"Longman", an indelible French national brand label, has brought a huge premium to some industries in France: the temptation of high-end perfume and cosmetics is irresistible to ladies, Louis. Vuitton is almost another name for fashion and luxury goods. The soft and mellow wine industry enjoys a worldwide reputation ... In the eyes of foreigners, romantic French people are simply natural perfume dispensers, fashion designers and winemakers.
But this is not entirely good news. After all, the "labels" that consumers can accommodate are limited. They are used to putting fixed labels on a country's image and products, and interpreting them in one direction instead of multiple directions, so they become Louis. When the wines of Vuitton and Bordeaux shine too brightly, it is difficult for consumers to notice the brilliant achievements of France in other industries at the same time. Romance, an unbreakable national image label, has brought many concessions to the value of other industries, such as manufacturing, which is not even opposed to romance in people's impressions.
In the car purchase reference of China automobile consumers, national brands are often one of the first evaluation criteria they think of: quality and safety are the hallmarks of German manufacturing, and economy and practicality are the selling points of Japanese manufacturing. As for the French car represented by Peugeot, it is a vague concept. Consumers in China may even wonder whether romantic French people are really qualified to engage in precise and rigorous industrial manufacturing.
French label
China consumers have known France for a long time: as early as 17 and 18 centuries, when European missionaries came to China, they introduced to China that there was a France in the distant west, and they attached great importance to culture and spirit. Since then, people in China have called Paris "the flower city" (meaning the romantic city). At the end of 19, French literary works were translated and introduced to China. In 1930s, a large number of international students who went to France told this country with their personal experiences that there really was a romantic country in the far west. The most efficient cultural communication tool-film, was born in France. Although Hollywood has been expanding its territory in the world with its huge film industry, French films have always maintained a unique vitality.
These fragmented marks about France are gradually condensed into one word-romance. Although romance itself is a very abstract word, China people interpret French romance in their own way: rich in artistic talent, pursuing a comfortable lifestyle and highly advocating love. Therefore, when the French come to China to promote their perfumes, fashions and wines, China consumers "naturally" accept the premium of these products-the French are, of course, the people who mix the most chic perfumes, design the most fashionable clothes and brew the most delicious red wine. When products closely related to romance, such as perfume, fashion and wine, are deeply rooted in the hearts of consumers in China, the French "romantic" label is consolidated in turn.
But the association caused by "romance" is not always positive: artistic genius may be unrestrained and unwilling to be bound; The pursuit of quality of life is to spend an hour and a half eating lunch every day; The unremitting pursuit of love makes the French spend a lot of time flirting with the opposite sex; Love nature, do you hate cold mechanical manufacturing ... These negative impressions have nothing to do with emphasizing rigorous, standardized and efficient industrial manufacturing. What's more, in the eyes of industrious China people, romantic French people enjoy the shortest working hours and the most generous paid vacation in the world, but they always go on strike and protest tirelessly, and the reasons are often very strange.
For example,1May 1999, a traffic strike involving all bus, subway and train workers broke out in Paris on the grounds that a conductor was killed. Later, after investigation, it was found that the conductor died suddenly because of chasing the ticket runner, but after learning the truth, the strike continued, and the reason became a protest against layoffs and tense working conditions. In the minds of those impressionists, strikes of this scale seem to occur in France as frequently as French people enjoy wine, which once produced a famous and ironic conclusion: French people go to work in spring, take vacations in summer, go on strike in autumn and celebrate holidays in winter, so they only work for three months a year. Look, the French are lazy. As a result, a related negative impression is naturally formed: the French who are casual and pay attention to enjoying life are not longer than the manufacturing industry. But is this a fact?
Made in France
An employee of Dongfeng Peugeot once commented on the French in the company. Before entering the company, he always felt that the French were romantic and lazy, and he was "glad" that he had entered a "paradise" where he could be late and leave early. However, in his works, it is really found that the French live up to the name of "romance" and play in bars after work easily, but they are also unambiguous at work. The French in the company are always the first to get to the company and get off work.
