Automotive brand communication refers to systematic branding activities undertaken by carmakers to build their brand image, communicate brand values, and foster emotional ties with consumers. Brand communication and product marketing are distinctly different yet intrinsically linked—product marketing focuses on driving sales conversions for specific models, whereas brand communication focuses on long-term brand equity building and winning consumer mindshare. Against the backdrop of China's automotive market entering an era of plateaued growth with saturated competition and increasingly homogenised products, the strategic value of brand communication has become ever more crucial. It is evolving from traditional advertising into a multi-faceted communication matrix encompassing celebrity endorsements, founder branding, real-world capability trials, cultural narratives, and experiential scenarios, emerging as one of the key battlegrounds among carmakers.
Since 2026, the automotive industry has seen a fresh wave of celebrity endorsements, with tie-ups reaching an all-time high. Under HIMA, Luxeed, Stelato, and Shangjie signed Crystal Liu, Yang Mi, and Xiao Zhan respectively; Xiaomi Auto tapped Shu Qi and Su Bingtian; Buick appointed Jay Chou as the brand ambassador for its MPV line-up; and NIO brought in Yao Ming as Chief Experience Officer for the ES9. This trend stands in stark contrast to recent years when carmakers leaned heavily on founder-led personal branding. The industry widely acknowledges that founder-centric marketing rarely succeeds in the long run, whereas celebrity endorsements present a far more controllable risk profile—if a celebrity runs into controversy, the brand can cut ties immediately, whereas a founder is irreplaceable.
Notably, partnership models between carmakers and celebrities have shifted from long-term commitments to "fast-food traffic" strategies. While past contracts typically spanned three to five years, brands now favour a "single-campaign + specific model" approach, or even engage multiple celebrities simultaneously across different models to target diverse demographics. This strategy not only reins in marketing costs but also hedges against reputational fallouts from celebrity scandals.
Even so, industry observers broadly agree that celebrity endorsements yield minimal actual sales conversions. Given that cars are high-ticket purchases with lengthy decision-making cycles, consumers do not buy on impulse just because of a celebrity face; buying decisions ultimately hinge on product strength and brand value. As one analyst put it frankly: "With big-ticket items like cars, consumers are naturally far more cautious when putting their money down. Celebrities can certainly generate buzz and drive eyeballs, but when it comes to sealing the deal, their impact on actual conversions is negligible."
In contrast, Audi's 13-year partnership with Andy Lau across three separate campaigns serves as a benchmark for long-term brand building. From his appointment as Audi Yingjiehui brand ambassador in 2013 to the renewed collaboration in 2026, Andy Lau has been front and centre in every major brand milestone. Such an enduring partnership goes beyond standard commercial endorsements, standing as a tangible reflection of shared core values—staying true to long-termism and letting time build lasting value.
Beyond celebrity endorsements, another distinct trend in car brand communication is moving away from glitzy PowerPoint slides and spec sheet shootouts toward gruelling real-world validation. Great Wall Motor Chairman Wei Jianjun personally took the wheel of the Tank 400 to conquer a steep incline challenge, drawing praise from netizens that "having the boss himself behind the wheel is more convincing than hiring ten celebrities." Similarly, Li Auto conducted live crash tests during its launch event, while several NEV brands held live-streamed complete vehicle teardowns to showcase their engineering and build quality under the skin.
The rationale behind this hands-on approach is simple: with car buyers increasingly numb to dry spec sheets and marketing jargon, the visual and psychological impact of extreme tests and real-world trials sparks immediate buzz and attention. Great Wall Motor’s ethos of "refining R&D through motorsport" and "proving cars on the track" is far from just PR fluff—competing in production categories at grueling events like the Taklimakan Rally and Dunhuang Rally means cars are tested under real-world conditions and extreme payloads, carrying far more credibility than bench test data from a lab.
For luxury marques, brand communication is evolving from waiting for walk-in showroom traffic to proactively engaging with consumers in their element. Land Rover Defender opened its first-ever urban base camp at Shanghai's West Bund Start Museum, blending rugged off-road heritage with an urban lifestyle art space. Meanwhile, Porsche set up an experiential pop-up along Beijing's Liangma River, recreating its motorsport milestones and showcasing classic museum heritage models free to the public. Such engaging, lifestyle-driven activations break down the traditional aloofness of luxury brands, making brand culture tangible and relatable.
On the global front, Chinese carmakers are harnessing Silk Road cultural narratives to spearhead international expansion. In the "China Auto Valley Poetic Journey along the Silk Road" initiative co-organised by Dongfeng Motor Corporation and the Wuhan Municipal People's Government, an expedition fleet convoyed from Wuhan to Central Asia along the Silk Road Economic Belt. Blending cultural heritage with modern mobility, the drive aligned China's NEVs with millennia of cultural legacy. Since its kickoff, the campaign has spurred sales of over 4,000 Wuhan-built vehicles, generating over RM700,000,000 in revenue while successfully boosting both brand equity and sales volume.
Social media has cemented its role as the primary battleground for automotive brand communication. SAIC-GM unlocked a new growth avenue on Douyin’s local lifestyle services platform, bagging over 200,000 orders in the first three quarters of 2025—a 156% year-on-year sales jump—while slashing customer acquisition costs by 50% to 60% compared to traditional channels. Its playbook centres on a dual-track strategy combining top-tier celebrity influencers for broad brand awareness with company staff live-streams for sales conversion. To date, SAIC-GM has developed a content network of over 7,000 employee-driven accounts, grooming back-office personnel—including administrative staff, aftersales specialists, QC inspectors, and engineers—into authentic live streamers who build consumer trust through genuine, professional perspectives.
Audi, meanwhile, has anchored its brand positioning around its tech roadmap with its "equal intelligence for petrol and electric" strategy. The all-new Audi A6L has been thoroughly revamped on the PPC luxury ICE intelligent platform and fitted with Huawei Qiankun intelligent driving technology, reinforcing the brand ethos of "making petrol models smarter and electric models more luxurious." By deeply linking brand identity with technological prowess, this strategy aims to shatter the preconception that smart tech is exclusive to EVs, effectively redefining brand perception.
Yet, the automotive brand communication space is increasingly grappling with the pitfalls of hype culture and traffic backlashes. Controversial remarks and aggressive over-marketing by certain auto executives have sparked public PR crises, eroding brand trust. Concurrently, misleading promotional gimmicks—such as bold promotional claims coupled with fine-print disclaimers—are coming under tighter regulatory scrutiny. Consequently, the industry is recalibrating from blind traffic chasing back to the fundamentals of brand equity: solid product quality remains the bedrock of brand survival, while marketing buzz is merely a force multiplier.
Whether opting for tactical celebrity tie-ups, committing to decade-long partnerships like Audi and Andy Lau, or backing real-world trials with top bosses getting their hands dirty like Great Wall Motor, the core principle of automotive brand communication remains unchanged: communication is merely a conduit, whereas the product is the anchor. Long-term brand equity will always stem from delivering genuine value to car buyers.
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