"We are not 'CATL INSIDE', we do not have this strategy. We are BY YOUR SIDE, always by your side."
The night before the opening of the CATL New Energy Lifestyle Plaza, which was jointly built by CATL, the Qingbaijiang District Government of Chengdu, and car companies, Luo Jian, general manager of the marketing department of CATL, explained this to the media teachers.
The New Energy Life Plaza, which was officially opened on August 10, covers an area of 13,800 square meters. The first batch of nearly 50 brands and nearly 80 models on display will increase to 100 models in the future. Moreover, unlike the experience store model in other business districts, New Energy Life Plaza does not sell cars.
Li Ping, vice chairman of CATL, said that as a carrier of high-quality new energy lifestyles, CATL New Energy Life Plaza has pioneered the construction of a "full scene" for consumers that integrates "seeing, selecting, using and learning". "New Experience" platform to accelerate the arrival of the new energy era.
Luo Jian also said that through the two key features of "complete" and "new", New Energy Life Plaza strives to help car companies display good cars, help consumers choose good cars, and promote new energy lifestyles.
This new platform, jointly created by Ningde Times and its car company partners, aims to link car companies and consumers to work together for innovation and win-win results at a time when the automotive industry landscape and consumers' consumption concepts are being restructured in the wave of energy transformation.
Popular models all in one place
Since it doesn’t sell cars, why would CATL do such a thing? This is what I'm most curious about.
Luo Jian said, "Why do we want to build this (To C) brand? I think it may sound a little high-minded, but in fact it is essentially like this, that is, we have a sense of mission."
This sense of mission comes from, "I hope everyone will recognize the battery when buying an electric car, and the name they recognize is CATL Battery. This is because the performance of the battery determines the performance of the car to a large extent. This is a starting point A (fact) for the entire industry.”
In addition, there are many battery manufacturers now, and the quality actually varies from good to bad. CATL also hopes to use its position as an industry leader to tell consumers what kind of batteries are good.
Therefore, the CATL New Energy Life Plaza is not only the world's first new energy vehicle brand pavilion, but also a place where consumers can see popular models in the market at one stop. It can also be called "a never-ending auto show event." Of course, these models all use CATL batteries.
Moreover, CATL has also created a team of new energy experts who understand both cars and batteries. They can answer consumers' various questions about vehicles and batteries in real time. I understand that the team will have more than 30 people. In addition, based on each user's needs, budget, and usage, these experts will also recommend the most suitable new energy vehicles to consumers, allowing consumers to choose cars with confidence and make decisions with peace of mind.
I chatted with Avita’s Chengdu investors for a while. As one of the first brands to enter the market, how do you view this new model?
He said, "I think users in this place can actually understand this industry from a peaceful and more objective perspective. I think the first one can promote the research on new energy, even intelligent driving technology, etc. There will be better reception and popular science education.”
In addition to the brand entry, the CATL aftermarket service brand "Ningjia Service" was also officially released on the opening day.
Ningjia Service has set up the first 112 professional after-sales service stations in China and has established a complete personnel training system to provide users with professional services, including but not limited to basic battery maintenance, health testing and mobile rescue. Comprehensively guarantee the car experience of new energy car owners and make their car life worry-free.
In addition, the CATL mini program was officially launched on August 10. For new energy car owners, this mini program provides services such as charging network inquiry, car viewing, car selection, car use, and new energy research. By developing online channels, CATL provides users with efficient, convenient, high-quality, and multi-dimensional services.
"Catch the doll"
A question I am more concerned about is how to cover the cost of this To C CATL New Energy Lifestyle Plaza?
After all, if you don't sell cars, the annual fixed costs of maintaining such a large-scale living mall will be quite high. Plus the labor costs of an expert team of more than 30 people, etc. Although the Qingbaijiang government certainly has corresponding policy support, how this new model operates is still worth exploring.
This time I didn't get an answer. This is also normal. After all, a new model takes time to answer.
However, this time the opening of Life Plaza can actually see the vision and direction of CATL. It has also been confirmed once again that "the Ningde era will not build or sell cars." Indeed, what CATL aims to do is not to build or sell cars, but to open up and connect the entire ecological chain.
To be precise, in addition to excellent products and extreme cost control, CATL is trying to build its third moat: seizing users' minds.
Seizing users' minds is the ultimate battlefield for business competition. Creating and shaping new cognitions is crucial to the future success of enterprises. The "To C" strategy of CATL is based on this concept, and its purpose is to drive "To B" through "To C".
For example, there is a very popular movie "Catch the Baby" recently, which is the old saying "start with the baby". Ningde Times also thought of this.
During the visit, we saw the first new energy science popularization class held by CATL. The audience were all children. They listened attentively to the introduction by Xia Xiaogang, deputy director of the Information Technology Center of Chengdu No. 7 Middle School, and enthusiastically raised their hands to answer questions. When these children grow up, their understanding of CATL and new energy will be very solid. Of course, Ideal is doing the same thing among car companies.
According to reports, this small class will be held regularly in the New Energy Life Plaza. At that time, Life Plaza will invite experts and celebrities in the fields of new energy, ecology and environmental protection to give on-site classes to share new energy knowledge on automobiles, batteries, environmental protection, zero-carbon and other topics.
According to CATL's vision, the new energy classroom will be in an easy-to-understand way, allowing consumers of all ages to easily learn and explore the mysteries of new energy.
After all, the energy transition is inevitable. This time, CATL Energy Life Plaza has received strong support from the Chengdu Municipal Government and the Qingbaijiang District Government, and will deeply link car companies and new energy consumers through rich scenarios, professional services, and ultimate experiences, opening a "new" new energy life. As for the effectiveness of CATL's C-end strategy, in a word, it will take time to verify.
Post time: Aug-13-2024