On October 27, smart Elf #5 was officially launched during the smart times 2024 event. The new car’s guide price range is 239,900-368,000 yuan, and a limited-edition price will be launched in the early stage of the launch. Just after the smart times 2024 event, we conducted a media interview with Mr. Yang Jun, CTO of smart brand global company, and Mr. Yi Han, CEO of smart China Marketing Company. The following is the transcript of the interview:
Q: After watching the press conference, I have two questions. One is that the atmosphere at the press conference is particularly good. You can see that the artists are working very hard. It is very similar to a concert and the standards are very high. My question is, including previous pre-sales, the form of smart conferences is becoming more and more novel. How do we consider the design of these links? Map it to the brand and scene, and what kind of concept is conveyed to users?
The second question is that the pure electric MINI has been demoted to a large extent. In recent years, the prices of several smart products have been relatively stable. I personally feel that MINI and smart have to do with the brand tone and the The idea that a product wants to convey to consumers still has a close direction. Compared with smart, the price is relatively stable. What are the considerations for overall price control?
Yi Han: First question, smart has always hoped to establish an image among users and the market as a brand with light luxury style and full of inspiration. Therefore, our marketing activities are very close to users, and users have a strong sense of participation. , why it is called close friends, it is also to bring the relationship between users and brands closer.
Today’s smart times, first of all, is the annual smart party. Although the Super Bowl only lasts two hours in the evening, the event has already started in the afternoon. The car owners' market and the historical district hope that everyone can feel the inheritance of smart from history to brand culture, which is also the charm of a brand.
Smart is not just a car, it is also a community of users. We co-create with users and co-create with many brands in the hope of having more resonance with users in life touchpoints other than cars and cars. We are a brand that hopes to have more emotional empathy with users, so innovation should not only be in the press conference, but also in product experience. For a car as big and wild as the new Smart Phantom 5, this aspect is also considered. In this regard, I hope that everyone will actively participate in smart activities in the future so that they can feel what kind of brand smart is.
Second question, I think spring is when a hundred flowers bloom. In the compact market, giving users more choices is a more positive message. Judging from the current market performance, orders for the Phantom 1 and Phantom 3 are still rising and have not been affected by price adjustments by competitors. This can clearly tell everyone that the compact SUV market capacity will continue to grow. growing.
For the transition from gasoline vehicles to pure electric vehicles, it is very difficult toMany people say that MINI is still mini and smart is no longer the original smart. This is not necessarily a derogatory comment. Because a brand must continue to innovate and develop, it must not only inherit classics, but also advance with the times and embrace more new needs and new users. Today’s smart users have changed a lot from the era of gas trucks. The addition of the new smart Elf 5 will have great benefits in changing, expanding and upgrading the entire smart user structure. We have also seen from some early market feedback that many of the early customers of the new smart Phantom 5 are from the Phantom 1 and Phantom 3. Although they have not used the car for a long time, their response to the demand for the new Smart Phantom 5, such as additional purchases, is of course a good thing for the brand. We must not only make good use of our own product structure, but also continue to study the market. The emergence of more new user needs.
"Mr. Yi Han, CEO of smart China Marketing Company"
Q: I have a question for Mr. Yang. The hottest thing in the technology circle these days is Qualcomm’s press conference. It not only released mobile phone products, but also released a lot of new products for automobiles. This makes us think about a question. The iteration cycle of electronic products is very fast. We are currently using dual Orin. Once its self-made chip is released, will it affect the technical iteration cycle of smart? And how does Mr. Yang view the overall trend of the iteration cycle of smart driving products?
Yang Jun: I also watched Qualcomm’s press conference two days ago. There were indeed many new technologies and the release of new chips. It also brings many opportunities to our OEMs, which can use many more leading technologies. It also brings us many challenges.
The cycle of the chip is very fast, which brings a lot of workload to the entire development. When we were choosing a car chip, we chose AMD V2000. We also had these considerations at that time. Qualcomm's chips iterate very quickly. We chose AMD V2000 at that time, which was faster in terms of performance. Compared with the 8155 and 8295 that everyone chose, we chose AMD V2000 because we hoped that the life of the chip would be longer and we would not need to replace it every year. . Choosing AMD V2000 certainly does not mean that we will not pay attention to Qualcomm. There will be some new chip options when appropriate opportunities arise later. We invest a lot in selecting chips, and we hope to be more forward-looking. When choosing next-generation models, we choose chips with a longer lifespan, or consider chips that can go further in the first step.