This phenomenon is not a case. Canadian journalist Jean benoit. Leonardo (the author of 60 million French people can't be wrong) once studied the French in France. After investigation, he found a fact that shocked him: "The average number of French people who are absent from work every year because of strikes is less than that of Americans ... 1996, and the number of working days lost in France because of strikes is 448,000, which is one-third of that in Britain and one-eleventh of that in the United States." In his book, he mentioned that "the hourly production index of the French was the first in the world when they turned into the third millennium".
In fact, due to the proximity of regional culture, French manufacturing has many similar roots to the famous German manufacturing. People who only know French romance may ignore it. France also has a long tradition of industrial manufacturing, and now has world-leading manufacturing capabilities in nuclear power equipment, aerospace industry, steel industry and automobile industry. In the historical evolution, the French have also formed their own very unique cultural characteristics.
Not words. French people's love for the national language is known all over the world, and they are also very willing to talk and debate, in which the humorous nature of the French people is undoubtedly revealed. Esprit is the highest word used to describe conversation wit in French. But what is not so easy for outsiders to understand is that the French pay great attention to accuracy in conversation. French children should be trained in grammar and rhetoric before they go to school, and adults will pay great attention to correcting the grammatical mistakes of people who talk to them, especially foreigners (in French etiquette, this is not unreasonable). This is the rigorous side of the French besides humor. In their view, speaking is not only to explain your thoughts, but more importantly. The United Nations has six working languages, but most documents are first drafted in French and then translated into English, Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Arabic by staff. Why? Because French is the most rigorous language in the world, and because of its strict grammar, it is difficult for people to use the original text drafted in French.
Behind this is actually the deeper and common character of the French-the French worship what can be called "noble and brilliant" and elite education, and are willing to make unremitting efforts for it, and have no feeling for ordinary and readily available things. This is a kind of "craftsman" who wants to be a meticulous craftsman, not just a willing ordinary mechanic.
After understanding these characteristics of the French, we should redefine the romance of the French and even redefine the essence of romance. It is generally believed that women are more romantic than men, because women pay more attention to the process, while men want results. Therefore, the essence of romance is actually to pay attention to the process, subdivide the process into countless details, carefully experience and feel every detail. The most fundamental reason why outsiders think the French are romantic is that many things that outsiders think are trivial and tiny, but the French feel with their hearts and appreciate the glory and beauty they worship in the "perfect" details. Just as the unique French films and Hollywood emphasize the "dominant" value of stars, special effects and scripts, French films emphasize the plot and feeling, and emphasize the subtle taste of those unspeakable inner beautiful things when watching movies.
This is also the birth of France, Louis. The deep-seated reasons for luxury brands like Vuitton. To make a bag popular all over the world requires not only excellent design, but also rigorous, precise and perfect manufacturing spirit. A simple example is that there are many underground factories producing Louis in China. From the layman's point of view, Vuitton's high imitation leather bag can almost be "original" in color and leather, but when experts identify it, they can almost find dozens of flaws in the process of pattern depth, stitching and lettering. Especially those details that are almost indistinguishable from the naked eye, such as the folds at the corners, the genuine products can always be kept in five places accurately.
French automobile tradition is as old as luxury goods, such as Peugeot, whose brand origin can be traced back to 18 10, and it has gone through two whole centuries, which is better than Louis. Vuitton was 44 years earlier. Peugeot produced its first car in 1889, named SerpolletPeugeot, and became one of the oldest automobile brands in the world. Although it is strange that the French divide cars into daily consumer goods-they don't focus on developing luxury cars according to the idea of manufacturing luxury goods, the French have integrated the spirit of manufacturing luxury goods into the manufacturing process of every "ordinary" car.
An uncompromising "please yourself" experience
France, which is rich in perfume, once cultivated a unique profession called Smeller. Their core value is "nose", which can distinguish more than 4000 kinds of perfume flavors and more than 50 kinds of perfume ingredients without any instrument. The production team of Peugeot's China manufacturer Wuhan Dongfeng Peugeot also has the position of "Smeller".
