Mercedes-Benz: Redefine luxury and provide users with better experience

During the current Shanghai Auto Show, IIA interviewed Zhang Yan, SEVP of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales & Service Co., Ltd. Regarding the future development direction of Mercedes-Benz in terms of electrification and intelligence, Zhang Yan said: “At this stage, Mercedes-Benz has clearly defined our own core competitiveness, which is to redefine luxury, and through our sub-brands to better form a matrix, re-explain our luxury. I just said that through the embodiment of "new luxuryism" products and the service experience of "heart luxuryism", our customers can enjoy luxury products while also enjoying luxurious services for their travel. "

IIA: Today is the first day of the Shanghai Auto Show Media Day. Many new cars and new technologies will be released. Could you please briefly introduce the sales of Mercedes-Benz in the first quarter? What do you think is the core advantage of achieving this result?

Zhang Yan: Thank you all for your support. It should be said that Mercedes-Benz has achieved very good results in the first quarter of 2021. A total of 222,500 vehicles have been delivered to customers, especially in January, which was a good start. 100,000 vehicles, thanks to our customers for their long-term support.

As a luxury brand that has been cultivating in the Chinese market for many years, for Mercedes-Benz, on the one hand, it is because we have seen economic recovery, on the other hand, it is consumption upgrade. The first is to strengthen our deep cooperation with our local market partners, while adapting to the development trend of the entire automotive industry. Mercedes-Benz released a new brand strategy in October last year, focusing on strengthening the business development of sub-brands including Mercedes-EQ. This year, this year's auto show introduced three updated EQ models to our customers, including the new EQA pure electric SUV, the new EQB pure electric SUV and the new EQS pure electric sedan.

At the same time, as a luxury brand, we will continue to increase the development of the sub-brand matrix to ensure that customers have a more luxurious experience. In addition to the luxury product experience, use this as a platform to promote the entire dealer system to allow customers to enjoy the products and better enjoy the luxury services. We will also increase the construction of various online and offline contacts to ensure a better and smoother connection between customers and brands and distributors.

IIA: What do you think the Shanghai Auto Show in 2021 will mean for Mercedes-Benz?

Zhang Yan: It should be said that the Shanghai Auto Show is a display platform for the automotive industry in the Chinese market. From the models we promote this time and the strategy for the next step, it should be seen that the Chinese market has already accounted for more and more in the entire system. The more important the role, we can also see that the position of the Chinese auto market in the world is getting stronger and stronger. Regardless of the scale of our market, the development of the market, or the introduction of new technologies, including the trend of electric vehicles, there is also a gradual change in our service concept. The development of China has brought more to every enterprise developing in China. There are many opportunities, so we pay more attention to the future development of the Chinese market.

IIA: As you just said, the Mercedes-EQ night held on the eve of the Shanghai Auto Show was refreshing for everyone, and you can see the development of Mercedes-Benz in terms of electrification. Today, the new EQS pure electric sedan also came to the booth of the Shanghai Auto Show. Should the counter-response of the booth be very popular now?

Zhang Yan: It's very enthusiastic. In fact, it's difficult for us to squeeze in.

IIA: EQS is the flagship product in the Mercedes-EQ sub-brand. What are its highlights and significance?

Zhang Yan: As for Mercedes-Benz, we use the new EQS to truly define what a large luxury pure electric vehicle should look like. So, we look at several levels, whether it is design luxury, electric luxury, and technological luxury. And digital luxury has an important manifestation in this car.

Everyone’s perception is very straightforward. It is a bow-shaped shape. It should be said that it is more fluid. The new shape combines the aesthetics of the design with the aesthetics and aesthetics of aeronautics in a very comprehensive way, so that it can be easily distinguished from the traditional models. What is more important is that the drag coefficient of this car is 0.2. This drag coefficient improves the economy of its use, that is, the distance per kilowatt-hour can be increased. At the same time, it pays more attention to the space in the car, whether it is for the driver or the rider to enjoy such a beautiful journey.

At the same time, we also see that the new EQS is the first model equipped with a super-connected screen of more than 141 cm. The three screens integrate the entire operating functions through seamless glass, which is very user-friendly and can be better taken care of. Good drivers and passengers' safe driving, and their entertainment in the car.

Because it is a large car that is completely positively developed, it is also Mercedes-Benz's first model based on a pure electric car platform. I believe that its coming to the market is not only for the Mercedes-Benz brand to meet more customer needs in the future, but also Bringing a new standard in the entire electric car market is what kind of standard electric luxury cars are.

IIA: Yesterday at the EQ night, everyone saw the changes in Mercedes-Benz, which also fits with our theme this time, which is "Embracing Change." For Mercedes-Benz, what path do you think the century-old enterprise will choose in the future in terms of electrification and intelligence?

