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 Johnss 阅读全文>>