Don't get me wrong, the "Smeller" in the car production team is not used to develop special perfume for cars, but to detect whether the gas in the car is uncomfortable. Dongfeng Peugeot invested 4 million yuan in March 2008 to set up a laboratory for volatile organic compounds in automobiles and an odor laboratory. In addition to the "conventional" means such as instrument measurement, it also made full use of the human body's olfactory potential and set up a sniffing team. Players are not allowed to smoke or drink-they must keep their noses sensitive, and then receive long-term professional training from the Smell Institute of Versailles in Paris, and they will be certified after passing the examination.
During odor detection, each product to be tested should prepare 10 samples, and then use five odor sniffers to test two samples respectively, and determine the test results with the average value of 10 tests. Generally speaking, new cars need to be tested about 400 times. If a part does not meet the standard, it is undoubtedly impossible to load. As a matter of fact, there is no specific regulation for air quality standards in automobiles at home and abroad. As long as the parts of a car meet the general standards, the air conditioning system is not too unreliable, and consumers will not pay special attention to the smell inside the car. From this perspective, there is no need to make such a fuss.
But Dongfeng Peugeot is very serious. When it comes to driving experience, they scoff at "just right" and demand that they can meet daily standards under extreme conditions. Because of this, Dongfeng Peugeot is willing to pay the price. For example, they require that doors and other parts must be galvanized on both sides (rust-proof). Although many manufacturers are single-sided galvanized or simply not plated, Dongfeng Peugeot's own level can't pass.
"Self-satisfaction" means "self-satisfaction". Although the car is a functional product, it is also a living space. French designers must not let the function stop at "riding instead of walking". The more invisible they are, the more they need to improve and even exceed industry standards. Just like Louis. Many technical details of Vuitton bags are not so easy to be discovered by ordinary consumers, but these "intangible assets" are an important part of quality. The same is true of automobile products, including control, chassis, safety ... all of which require consumers to drive or ride for a long time to discover, and some designs may not even be noticed by consumers for a lifetime, but French engineers and Dongfeng Peugeot are willing to pay extra costs for this.
As far as safety is concerned, the car safety index that ordinary consumers are most familiar with should be the "passive safety star" of various certification bodies, but even if they all get the "five stars", the safety factors between cars are different. These standards related to "who is safer" are difficult for many ordinary consumers to pay attention to and understand.
When a car is displayed in a 4S shop, people mainly pay attention to its appearance and interior space. As for the thickness of the steel plate used for the door and body, whether it is integrally formed or spliced, what welding process is used, and so on. Most consumers can't see it or may not want to see it. So many manufacturers can't help cutting corners in these invisible places. French cars that have always pursued "self-satisfaction" have made the opposite choice, even more "paranoid" than German cars. For example, Shenlong Automobile has specially set up a test project, "Road Tooth Chassis Collision Test", which is hard to see among domestic automobile manufacturers. The main reason of the project is that many drivers, especially novices, are easy to hit the curb, which brings hidden dangers to the performance and safety of the car. Another example is that every 12000 Peugeot cars are sampled and sent to a specific workshop, and the whole car is torn apart with a pair of huge pliers manipulators to check whether there is any virtual welding on the solder joints. This practice is not unique in the industry, but the frequency is the highest.
In order to better control the quality of the car, the French also created a very "ruthless" innovation in the production process: the car should be tested on the conveyor belt for the last time before it goes off the assembly line. The usual practice of domestic manufacturers is to set up about 40 workstations (about 50 employees)-this can be said to reflect the importance of quality inspection, and it is a relatively efficient way to equip with sufficient manpower. Once the problem is found, solve it on the spot.
