Por Ernie Tadla

O lançamento de Bora era o lançamento novo o mais bem sucedido do carro na história automotriz de China. FAW/VW não podia fazê-los rapidamente bastante.

Os alemães, excesso ferindo imóvel que não começa sua agência anunciando, smarting realmente porque DMG não era seguinte sua política global para anunciar e estilo e formato do marketing. Ainda, as vendas eram phenomenal. VW empregou uma empresa de Hong Kong da pesquisa de mercado da mundo-classe para investigar a razão para os resultados surpreendentes do lançamento.

A conclusão: embora DMG não seguisse a política global de VW, o lugar de mercado respondeu porque os chineses reagem a alguém que lhes introduzi no mercado a maneira chinesa.

APROVAÇÃO, agora para grande. Numa altura em que as vendas globais do carro no descanso do mundo estavam indo abaixo os tubos, VW decidiu-se introduzir o Golf, o No. 1 carro vendendo no mundo, a China, no mercado crescente o mais rápido do carro do mundo. O mercado em China experimentava 40%-50% aumentos do anuário.

Estes vez, VW e FAW pediram DMG para fazer o lançamento do Golf sem oferecer do competidor.

DMG poderia ver que VW Germany quis consolidar seus anunciar e marketing em China com uma única agência supervisionando, que usasse também para os 2008 Olympics. VW, que era Olympics patrocinador, era tempo grande indo em China e em DMG querido dentro no desengate.

Era crucial que o lançamento do Golf fosse tão proeminente como o Bora tinha sido. Foi visto como uma pis-pedra na planta grande de Dan para seu império das comunicações de marketing internacional. 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