News

Qianchuan Wooden Door Marketing Director Feng Li: Creating a Fashionable Life Above the "D Plane" (Reprinted from Sohu.com)

　　Qianchuan Wooden Door Marketing Director Feng Li: Creating a Fashionable Life Above the 'D Plane'

　　Source: Sohu Home Chengdu Station Author: Zhang Bei September 28, 2010, 17:55

　　(Marketing Director Feng Li interviewed by Sohu.com)

　　The fashion-conscious post-80s and post-90s generations have distinct consumption characteristics, and the current and future real estate consumer groups tend to be younger. In this environment, Qianchuan Wood Industry holds advanced development concepts and cutting-edge technology in China's wooden door industry. With strong capital and talent teams, Qianchuan Wood Industry is launching the high-end 'Qianchuan D Plane,' which is sure to lead new trends in the wooden door industry. As a sub-brand under Qianchuan Wood Industry, 'Qianchuan D Plane' not only inherits the excellent quality of Qianchuan wooden doors but also integrates elements full of simple and fashionable atmosphere, while adhering to Qianchuan's consistent green, low-carbon, and environmentally friendly philosophy. Recently, a reporter from Sohu Home Chengdu Station interviewed Mr. Feng Li, Marketing Director of Qianchuan at the Wenjiang headquarters, to help unveil the mystery of the new product.

　　[Date]: September 27, 2010

　　[Location]: Qianchuan Company Headquarters, Wenjiang District

　　[Guest]: Feng Li, Marketing Director of Qianchuan Company

　　[Host]: Zhang Bei, Sohu Home Chengdu Station

　　Naming Mystery — 'D Plane' Contains Traditional Cultural Concepts

　　[Host]: Director Feng, please introduce to us why the new product is named 'D Plane' and what the meaning behind it is?

　　[Feng Li]: Literally, the 'D Plane' product is positioned with a modern, simple, and fashionable style. 'Plane' represents a very simple style, hence the name. Why 'D'? In China's five-thousand-year traditional culture, doors carry significant symbolic meaning. According to the Chinese theory of the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—there is a saying 'water generates wood.' We imagine the letter 'D' as a drop of water falling into the sea, creating ripples that spread outward like the wood grain of wooden products, forming a shape similar to the letter 'D.' Also, the pronunciation of 'D' is very close to the word for 'low' in Chinese, which fits the modern, simple, and fashionable style of 'Qianchuan D Plane,' appealing to the tastes of urban elites who tend to be younger. In summary, the name 'D Plane' embodies the traditional Chinese five-element concept and the idea of water generating wood, while also aligning with the style positioning of the new product.

　　Style Positioning — Meeting the Consumption Needs of the Fashion Tribe

　　[Host]: The 'D Plane' product may be more favored by young people, but generally, this group does not have the strong financial strength of their predecessors. Do you think that in the next 5 to 10 years, the emerging post-80s and post-90s generations will be able to afford high-end solid wood products?

　　[Feng Li]: First of all, Qianchuan's products have always occupied the market with high quality, which is beyond doubt.

　　Secondly, after thorough market research, we found that with further adjustments to housing reform policies, some investment demand is suppressed, but rigid demand still exists in large quantities among the post-80s and post-90s groups. Why do we consider them an important consumer group? Because this group pursues individuality and self-expression in daily consumption and chases the style they want. The 'D Plane' product is positioned as fashionable, modern, simple, and low-carbon, which perfectly fits the consumption habits of the post-80s and post-90s generations.

　　Thirdly, when making wooden door products, Qianchuan considers expanding and covering the consumer base. Previously, Qianchuan's consumers were middle-aged people over 40. For people in their 20s and 30s who want to buy good doors, it is often difficult to find suitable products. Therefore, we want to launch new products to meet this consumer group's needs. I believe there is no need to worry that young people cannot afford high-end products because high-end does not necessarily mean high consumption. Although Qianchuan has always occupied the market with high quality, our prices are mid-range, using high-quality products at mid-range prices to capture the market. I believe that as people's consumption concepts improve, this group will become the mainstream of our future market.

　　[Host]: The 'D Plane' stands out from other products with a more fashionable and modern appearance. What features does it have in terms of practicality and technological content?

　　[Feng Li]: This product has a very fashionable, modern, and simple appearance. Moreover, functionally, it is very practical, environmentally friendly, and low-carbon. The product's appearance and materials are integrated with its style design. The price and style positioning I mentioned earlier are actually from a pragmatic perspective. The fundamental attribute of the product is a consumer good, not a decorative item, so pragmatism is most important. Our product positioning and the consumption concepts of the target group are aligned.

　　[Host]: So our product is high-end in quality but mid-range in price, offering a high cost-performance ratio.

　　[Feng Li]: Yes, when designing this product, we fully considered the consumption habits of the fashion tribe and their mindset as mainstream consumers: they want good things but face economic or affordability constraints. Therefore, without reducing product quality and for cost control, we strive to keep the product lines simple and the craftsmanship less complex; however, we will not make any compromises on the product's aesthetics. The final result is that by saving on craftsmanship, part of the cost can be adjusted, allowing consumers to get a product with excellent quality and price.

　　The 'Qianchuan D Plane' product appears as a sub-brand of Qianchuan Company, which is also part of the company's overall development strategy. As a sub-brand of Qianchuan, D Plane's style is modern, fashionable, and simple, serving people who pursue a fashionable, modern, and simple lifestyle.

　　Steady Progress in Investment Promotion, Committed to Win-Win with Distributors

　　[Host]: When will the large-scale investment promotion for our new product begin?