But the French feel that there is a hidden danger: the problem is solved on the spot, which seems to be efficient, but in fact the upstream problem is covered up. So they cooperated with Dongfeng Peugeot to design a solution. First, they matched a computer system so that every quality problem can be traced back to the source of the accident. The second is the key point: the number of stations and workers on the conveyor belt is greatly reduced, with only four stations and seven or eight people. The consequence of a serious shortage of manpower is that if there are too many "problem" cars, the workers are simply too busy, and the whole conveyor belt may stop working, forcing these foremen to find the "stubble" in the upstream production link, trace it back and forth, and even trace it to the supplier. The purpose is to force the production line to solve the problem at the source, not at the end.
Explicit implicit value
A technician of Dongfeng Peugeot once "complained" about the French: the French designer's ass is very precious, and he feels comfortable sitting on a thick cushion, and he refuses to reduce the thickness at all. Stubborn French believe that riding comfort is the most important thing, while China consumers are not particularly sensitive to riding comfort-at least when buying a car, but they are very concerned about the space of the car-they are easier to perceive. The intangible value of "thick leather seat" which obviously "please yourself" has increased the manufacturing cost, which may not be recognized by consumers in China.
This is also the problem faced by French cars represented by Peugeot in China market: Peugeot cars with technology, attitude and ability are not invincible in China market. The reasons for this will be complicated, but there must be one thing: the stubbornness of the French. China automobile consumption market began in 1980s. After a long time, many consumers in China were still "price-sensitive", and the total cost of ownership of a family car generally included car purchase, fuel consumption and maintenance expenses.
This is the problem faced by French cars: the French emphasize the spirit of "pleasing themselves" to treat every car, and the lean pursuit of those "hidden values" leads to the difficulty in reducing manufacturing costs and limited production capacity. As for fuel consumption, in addition to the improvement of the car's own technology, it is actually contradictory to safety-that is, the heavier the car, the higher the safety and the higher the fuel consumption. As one of the European cars, French cars have not established a systematic and localized supply chain in China for a long time, which is one of the reasons for its high manufacturing cost, and also caused the core value of French cars not to completely match the needs of consumers in China at that time.
In contrast, it is the practice of Japanese cars. I have to admit that Japanese manufacturers have a thorough demand for China consumers, and they can respond accordingly. For example, if China consumers like to save face, they should make the places that cars can see as exquisite as possible; Consumers in China like to save fuel, so they will introduce cars with low fuel consumption through technology and reducing the quality of the whole vehicle.
The French concept is to integrate the manufacturing character of "please yourself" into every car, instead of realizing different values with different brands, such as Dongfeng Peugeot series models: 207, 307, 408 and 508. On the contrary, this practice makes consumers somewhat vague about Peugeot cars.
However, consumers in China are also changing gradually. The most common change is from satisfying food and clothing to pursuing a dignified and quality life, and the same is true of automobile products, from simple transportation function to attention to internal quality. At present, there are more and more experts, second-time buyers and consumers who buy second cars in China automobile consumption market. They have a lot of automobile knowledge and know how to judge the intrinsic value of a car, such as safety and handling, rather than deciding which car to buy just based on fuel consumption, price and face. This is actually an opportunity for French cars-the value that has been adhered to is increasingly understood and recognized by consumers.
But that doesn't mean the stubborn French don't need to change. For example, the French method of "forcing the production line to solve the problem at the source, not the final quality inspection link" is too extreme for the technicians of Dongfeng Peugeot. Adding more people to the quality inspection assembly line to improve the efficiency of finding and solving problems is not contradictory to the goal of controlling automobile quality. As long as an effective system is established, the problems found in the final quality inspection can be traced back layer by layer.
More importantly, how to cultivate "perceived quality" for automobile products while adhering to the concept of "pleasing yourself", after all, users still need a very intuitive and easily perceived experience to judge the value of a car. Dongfeng Peugeot's new car 508 began to try this kind of work, such as the cup holder in the car. French designers have found more than 200 kinds of cups that China consumers like to use as reference, and designed a universal and humanized cup holder, so that consumers can "see and feel" the quality of Peugeot cars and show users the hidden values in the past as much as possible.
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