Yi Han: In fact, Sheep always has a subtext, and there will continue to be more surprises in the development of subsequent products. Just like last year in smart times, one new car a year is our established rhythm, so everyone continues to pay attention.
sMr. Yang Jun, CTO of mart brand global company"
Q: I want to ask two questions. The first is about my feelings about the press conference. I was so excited after reading it that I really want to be a smart car owner. This year’s launch events have made the automotive industry more and more boring. Many of them are very lengthy technical topics. Lectures, repeat what was said when the product was released, and repeat it when it is launched, a live broadcast of one or two hours. The new Smart Phantom 5 is indeed different. In the context of current emphasis on cost control on launches, your launch activities obviously cost a lot of money. What are your considerations? Is it because Smart uses the money spent on marketing differently from other brands? In the future, there will be more and more globalized markets. What will be the style of this kind of marketing consideration?
The second question to Mr. Yang is that today's cars are getting bigger and bigger. Will there be smaller products in the following model spectrum, returning to small cars like smart? When you have a large family car, you also have a small car. When you have the new Smart Phantom 5, it is also good to have a small car for transportation. Should this model be made smaller?
Yi Han: Let me answer the first question. I think that Teacher Zhang likes this kind of atmosphere and style, which means that you are very young and will soon become a smart friend. Smart conducts such activities in the hope of having more empathy with users, and it depends on how much you spend.
We have cooperated with a total of 18 different innovative brands in this event, and many users both inside and outside the venue come from them. For example, brands such as Sennheiser, Canon, Trek, and Blueglass. If these consumer categories join our activities, we will jointly make smart times better. The second is the voice of users. We will also do some user understanding in the early stage, including the same consideration when choosing the Greater Bay Area. Many of the guests performing this time are also from the Greater Bay Area and have a lot of local user base.
More than 6,000 people and more than 200 vehicles participated in this smart times. Many users spontaneously traveled from all over the country, such as from as far away as Lanzhou, Qingdao, Dalian and other places, and spent two or three days driving pure electric smart cars. Go to Shenzhen and jointly create smart times. I think this sense of user participation and user enthusiasm is very meaningful. It is also full of positive energy for a brand and can bring a lot of confidence to the brand. We will continue to stick to this direction in the future. This is a smart way of activities and brand interaction.
Yang Jun: The brand proposition of smart is open your mind. From a research and development perspective, together with the market, we will do a lot of market research and develop different cars that meet user needs, both large and small.
Q: Let me ask two questions. First of all, the first question is about this event. I remember that last year’s theme was about the 25th anniversary. This year is called Funny Day. I would like to ask about this year’s theme setting. What is the meaning of ?
Second question, about the new Smart Phantom 5The product itself, from the introduction at the press conference, this car is still targeting the Model Y. In the second half of this year, many pure electric SUVs will be targeting the Model Y. I would like to ask Mr. Yang, from a technical perspective, the new Smart Phantom 5 should be the most impressive among the models that compete with the Model Y. What are the biggest technical advantages?
Yi Han: Let’s talk about the first question first. It’s very simple because we are renewing our brand proposition globally this year, which is called open your mind. We did not do a Chinese translation, but this event is in conjunction with the luxury Qilu Grand. The launch of the all-new smart Elf 5, a five-seat SUV, is a very core product performance of the new smart Elf 5. In conjunction with open your mind and the new smart Elf No. 5, this event is called Qiqu Dakai, which is not a direct translation of open your mind, but it is a very direct feedback from offline users this time and is also an important part of creating the event. original intention.
Yang Jun: I think the new Smart Phantom 5 still has many features when compared with the Model Y. In terms of the first mainstream technology, basically the leading mainstream technologies on the market are present in this car, such as We have all the mainstream technologies such as 800V, air suspension, and CCD.
