9.17.2010

Doubt on China's forced auto ventures

Marketplace Public Radio, September 17, 2010


Drivers and passengers step out of their vehicle while stuck in traffic along the Airport Expressway in Beijing. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)






A story in the Wall Street Journal reports that China's government is considering plans to force foreign automakers to share cutting-edge electric vehicle technology if they want to continue manufacturing in China. Rob Schmitz reports auto industry experts say they don't believe it.

TEXT OF STORY

BILL RADKE: The Wall Street Journal today reports China could start playing hardball with foreign automakers. The paper says the government is thinking about plans to force those carmakers to share cutting-edge electric vehicle technology if they want to continue manufacturing in China. But some auto industry experts say they don't believe it.

Marketplace's China bureau chief Rob Schmitz reports.



ROB SCHMITZ: The report quotes unnamed auto executives. They say China's government wants to force foreign automakers into joint ventures with Chinese companies if those foreign companies want to make electric vehicles in China. Industry insiders willing to talk on the record, though, don't buy it.

BILL RUSSO: It would be foolhardy to implement a policy that has restrictions on foreign investment.

Bill Russo helped run Chrysler's operations in China and now heads Synergistics, Ltd., a consulting firm in Beijing. He says even though China has the world's top commercial market for electric vehicles, it's way behind the West in terms of technology. He says China knows this kind of policy would cause foreign automakers to pack up and manufacture their most innovative technology elsewhere.

RUSSO: The reality is this is a global industry, this is a technological frontier that requires collaboration between domestic and foreign companies.

Russo -- and other industry analysts -- say circulating a draft proposal is a typical way China's government gauges industry opinion. He says it oftentimes has little to do with what's enacted.

In Shanghai, I'm Rob Schmitz for Marketplace.




罗威:中国车商应更注重挖掘品牌内在价值

Chengdu, September 16, 2010

Click here to view the original article published at auto.qq.com

[导读]首届全球汽车论坛于2010年9月16-17日在成都召开,腾讯汽车作为官方三大合作伙伴,在论坛现场进行全程跟踪式报道,并为您带来重磅嘉宾访谈。腾讯汽车独家专访了博斯公司高级专家罗威。

罗威:中国车商应更注重挖掘品牌内在价值

专访博斯公司高级专家 罗威

[腾讯汽车9月16日 成都报道] 首届全球汽车论坛于2010年9月16-17日在中国成都召开,腾讯汽车作为官方三大合作伙伴,在论坛现场进行全程跟踪式报道,并为您带来重磅嘉宾访谈。在16日论坛现场,腾讯汽车独家专访了博斯公司高级专家罗威。以下是采访实录。

腾讯汽车:您认为中国在入世后,对汽车产业有什么好处吗?

罗威:当然是有好处的。入世以来,中国的汽车产业提供了大量的就业岗位。

腾讯汽车:在中国众多的汽车产商中,多数厂商品牌发展的很快。您觉得呢?

罗威:汽车品牌的形象的是日积月累的,正如一位业内人士所说。随着发展时间的延续,它们的品牌认知与国际厂家比起来,差距逐渐变小。但同样也会面临诸如产品同质化等方面的挑战。因此各厂商应致力于建立自己的研发体系,研发适合不同市场的技术。但随着其发展时间的延续,他们会越来越有经验,因为汽车行业本来就是一个需要多年积累的领域。如何迎接挑战、做好相关工作,对于新兴技术领域,更是如此。所以可能还要再过20年,经历一两个发展周期,可能中国的汽车厂商会做得更好。

腾讯汽车:您刚才提到,品牌的建立依赖于对产品质量和技术的重视。中国的厂商只用了数十年就走过了你们用百年走过的发展道路,对于类似于狂飙式的发展速度,对您的中国同行,您有什么建议或忠告呢?

罗威:就像之前说到的一样,我认为中国公司应重点发展那些和其品牌相关的领域,而不应贪大求全,要做产品的创新者和技术的引领者,要专注于自己的领域,积累经验。并且还应该将品牌含义清晰地传达给消费者,和别的品牌区分开来。

罗威:中国车商应更注重挖掘品牌内在价值

专访博斯公司高级专家 罗威

腾讯汽车:我们知道中国的汽车产商,像吉利和奇瑞,在品牌建设上花了很多功夫,像它们就将其产品划分成四个独立的品牌,这被视作是一种品牌保护战略。而与此不同的是。美国的厂商却都纷纷出售其品牌,对此你有何看法?

罗威:要创建一个品牌不是那么容易的。中国厂商其实应研究下如何才能挖掘品牌内在意义和维护其形象。如果上面的这些做法都是专注于一个品牌的话,这就很好。但如果要同时维护四五个品牌的话,那就太难了。所以我觉得要创建一个品牌的话会很容易,但要持续不断的进行品牌的定位并将其传达给消费者,就太难了,尤其是对那些没有经验的公司。

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