As the NS1 project at Nanshan Motors continued to progress, many pieces of news inevitably began to spread.
"Haha! This is too funny, absolutely hilarious! Nanshan Motors' new model project aims for 30,000 units per month? Did they mean a year instead of a month?"
"Director, I think you may be mistaken this time."
"Hm?"
"They're currently only selling a few hundred units a month, and even a year's sales don't reach 5,000 units. This isn't about mixing up a year with a month, it's more like they're trying to fit the entire lifespan of the model into just one month's target."
"Haha! You're right! Nanshan Motors is being way too arrogant. How can the Chinese possibly produce a good car? And now they think they can sell 30,000 units a month? They must be dreaming."
In the office of the sales director at Tongtong Motors, Sales Manager Yu Xing was initially trying to flatter the Sales Director, Jim, when unexpectedly, Jim made a statement insulting the entire Chinese auto industry.
This left Yu Xing feeling a bit awkward.
Fortunately, he quickly regained his composure.
"Whoever pays me, I work for them," Yu Xing reassured himself.
"Up to now, only a few niche car models occasionally hit 30,000 units a month. Nanshan Motors is being a bit too arrogant," Jim said, taking a sip of his coffee with satisfaction.
"It's not just arrogance; they're digging their own grave."
Jim had been in China since last year, and his attitude had undergone significant changes. At first, he was reluctant to come to China, despite various subsidies like "air pollution allowances," "overseas allowances," and "living-in-difficult-areas subsidies." He wasn't happy to leave the U.S.
But once he arrived, he discovered many interesting things about life in China. There were many stories that couldn't be told, and he quickly became fond of the local lifestyle. He often went to bars after work, where beautiful women would approach him.
"Last year, there were rumors that Nanshan Motors was having cash flow problems and that they had to take out a loan to ease things up. Now they're risking everything on a new model—it's clearly a path to ruin."
Yu Xing felt conflicted. On the one hand, as a Chinese person, he hoped for the success of China's auto industry, but as someone deeply familiar with the industry, he knew just how big the gap was between China and foreign countries.
Looking at how China's few private car companies were struggling, Yu Xing couldn't help but feel sorrow.
"China's automotive market is developing quickly, but the more we develop, the more we need to suppress domestic companies. Otherwise, once they grow strong, it'll cost us much more to hold them back."
Jim and the top executives of foreign car companies were closely connected. Though they competed against each other, when it came to dealing with domestic Chinese carmakers, they would quickly unite.
The already weak domestic brands had even more difficulty growing as a result. Nanshan Motors was about to face bankruptcy as a result.
"Mr. Xiao, the NS1 will be rolling off the production line at the end of the month. Should we hold a launch event? We could invite relevant automotive media to visit and give them gifts, ensuring a good review of the NS1."
Sales Department Head Zheng Zhihua had been conducting market research recently. The company had invested all its efforts into the NS1 project, halting production of other models.
He was initially unsure about the NS1's prospects, but after extensive research, he became full of confidence. While the model had limited potential in first-tier cities, it showed great promise in rural areas.
The more he saw the potential, the more he cared about how the model would be marketed and received.
"We don't need a grand event. If we invite all these media people, we'll be paying for their flights, hotels, and travel allowances, which is just a waste of money. After the car is launched, let's hire a photography team to shoot some pictures and videos and market it online."
With the NS1's low price, Xiao Hui had no intention of spending much on advertising. Foreign brands like Benben Motors and Baobao Motors spent huge amounts on advertisements, but Xiao Hui didn't plan to follow that path.
"We'll do the photography ourselves?" Zheng Zhihua felt a bit uneasy.
"Yes, I'll personally handle the copywriting. You just need to organize the photography team."
"Mr. Xiao, I understand that we need to save on marketing costs, but cutting costs should be a gradual process. I still think we should invest a bit in TV ads. A lot of our target customers enjoy watching TV dramas, and if we run ads before popular shows, it could really boost our sales."
"You're right. Ads could definitely help, but we need to think about the cost-to-benefit ratio. If we can achieve more with less money, there's no reason to spend extra."
Xiao Hui wasn't being stingy; he simply felt the money could be better spent elsewhere, like updating equipment or providing bonuses to employees.
Most salespeople in the auto industry never quite understood why cars sold well at times and not at others, always attributing bad sales to a lack of advertising funds. But Xiao Hui was determined not to let Nanshan Motors fall into that trap.