Secondly, we have done a lot in terms of innovative technologies, such as the industry’s first 233-inch laser full-color projector, the industry’s first integrated safety protection system and front row zero-gravity seats, etc., and although it does not look like it, Big, but very innovative technology. The original car's full-scene portable HiFi speaker, we create scenes from inside the car to outside the car, from the city to the outdoors, hoping to allow consumers to expand the scope of their activities and create driving fun that can be ridden or wild. This is more personalized ized.
In terms of mainstream technology, we are basically full. In addition, we have innovative technologies that no one else has, or we have superior innovative technologies. We hope that the new Smart Phantom 5 can lead in technology. For example, the intelligent driving system is a "truly pictureless, end-to-end" technology. Everyone has the opportunity to test drive it. The experience of city navigation is very good.
Yi Han: Let me add something. Many medium-sized pure electric SUVs and new energy SUVs launched this year will be benchmarked against the Model Y. Just like we use a meter stick to measure height, I think the industry still needs some very clear ones to give users a more direct and intuitive comparison. .
Q: If all competing products are benchmarked against the Model Y, and a user wants to buy the new smart Elf 5, can you give him a core reason or what are the core advantages of the new smart Elf 5?
Second question, isn’t our car 800V? 800V charging piles have been released before. What are the plans for 800V charging piles or charging stations in the future?
Yi Han: These two questions are all discussionsRegarding industry operations, it is still difficult for users to come into contact with a new product and understand it in one sentence. I have received feedback from users of the new Smart Phantom 5 in the early stage. They feel that this is a smart with the highest "Ben" content, provided that it is a smart. I believe that users who choose a lot of safety or follow the crowd will choose a product that follows the crowd, and that’s right. But there are still quite a few customers with very distinct personalities, very unique ideas, and very clear perceptions of their own. So we see that those who were interested in the new Smart Elf 5 in the early stage, Xiaoding’s smart friends, have the biggest perception that this It is not only a smart, but also the largest, wildest and most dynamic smart in history.
In terms of charging operations, judging from the current popularity of 800V, the scale of smart car owners, and the scope of our market coverage, charging piles are not our most urgent or urgent next step strategy. Because the current popularity of charging infrastructure throughout society needs to be further improved. What I’m talking about is third parties. Various brands are not developing so rapidly in the popularization of 5C, 4C, and 800V facilities. This is still related to the overall coverage of new energy and the intensity of the market. For smart, we will continue to Pay attention to the construction of the entire infrastructure, and at the same time popularize better charging technology in the next products. If there is demand, there will be countermeasures. It is not just to build the piles first and then sell 800V products. This is a strategy of successive advancement.
Q: Two questions. The first question is that the smart Elf is targeting the luxury mid-size SUV market. This market is still quite large, especially in the 200,000 level. I would like to ask, what are your sales expectations?
Second question, smart cars used to be small cars, but now they are getting bigger and bigger. As you just said, the new smart Phantom 5 is a product with a smart soul and a relatively high "running" content. This product is very important to smart cars. What does it mean for transformation?
Yi Han: First question. Seeing Mr. Tong’s surprise release today, from the price system, you should be able to interpret our emphasis on the Chinese market. There was a market guide price in front of it, but Mr. Tong turned around and made a cross, and launched a limited edition surprise price. . I would like to explain this. Smart is a global joint venture. The new Smart Phantom 5 was launched in Australia, and will be gradually promoted to global overseas markets. Therefore, the price balance of the global market must be considered when pricing. This is also Why is there such a design in the price?
The involution of the luxury medium-sized pure electric SUV market has indeed caused a lot of interference or temptation for current users, so we will launch a surprise price tonight. The first step will be to limit the market to 8,000 units. I believe this order will be sold out soon. There will be continued marketing preparations to respond to the market. It doesn’t mean what our goal will be. I have been doing marketing for 25 years and alwaysI finally believe in a point of view, the sales target is a result rather than a goal. When you set a goal, you strive for this goal and prepare for it, but these paths are reversed. Full preparations should be made based on the market and users, and sales must be the best result of all the hard work.
