Amid the automotive industry's heated discussion last year of large models and end-to-end technology, Chairman Wei Jianjun of Great Wall Motors devoted significant effort to studying relevant technologies, even staying up late to review numerous domestic and international academic papers. Subsequently, he did not hesitate to immediately convene the company's technical leaders in his office for an in-depth discussion about the future prospects and applications of this technology.

Under such diligent and proactive leadership, Great Wall Motors was often able to introduce various technological innovations at the right time, such as the Hi4 hybrid system and the urban-level autonomous navigation assistance system Coffee Pilot Ultra. Taking the market launch of Hi4 as an example, BYD was leading a trend in the industry with its DM-i fuel-saving technology, hyping "hybrids replacing traditional fuel" vehicles. Great Wall Motors had already strategized for this shift, becoming another car manufacturer that values hybrid technology following BYD.

Despite its forward-looking technology, Great Wall once showed a decline in product market promotion. The team asked themselves, "With such excellent technology and products, why are the market sales not as satisfactory?" This became a major problem troubling the management. In seeking the reasons, Wei Jianjun gained new insights and decisions, believing that "traffic and attention are a direct manifestation of contemporary productivity."

Adapting to the times, Great Wall began to change its strategy, using the personal charm and IP image of corporate leaders to attract public attention. Just as Elon Musk's dance video at the Shanghai factory went viral, Lei Jun grabbed headlines in the car-making field, and Yu Chengdong acknowledged the direct participation of CEOs in traffic competition, there's a consensus that close contact between automotive industry CEOs and consumers through the internet has a strong power of dissemination and personal storytelling.

Wei Jianjun understands technology and products, and his entrepreneurial image has helped the PR team better build his personal IP, while his approachable and friendly image has made him a strong competitor in the battle for attention.

Wei himself also stated, "Users are curious about the company, and as its spokesperson, I naturally have an advantage. As the boss, I do better in this regard than other executives." The PR team also boldly packages his IP image due to Wei Jianjun's inherent recognition of marketing activities.

When facing live broadcasts, Wei Jianjun insists on being sincere and genuine in his interactions with the audience, striving to create a quality online image. Although Wei, in his sixties, was not accustomed to the camera, he successfully overcame his fear of the camera by diligently learning new media concepts and terminology, becoming a qualified "internet celebrity."

From the forward-looking research on technical development to the leadership in market marketing, from studying alone late at night to interacting with the public in a friendly manner, Wei Jianjun's leadership and transformation have not only brought technological innovation to Great Wall Motors but also injected new impetus into its marketing strategy.

Insiders reveal that the best way to face fear is to confront it bravely. Based on this belief, Wei Jianjun has enhanced his confidence and charm in front of the camera through high-frequency live broadcasts. On the eve of the Beijing Auto Show, Wei Jianjun conducted a live broadcast in Baoding to challenge the city's NOA capabilities.

An internal staff member of Great Wall Motors told us, "This was a live test of our city NOA based on a sudden order from President Wei." Jiang Haipeng, senior director of the intelligent driving department at Great Wall Motors, said that the team felt immense pressure for this chairman's live test, leading to many sleepless nights.

On the media day of the Beijing Auto Show, Wei Jianjun also used his lunchtime for a brief live broadcast. A person in charge said, "The intention was not for marketing promotion, but rather hoping that President Wei can appear more on camera, thereby adapting to and mastering his camera presence."

To cope with industry competition driven by traffic and to push Wei Jianjun into the industry spotlight, all employees of Great Wall Motors are gradually adapting to the new marketing rules. It is understood that to create an outstanding leader image, over the past year, Wei Jianjun has led the management team to intensively interact with social platforms such as Douyin and Weibo. Experts from these teams, including those from Douyin and Weibo, have also gone to Baoding to train Great Wall's executives to better communicate and collaborate.

Great Wall Motors has specially established a live broadcast center to enhance the creativity and effectiveness of its live broadcast content. The creative team and main personalities of this center come from well-known Internet companies such as Bilibili and ByteDance. The primary responsibility of the live broadcast center is to manage the Weibo accounts of Wei Jianjun and the five major brands under Great Wall Motors and to seek to increase the impact of their short video content. The person in charge of the middle platform is promoted from within and reports directly to the CGO of Great Wall Motors, Li Ruifeng. Meanwhile, some key projects will be reported directly to Wei Jianjun.

Under the dual influence of internal and external driving forces, Wei Jianjun gradually became more at ease in front of the camera. Wei Jianjun once said at an investor conference, "Doing a live broadcast is like eating, I do it whenever I want."

Live broadcasts and videos involving Wei Jianjun personally not only increased the company's traffic but also enhanced brand exposure. Whether it's the city NOA test or a motorcycle short film, each appearance has sparked lively discussions online. Viewers commented, "The chairman personally tests the automatic driving technology, which shows his sincerity and trustworthiness." According to statistics, Wei Jianjun's Douyin live broadcast attracted more than 4 million real-time online viewers on April 15, and within 5 hours after the live broadcast ended, the viewership on Weibo exceeded 10 million.

Wei Jianjun is not the first corporate leader to go public, as Elon Musk, Lei Jun, and Yu Chengdong have all made similar attempts. On the surface, Great Wall's marketing strategy has successfully attracted more market attention. A deeper significance is that Great Wall is using these marketing strategies to break through information isolation and encourages more managers to listen to the front lines. "This is by no means a mere following of trends," said Li Ruifeng. When the founder of a traditional car company personally participates in live broadcasts and experiences and senses the changes in the internet, his actions can serve as an example and bring a positive impact on every department of the company, including R&D, production, supply, and sales.

Li Ruifeng pointed out that individuals holding management positions in companies often develop a sense of superiority. Due to the distance from frontline practice, this feeling tends to remain verbal and does not translate into a substantive understanding and perception of the grassroots situation. Therefore, decisions made may be biased. For example, in the promotion of new car models, traditional automobile companies usually set a budget and then let the officials determine the promotional direction. However, the promotional direction determined internally often falls into the trap of clichés that exaggerate their own advantages, resulting in minimal returns despite substantial investment.

To break through these inherent limitations, Great Wall Motors is reforming by requiring management to open Douyin and video accounts. This practice is not just about chasing popularity but more importantly, it is to let the management personally engage in the flow-based ecosystem, using this as a method to improve and optimize their work methods. This approachable strategy aims to bring management closer to the frontline market and adjust from both top-down and outside-in perspectives. Since May this year, Great Wall has implemented a "dual sales" channel model, retaining the existing dealer system and introducing a direct sales model.

Great Wall Motors President Mu Feng says that this direct sales model is built around consumer experience, with the purpose of creating a close connection between products, consumers, the OEM, and potential customers. This model will be crucial for enhancing product experience and establishing the future market position of products. It will not only advance comprehensive target cost management (TOC) within the company but will also directly affect external sales channels.