Zhang Yan: You just mentioned a century-old enterprise. I think the biggest advantage of this brand is the continuous change in the 135-year history. Through continuous understanding and understanding of our customers, by constantly providing our customers with the desired products and Service, this is that its 135-year history has both inheritance and driving force for change.

At this stage, Mercedes-Benz has clarified our own core competitiveness, which is to redefine luxury and reinterpret our luxury through a better matrix of our sub-brands. As I just said, let our customers enjoy luxurious products while also enjoying luxurious services, so as to provide a better environment for their travel life.

IIA: We have luxurious products, luxurious services and luxurious experiences. Mercedes-Benz has been making a series of efforts and upgrades in luxury products or luxury services. In fact, there is another point that Mercedes-Benz has insisted on charity activities. As far as we know, Mercedes-Benz’s Wish Star Fund has been established for 11 years. In these 11 years, we have reached a new starting point. What are your plans for the future?

Zhang Yan: It should be said that the establishment of the "Wish Star Fund" is a manifestation of Mercedes-Benz and the Chinese society at the same frequency. It is a form and a very important platform for Mercedes-Benz to practice corporate social responsibility. This year is the 11th year of the establishment of the "Wish Star Fund". This platform not only plays the role of enterprises in supply, but also encourages more partners to work with us in public welfare undertakings. In the future, we will continue to work in environmental protection and cultural power. Intensify public welfare efforts at the level of a powerful education country.

In terms of environmental protection, this year, we have adopted two panda babies, "Xingyi" and "Xingqiu". We also saw them on the night of Mercedes-EQ yesterday. Their homophonic nickname is "E" and "Q", which are exactly in line with the theme of our EQ this year. We hope to express Mercedes-Benz's solid commitment to environmental protection through this naming and take practical actions to help the sustainable development of Chinese society.

In the "14th Five-Year Plan", the country mentioned the goal of reaching the peak of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Mercedes-Benz has also put forward the "Vision 2039" before, and is committed to the electrification and full realization of the entire product lineup. Business carbon neutrality. As a responsible company, while we are doing well in the products and services that should be done in the automotive field, we also continue to deepen our original intention of pursuing sustainable development through environmental protection-related public welfare practices.

Everyone must be familiar with projects related to cultural powers. The Wish Star Foundation has reached a public welfare strategic partnership with the Palace Museum and Dunhuang Research Institute. Hand in hand with these two essences of Chinese culture, we are committed to promoting the protection and exchange of Chinese traditional culture. We will continue to do these projects this year.

We are also continuously investing in education, including long-term support for Hope Primary Schools and schools for migrant children, the development of vocational education aid programs and the "Safe Children" project. This year, we will further upgrade the project, so that more parents and children can enjoy Mercedes-Benz products while also becoming publicists in the travel field to jointly ensure everyone's safety.

IIA: Mercedes-Benz has done a very comprehensive approach to public welfare. It is a comprehensive practice at the national level, including the historical and cultural level, and down to the support of education. When the epidemic situation was serious last year, I remember that Mercedes-Benz was still doing an online exhibition with Dunhuang Research Institute, allowing us to learn more about Chinese history and culture, including inheritance, without leaving home. I think these are different experiences brought to us by luxury brands.

Zhang Yan: Thank you for your attention too. This year we support the shooting of the research and protection documentary of the Palace Museum Jingfu Palace. We will meet with you one after another. The children’s picture book developed in cooperation with the Dunhuang Academy will also be available, which will effectively promote the splendid traditional culture to the vast number of young people. I hope that everyone will be happy in the future. We read and share together.

IIA: Thank you very much for the series of activities of Mercedes-Benz for bringing all aspects of attention to our netizens and consumers. Finally, there is another question. Now we are talking about intelligence and digitalization. Mercedes-Benz has made some solutions in digitalization a few years ago. Can you tell us more about it?

Zhang Yan: It should be said that digital transformation is a very important trend in the entire social and economic development at this stage. The advancement of technology has also made digital transformation possible. The digitalization that we promote in the entire system is mainly to improve our understanding of customers, improve customer service experience, and improve the efficiency of our services through digital infrastructure and changes in digital marketing concepts.

In the establishment of digitalization, we mainly focus on three levels.

Digital construction at the retail end of distributors. Last year, we also launched the ZYT operating system on the dealer side, which allows each of our dealers to have a mobile management platform when serving customers daily, which can help them better serve customers and understand customers;

At the same time, the four main platforms are more unified and strengthened on the client side, namely the official website, official social platform, APP application and car-machine interconnection. Through these four platforms, we can better understand and reach customers. Under these two platforms is the entire big data as the foundation. We are also committed to the unification and standardization of data, so that these data can help our dealers and ourselves better understand customers and better serve our customers. Customers, on the premise of ensuring the security of customer information, drive the digitalization of the entire system to develop more healthily.