For smart brands, whether it is China, Europe or more overseas markets in the future, the market segment where the new smart Elf 5 is located has great potential and its capacity continues to grow, so it is of great significance to us It is a necessary breakthrough. Style, styling, and technology are, at least for now, the most important breakthroughs for smart. How can this car be recognized by the market faster? I believe the data tonight is pretty good. After the price was announced, agents, partners, investors, and brand general managers in more than 80 cities across the country sitting in the row behind me, Their cheers and applause gave me a good inspiration.
Q: Is the original intention of the new Smart Phantom 5 to become a larger five-seater for overseas markets or the Chinese market? Because there are actually not many competing products in the overseas market, and the Chinese market has more large five-seaters. How does Smart find its own advantages?
Second question, how does Smart think about the current pure electric market in China? Why do you want to make a lidar and make a bracket? Rather than using lower costs and having a price advantage?
Yang Jun: First of all, the new smart Phantom 5 is positioned as a pure electric luxury five-seater Qilu SUV. From the very beginning, when we defined the product, we hoped that the positioning would be better and higher, because smart has its own brand tone. We don’t want to make a very cost-effective and low-priced entry-level car. We hope to bring technology to everyone.
The competition in the market has become fierce now. If you can’t come up with very good technology, it will be difficult to find your place in this market. So we have been full of technology from the beginning, and the Mercedes-Benz style , materials, overall selection of materials, etc., we want to make it the best in every aspect. Become an instant hit at this level and occupy your rightful place.
Yi Han: I think the first question is very obvious. Smart must be a global product, not a product for a specific market or group of people. It made its global debut in Australia in August this year. At that time, there were more than 200 media outlets from Australia, Europe, Asia, and Southeast Asia, as well as some overseas agents. After seeing the car, they quickly asked when the car would arrive in their country and market. This demand is not something we sit in the office in China and make up out of thin air or infer the demand in overseas markets.
The smart global joint venture has a very good operational logic. Our product definition, development team, and marketing brand management will all be "China-Europe dual-core, global layout." Therefore, smart's next products will have more global considerations. I also believe that the new smartT-Elf No. 5 will perform very well in China and even in the following European and overseas markets.
Q: I have two questions for Mr. Yi. What do you think of the current consumption downgrade environment? Many companies and industries have been saying that we no longer do branding, but do sales. But in fact, whether it is the previous brand co-branding or tonight's smart times, we see that smart has been doing branding and brand refining. Nowadays, many brands just come up and do it directly. The key is that this kind of cognition has filled the minds of many young consumers. So I want to ask, how can smart brands cultivate Chinese consumers' consumption cognition and brand awareness?
Yi Han: Many people will find that when you change a car, what you choose is definitely not just a transportation solution. There must be many choices that tend to be based on personality, style, and brand story. They It will affect your next consideration of changing your car.
Looking at the current smart users, it is true that many of them are additional purchases and exchanges. A typical example is that my husband drives a Mercedes-Benz and buys a smart for his wife. I believe that the next products will also be for such users. develop. So Smart will hold these activities today, including insisting on itself in product style design, or because our users are not those who pursue consumption downgrades. I believe that consumption downgrade is not a manifestation of the entire market. It is a trend and direction, but it is not a concentration of the overall market.
Current smart users have given us a lot of hopes for new products in the future. It can be seen that their style, personality, diversification, and multi-scenario needs are very prominent. They have not come up to directly say that they hope you can give us I want to make a reduced-spec version or an "affordable housing" model, or something similar to the beggar's model model made by a friend. That is not a smart model. Of course, I am not saying that smart is suitable for all ages and that everyone loves it. People still make different choices. There were more than 6,000 people tonight. Everyone’s love for smart definitely does not mean that if you make a cheap car, everyone will If you like it, you must have more interactions with close friends to continue building it.
Q: Smart Times is called the Global Fan Carnival. There are some foreign fans and some Chinese fans, but we know that, for example, in China, it emphasizes youth, digitalization, and technology. I want to know, for the different needs of the global market , how does smart maintain the unity of its brand tone and product quality? Is there a unified set of solutions or are there different solutions?
