Auto Makers Flock to Web to Woo Chinese Buyers
汽车商借网络吸引中国买车人
Global auto makers think the Internet is the way into the hearts of a new generation of Chinese car enthusiasts.
全球汽车生产商认为，互联网是赢得中国新一代爱车人“芳心”的途径。
Both foreign and domestic auto makers here are pouring ad money into online ventures, even as their overall spending remains flat. Market-tracking firm iResearch expects outlays for online auto marketing to reach 1.75 billion yuan, or roughly $256 million, this year, up from 1.38 billion yuan in 2008.
在中国，就在国内外汽车生产商整体支出持平之际，它们却在网络广告上投入大把大把的钱。市场追踪公司艾瑞咨询(iResearch)预计，今年网络汽车营销支出将达人民币17.5亿元（约合2.56亿美元），较2008年的人民币13.8亿元有所上升。
China's biggest Web-site operators are jockeying to meet the demand, with several offering online games or other features designed to encourage visitors to click on auto-related ads. One popular game, from social-networking site Kaixin001, lets users 'park' cars in virtual garages, earnings points they can use to buy more cars. BMW, Ford Motor's Volvo brand and China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. have sponsored cars featured in the game since it started accepting ads in December.
中国大型网站运营商都在花样翻新来满足汽车厂商的需求，有数家公司还提供网络游戏或其他功能，意在鼓励网站访问者点击汽车相关广告。社交网站开心网上的一个热门游戏让用户可以在虚拟的车库里停车，进而获得积分买更多的车。自去年12月开心网开始接广告以来，宝马(BMW)、福特汽车(Ford Motor)旗下的沃尔沃(Volvo)品牌和上海汽车工业（集团）总公司一直为游戏中出现的汽车提供赞助。
'It's the first time to have a chance to show our dynamic style online,' said Terry Johnsson, vice president of Shanghai General Motors Co., a joint venture of SAIC and General Motors of the U.S. that advertises its Buick model on the game. 'We will definitely do more on social-networking sites,' he said. Shanghai GM has allocated 10% of its overall media budget to the Internet in 2009, almost double 2007's level, he added.
上海通用汽车副总裁蒋泰瑞 (Terry Johnsson)说，这是我们首次有机会在网上展示自己活力四射的风格。上海通用是上汽和通用汽车(General Motors)的合资企业，在开心网的游戏中为旗下的别克车做广告。蒋泰瑞说，我们肯定会在社交网站上投入更多。他还说，上海通用已经把2009年媒体总预算的10%拨给了互联网，几乎比2007年多了一倍。
Auto makers have their eyes on one of the world's few bright spots for expansion. Auto sales in China last year rose 6.7%, a slowdown from double-digit growth since 1999, and sales are expected to rise a still-slower 5% this year, according to official state media. But that's still growth.
汽车生产商把目光聚焦在世界上屈指可数的几个扩张亮点之一。据官方国有媒体报导，去年中国汽车销量增长6.7%，较1999年以来的两位数增速有所放缓，预计今年销量增长更慢，为5%。不过仍是在增长。
Auto makers are also encouraged by China's stimulus efforts. In January, China slashed the purchase tax on small-engine passenger cars, seeking to boost sales of fuel-efficient vehicles, especially in the countryside. In March, the central government unveiled details of a plan that would give rural car buyers a subsidy of about 10% on their vehicle purchases.
汽车生产商还因中国的刺激措施而受到了鼓舞。1月份，中国大幅下调小排量轿车的购置税，希望藉此提振节能型汽车的销售，特别是在农村地区的销售。3月份，中央政府公布了计划细节，向农村购车者补助购车费用的约10%。
Most first-time car buyers in China rely on advice from family members and friends. But many of those buyers are among the first in their families to own cars. That makes the Internet an important source of information for potential car buyers.
中国大部分首次购车者都依赖家人或朋友的建议。不过，其中很多人都是家族里第一批买车的人。这就使互联网成了潜在购车者的一个重要信息来源。
Autohome.com, one of China's biggest auto sites, says most of its visitors plan to buy a car within three to six months. 'When the economy is good, auto companies will simply put up display advertising' on general-interest Web sites, says Qin Zhi, chief executive of Autohome, which is controlled by Australian telecommunications operator Telstra. 'But now, they want more follow-up marketing.' Autohome's ad revenue last year totaled 50 million yuan, Mr. Qin said.
中国最大的汽车网站之一汽车之家(Autohome)表示，网站的大部分访问者都计划在3-6个月内买车。该网站首席执行长秦志（音）说，经济形势好的时候，汽车厂商只是在大众网站上做展示广告；但现在，他们希望更多的后续营销。他说，去年汽车之家网站的广告收入为人民币5,000万元。汽车之家由澳大利亚电信(Telstra)控股。
Still, some general-interest sites have seen their auto advertising jump. Video-sharing site Youku.com says its auto revenue in the first quarter was up 17% from the fourth quarter. The company says it expects auto-revenue growth to top 50% this year.
尽管如此，一些大众网站的汽车广告仍大幅增长。视频分享网站优酷网(Youku)说，第一季度汽车广告收入较去年第四季度增长17%。公司表示，预计今年汽车广告收入将增长50%。
Television is still the auto makers' preferred advertising method, particularly for high-end brands. But Victor Koo, Youku.com's CEO, says that advertising fees for Chinese video sites are a tenth of a TV ad's price and more cost-effective.
电视仍是汽车生产商青睐的广告方式，对高端品牌尤其如此。不过，优酷网首席执行长古永锵(Victor Koo)说，中国视频网站的广告费只有电视广告价格的十分之一，更加划算。
Nissan Motor Co., which has one of the hottest brands in the Chinese market, has reduced its overall marketing budget this year because of the global downturn, says Toshimitsu Irie, the company's spokesman in Beijing. Nissan declined to discuss specific spending plans, but it is a client of major Chinese Web portals such as Sohu and Sina, which are run by Sohu.com Inc. and Sina.com Inc., respectively, as well as auto sites Xcar and Cheshi.
日产汽车(Nissan Motor Co.)的一款汽车是中国市场上最热销的品牌之一。公司驻北京发言人Toshimitsu Irie说，由于全球放缓，该公司已经减少了今年整体营销预算。日产拒绝透露具体的支出计划，不过它是搜狐和新浪等中国大型门户网站的客户，也是汽车网站爱卡汽车网(Xcar)和网上车市(Cheshi)的客户。
Juliet Ye
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