukteinführung so hervorragend ist, wie das Bora gewesen war. Es wurde als Tretenstein Dans im großartigen Plan für sein Reich Kommunikationen des internationalen Marketings angesehen. In order to do that, he had to:
• maintain the guanxi of the FAW/DMG relationship
• make the Golf the best selling car in China as it was in the rest of the world
• get on the on-ramp for the selection of the single VW supervising agency, which would include DMG overseeing all the other 4A agencies serving FAW/GM business and the other VW cars being marketed in China
• get on the on-ramp for the selection for the contract for the events and PR management for the VW Olympic campaign
Dan needed an automotive executive with international and new model launch experience.
With an international headhunter search team, Dan found his man. He had a solid track record of automotive advertising agency leadership, of successful product launches and was CEO of a leading global 4A agency in North America.
The new man rolled up his sleeves and began producing papers, studies, strategies, marketing plans, etc. He worked hard, diligently, earnestly, and sincerely. He was personable and friendly.
He had also come over with the same set of perceptions and attitudes I had. I spent countless hours working, eating and relaxing with him, encouraging and coaching him to open his mind and accept the Chinese way.
In spite of my efforts, he didn’t change and continued thinking, acting and trying to sell cars like he had done in North America.
The Golf launch flopped.
After five months, he returned to North America.
Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.
There are several reasons for the Golf flop. In the time between the Bora and Golf launch, the market had drastically changed.
• Several years of annual doubling of car sales had changed the automotive landscape
• Expansion and additional entry of more global players
• Existing manufacturers greatly expanded product variety and selection
• All the more it was necessary that the lead man be thinking and implementing the Chinese way, not the Western way.
DMG continued on, winning the creative account for VW’s first Chinese brand campaign over O&M, DDB, BBDO, Grey Global and Saatchi & Saatchi. In addition, VW gave DMG a four-year marketing contract for the 2008 Olympics.
So you ask, why, after the Golf flop, did DMG win those two large, prestigious contracts?
Guanxi and face.
If this had happened in North America, the ad agency would have been fired. But the Chinese way is to take the long view. It is normal and accepted that a business relationship goes through phases, but the Chinese focus on the long-term, on strengths, trust and respect.
They had known and worked with DMG for over ten years. They respected and trusted each other.
Ernie Tadla www.odysseychina.net
Next Week: Two Case Histories
• Microsoft in China
• Wal-Mart in China
February 27th, 2008 at 6:31 am
Doing business in China is not just about “face” or “guanxi”! If you really want to earn the trust from Chinese, you need to live in China and learn Chinese culture and language first. As a business executive in China for 10 years and consultant in the U.S. for another 10 years, I know why many westerns would never know or understand their Chinese counterparts. As a result, they feel much more frustration with Chinese and take so much time to get done job.