Yi Han: This issue needs to be viewed dialectically, and it is not a blanket yes or no, or to be or not to be. There are more than 70 Hong Kong car owners at the scene today, as well as agents and partners from Europe and Asia. Considering the cultural and language differences on site, we did not invite more car owners from Europe or overseas, or car owners from non-Chinese-speaking areas, but this does not represent today's SMARTt time is targeted at the Greater Bay Area. Because as Mandy said before, from the first smart times in 2001 to this year, we have visited many countries one after another. The next footprint will not only rotate in China's economically developed areas, but will also go overseas. I think one thing is very clear. Whether they are smart users in Europe, Asia or China, the centripetal force towards the open your mind brand proposition is the same.
For future new cars, there will still be differences in the future market, but for our love for this brand, we hope to give users the same feeling. In addition to the Chinese market, we have now expanded our business to 31 countries and regions. Just last week, we lit up the Kuwait and UAE markets. I think this point of diversity and cultural differences has been reflected in smart’s past history of oil trucks. It's a very complete experience. For electric smart, we will explore more overseas markets at a faster speed. Historically, smart petrol trucks have been sold to a maximum of 46 countries around the world. I think our sales to 32 countries will soon be refreshed. When this number continues to be refreshed, the smart brand will become more attractive and more distinctive. Moments of charm.
Q: I mentioned style just now. When I participated in the event today, the flavor of style was also very strong. Under different technical conditions in different eras, style and personality have different meanings. In terms of marketing, Mr. Yi, what do you think of the style that Smart currently wants to convey? What kind of product design do you think will define style and personality in the new Smart Elf 5 or the smart brand?
There is another question. In the past year, in the process of new energy development, hybrid development has been very rapid. Two days ago, CATL also released a battery specially made for hybrid vehicles. I've always been curious about what Smart thinks about hybrids?
Yang Jun: As I just said, everything is possible. We don’t necessarily define ourselves in any direction. To put it very simply, whether it is hybrid or pure electric, everything is possible.
Yi Han: The first question is particularly challenging. Although it seems very simple, how to define style. This problem is most obvious in our product design. When the R&D team led by Mr. Yang and Daimler’s styling team discuss or even argue about future products, one point will be reflected in the styling. Mercedes-Benz designers have always We adhere to three key words for smart’s styling: purity, love and exceeding expectations. I joined smart relatively early, and it was not easy to understand at that time, but when I saw their styling directions, and even many of the directions, I was really impressed. exceeded my expectations. I think Mercedes-Benz designers have done a very good job in exceeding expectations and even have many wild ideas. This is why Mercedes-Benz was able to create for two in 1998. This is an imagination that the entire industry does not have. Maybe today you will ask why we made a new smart elfA car as big as No. 5? Smart does not define itself as only making small cars. We are not mini. I believe that many of you know the origin of smart. The persistence of art, love and purity will all converge to exceed expectations.
As for what style users like. We have no statistics on our close friends, but I think there is a very interesting data. I wonder if you have taken the 24-type personality test? I believe that many of our users are E people, and they participated in the co-creation of today’s event. This is a style and we are proud of as a brand. A brand can allow users to have so much responsibility and participation. It cannot be attracted by simply giving points or policies. They really recognize the style of the smart brand.
Q: Just now you can see people from different countries and regions on smart times. They have different professions and hobbies. They are all potential customers for smart consumption. Compared to global brands like Tesla or Volkswagen, what is the specific audience for our smart products? Are there any marketing preparations or actions for our customer portraits?
Yi Han: What is the crowd? This question is very broad and difficult to focus on. But whether it is Europe or China, including the dozen Asia-Pacific countries we have recently opened, and even Africa, I think users who like smart still have many things in common, which is the recognition of brand style and the pursuit of light luxury.
At the same time, they have a very positive attitude towards the transformation of vehicles from gasoline vehicles to new energy vehicles. The Middle East is not a region lacking in oil. Its oil is very cheap, but why are the wealthy people in the Middle East so interested in smart electric vehicles? When I was communicating with overseas colleagues two days ago, I asked them why Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, which are extremely wealthy countries, are so optimistic about pure electric vehicles. They think it is because after smart transformed into pure electric vehicles, it inherited many genes of past gasoline vehicles, and its brand appeal to the local market and users makes them still identify with pure electric vehicles or smart, thinking it is a pure brand, so their needs Still very strong. Relying on brand appeal is a very important prerequisite for smart to build users in many markets. As for what measures will be taken later, this topic is even bigger. I will just say it in official terms, continue to pay attention, look forward to, and participate in our smart next step. activities.
