DFM arrives to power Africa. 

On May 11, six DFM KL tractors departed from Shiyan-based Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Delivery Center, leaving for Shanghai Port. After completing their loading tasks at the Shanghai Port, the six tractors will set off for Africa and arrive in Senegal and Benin respectively. On March 19, the first lot of DFM KL tractors (16 units) also departed from the Shanghai Port and arrived in countries in West Africa, such as Senegal, Ghana, and Cameroon. This year, sales volume of DFM KL tractors in West Africa will touch 50 units. 

“If we liken the first lot of DFM KL tractors to an open sesame to West Africa, new order demands will be deemed as the further recognition to quality of DFM’s commercial vehicles,” a senior executive of Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Company said: “We signed new orders within two months, implying that Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Company’s high-quality products and considerate services have received full recognition from customers in Africa.” 

Seek four breakthroughs, and adjust the overseas strategy towards brand output 

2018 marks the first year for Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd.’s exploitation to its overseas strategic markets. During March-May, it made three achievements in the overseas strategic markets. On May 19, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. joined hands with Jiangxi Geo-engineering (Group) Corporation, and 26 engineering trucks will be brought into the field of Tanzania Infrastructure Construction Project by Jiangxi Geo-engineering (Group) Corporation. 

Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. ever vowed to make inroads into international mainstream market and become the brand that is recognized and respected by the world. In 2018, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. is committed to making breakthroughs in exploitation to overseas strategic markets like Ethiopia and West Africa. 

According to the “McKinsey Report”, Africa has a chance to double its capacity in manufacturing industry over the next 10 years, and the growth rate of capacity is expected to hit 300% of the historical growth rate. IMF also predicts that from 2016 to 2020, Africa will become the second fastest growing region in the world, indicating that African demands for commercial vehicles will get stronger and stronger. 

Against this backdrop, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. made further analysis on its overseas business for strategic change and deployment. 

“In 2018, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. defines four breakthroughs as the core of its overseas strategy,” said Lyu Jiazhuang, deputy head of the Overseas Marketing Department of Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. Lyu further expounded the four breakthroughs: the Company will take “Rebuilding leading advantages of overseas products” as the purpose to make breakthroughs in overseas products cost performance guarantee system and mechanism; the Company will take “Consolidating strategic market and intensifying operation of overseas network” as the means to make breakthroughs in overseas channel model; the Company will take international financial products and international capital as the carrier to make pluralistic breakthroughs in overseas financing tools; the Company will take “Overseas application with the help of domestic services and pre-deployment of overseas parts” as a chance to make breakthroughs in overseas investment and maintenance model. 

Under the guidance of new strategy, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. further optimized and analyzed those sales channels and service networks in countries along the Belt and Road. So far, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. has set up five representative offices in the world and developed 27 licensed dealers and 14 level-1 service providers, and 126 level-2 service outlets. According to characteristics of different regions. Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. provided customers with customized logistics solutions, so as to meet the customers’ diversified demands. 

“Currently, we not only plan the trading in overseas marketing, but also turn our attention from importers to dealers, so as to build distribution model, integrate and optimize channel resources, and realize transformation towards brand output,” said Lyu Jiazhuang. 

Focus on Belt and Road, and jointly go global for common improvement 

Excellent marketing needs supports from corporate brand awareness and competitive products that cater for local market demands. 

In 2017, DFM again sponsored the “Dong Feng Hao” and established the Dongfeng Race Team to take part in 2017-2018 Volvo Ocean Race, and carry out brand communication and business promotion activities at the berthing ports. 

In December, 2017, when Dongfeng Race Team arrived at the Cape Down Port of South Africa, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. successively planned a series of interesting brand promotion activities, including DFM KL Engineering Vehicle Appraisal Meeting, Dongfeng Brand Experience, Theme Salon, Race Experience, and Chinese Culture Experience, etc. To cater for demands of West Africa, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. rolled out new vehicle types of overseas version. 

Presently, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. is selling 120 vehicle types abroad, with emission level ranging from Euro II to Euro V. Of which, DFM KX, DFM KL, DFM KC, and DFM KR are reputed as “Four Guardians”, and viewed as the most competitive products along the Belt and Road. 

In the meantime, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. takes advantage of external forces and joins hands with domestic and overseas competitive enterprises. In October, 2017, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. and Belgium-based SMT Company signed a strategic cooperation agreement, and both sides joined hands to exploit African market. 

“Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd.’s products and services can meet our clients’ needs, and in turn our influence in West Africa will help boost sales of Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. In view of this, I have full faith in this cooperation,” Brizell, CEO of Belgium SMT Company (Africa), said on May 23 during his visit to Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd.’s new heavy-duty truck factory. “Subsequently, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd.’s technicians will conduct further trainings to us, and we plan to organize some itinerant exhibitions to boost the sales. In the future, we will explore KD assembling and production business,” Lezer was quoted as saying.