Your CEO, Mr. He Lei, I have communicated with him many times, and I said you don’t have to expect too much, and don’t look at smart as a man of science and engineering. Although I am also a man of science and engineering, and I also study technology, but I have high expectations for CEO He. Many opinions need to be iterated and changed when applied to smart, because smart is indeed not a brand that relies on technology or products to impress users first, but the brand must be the most direct attraction to users.
Q: Let me ask a bit of a tongue-in-cheek question. Now there are manyBrands are all making refrigerators, color TVs, and large sofas. We saw that this car actually comes with a color TV, and it is fully supplied. It has full emotional value. Girls love it very much, and boys think the emotional value is also quite high. We will follow up on other products. In terms of product development, will you consider more refrigerators and large sofas? It would be better if you could answer directly.
Yang Jun: I really want to do something innovative, something that I have that no one else has, and that I have the advantage of having. There are already many simple innovations such as refrigerators, color TVs, and large sofas on the market. Maybe I will choose some different directions. So we chose a laser full-color projector, which is probably not available in the industry. As our stylist Kai Sieber said before, smart does not want to be a follower, but hopes to be a leader in innovation, so some new technologies and new innovation points are constantly being explored. In subsequent models, we hope to have More things to make everyone’s eyes brighten.
Q: Are refrigerators and large sofas still available?
Yang Jun: There are already a lot of refrigerators and large sofas. This time, the new Smart Elf 5 sofa is still very good. We have just received the Comfort Star from China Automotive Research Institute. What is the evaluation of our seat? Very good. According to what you said, it is a very comfortable big sofa.
Q: Nowadays, many car company sofas have many ways to play, not only for comfort, such as various rotations of the seats, 360 degrees, putting the big bed forward and back, and various lying methods. Will we have more fun? Spend a little?
Yang Jun: We have them too, including a single nap in the rear seat, a double bed, and a lay-flat mode for multiple people. But you said 180-degree rotation, the technology is mature, and the follow-up decision will be based on market needs.
Yi Han: It’s one thing whether Mr. Yang can do it, but it’s another thing whether I want it or not.
Yang Jun: We should find the real needs of users. If they are real needs, we will consider them.
Yi Han: The Italians put the meat filling outside the pie and made pizza. If the pies the Italians learned from China returned to Europe, they would still make pies and no one would be able to eat them. Pizza, the principle is the same, so sometimes innovation may not come from the original idea, but may also come from a beautiful mistake.
Yi Han: Thank you very much indeed. It’s very late. Our event ended at 9:30, and everyone was very excited. We ran from a busy place to a quiet discussion room. We really needed to relax our nerves or get used to it. But the excitement is self-evident in the performance of Mr. Yang, me and our team. The reaction of the agents behind me and the messages sent to us by colleagues who stayed behind at the headquarters, many of them encouraged us to continue to innovate. , on the way to constantly doing difficult but right things, we must have more persistence.
Although the new smart Elf No. 5 is not a product that looks very popular, it is a smart product.The existence of sex is also an important prerequisite for smart users to like our products. We will not make products that follow the crowd, we will not simply imitate, and we will not use simple follower technology. For smart, innovation started 26 years ago. The new smart Elf 5 and even more products in the future will have more surprising performances. I also hope that all new and old friends here will continue to pay attention to smart and Mr. Yang’s leadership. R&D team.
Everyone has a lot to say about today’s event, but please don’t think of us as just a Ding Ding Guangguang brand. From the historical district that we entered today to the co-creation district, user market and the Super Bowl of inspiration in the infield, all arrangements are to allow everyone to have a more complete and comprehensive understanding of the smart brand culture and our users. You can feel more clearly that our original intention on how to build a personalized new energy brand is our open your mind, so thank you again for your hard work.