　　[Feng Li]: The investment promotion is already underway, but we want to present the best products, the most perfect service, and the highest quality to everyone. Therefore, we will not blindly pursue speed and scale in the early stage but focus on stability. The initial investment promotion mainly targets the Greater Chengdu area. After in-depth and detailed research, three stores will open during the National Day holiday. More than ten other stores are in operation; some are under renovation, and some have their blueprints ready and are under construction. After the exclusive stores in the Greater Chengdu area are launched, we will have a larger-scale investment promotion, expected by the end of October; the nationwide investment promotion plan is scheduled for the end of the year. Our investment promotion information is available on our website and promotional materials.

　　[Host]: Will the nationwide investment promotion cover major large and medium-sized cities across the country?

　　[Feng Li]: Yes. There is currently a situation where, due to the brand influence that Qianchuan itself has, many out-of-town and out-of-province dealers, as well as some friends in the building materials industry, have been consulting us about the "Qianchuan D-Plane" product. We have politely declined these inquiries. Why? Strictly speaking, any product entering the market, in terms of the terminal form in specialty stores, involves not only the product itself but also other soft packaging. We have done well in product quality, but we are still making minor adjustments in the store's soft decoration. Therefore, to protect the interests of dealers and out of responsibility to them, we need to slow down our territorial expansion. Haste makes waste, and this continues Qianchuan Company's principle of "product quality first." This is why we have scheduled large-scale dealer recruitment for the end of the year.

　　At that time, we will promote through comprehensive coverage by sea, land, and air. "Sea" refers to traditional media including newspapers and television; "land" refers to some real specialty stores and partners who dare to take the lead with us; "air" refers to our online media. Through this positive influence and a compelling testimony, I believe the recruitment effect will be better.

　　[Host]: You just mentioned that we will open three stores in Chengdu. Could you please introduce these three stores in detail?

　　[Feng Li]: We will launch three stores during the National Day holiday: one is Yashiju Decoration Company located at Chengdu East Gate, another is Maiya Shangpin Home Decoration Plaza, and the third is in Pidu County at Bomei Decoration City. Other stores such as Dujiangyan and Western Furniture are still under renovation. If these stores can successfully open, by mid-November we can expect a large number of orders.

　　In the early stage, we conducted sincere discussions with dealers about Qianchuan's "D-Plane." The product was widely recognized by dealers, and everyone felt that this new product had no issues. From a market perspective, it very much aligns with market development trends.

　　[Host]: After the launch of Qianchuan "D-Plane," what preferential policies are there for dealers? In other words, what are the advantages for dealers to join?

　　[Feng Li]: Whether for dealers or consumers, I have always emphasized one point: choosing a good product, whether to operate it or to use it, must have no fewer than 10 reasons. There must be 10 reasons that justify choosing this product. If these 10 reasons hold up, your choice is correct. We have proposed 10 major reasons or advantages for consumers and dealers to choose Qianchuan. These 10 advantages include our policy support, product support, support for terminal specialty stores, and support for promotional activities. More importantly, we provide service support. I believe service support is what our dealer friends need most. Qianchuan "D-Plane," as a new product about to be launched and as a sub-brand of Qianchuan Company, offers better service support compared to our previous Qianchuan wooden doors. This does not mean that the previous support for Qianchuan wooden doors was insufficient, but through the construction of this sub-brand, we aim to comprehensively enhance Qianchuan Company's service and operation system for franchisees. In December, we will release a complete marketing management system manual for Qianchuan Company. After joining Qianchuan, franchisees essentially only need to be investors; all operations are handled by Qianchuan Company, making it very easy for them. We guide their sales management, installation management, and terminal operations. Our regional managers effectively act as their store managers, helping them operate.

　　I often say that we always adhere to the philosophy of "channel is king, winning at the terminal." Qianchuan "D-Plane" will continue this philosophy. Qianchuan Company's attitude towards franchisees is that they are strategic partners of the company. Since they are partners, we must achieve a win-win situation. Not only a win-win in terms of benefits but also including terminal service personnel; not only between us and franchisees but also for all salespeople and installers. Some companies focus heavily on support like decoration and advertising. Qianchuan not only provides this kind of support, which can only solve temporary problems, but also aims to solve the franchisees' long-term issues.

　　Wooden doors will also open several hundred square meter lifestyle stores.

　　[Host]: In the "D-Plane" specialty stores, is there only this product series, or will it be combined with other products from Qianchuan Company?

　　[Feng Li]: The situation is this: Qianchuan D-Plane is a sub-brand of Qianchuan Company. In principle, we promote it independently in single stores. However, some dealers really like Qianchuan wooden doors, which we call "Old Qianchuan" here. We will consider the actual situation. If your specialty store is large enough and passes the company's inspection and review, you can operate both Qianchuan D-Plane and "Old Qianchuan," but these two brands must be displayed separately. Why emphasize sufficient space? Because now the focus is on experiential marketing and experiential service. Selling products is actually selling a concept. If the space is small, the product atmosphere, style, and service concept cannot be fully expressed.

　　[Host]: So, within one store, you divide areas to distinguish between "D-Plane" and the old products?

　　[Feng Li]: Yes. Qianchuan's "D-Plane" is not only a series but also a sub-brand representing a style that is fashionable, modern, and simple. Qianchuan wooden doors have always been known for being steady, traditional, and dignified. These are two different styles. Of course, we strongly encourage dealers to open large stores that include both styles. From the current Qianchuan product line, it is entirely possible to open a lifestyle store of several hundred square meters. For doors, opening a lifestyle store of several hundred square meters is rare, so I say products need differentiated operation. Many wooden door businesses fall into the misconception that they can only open stores of a few dozen square meters. Actually, from the furniture industry experience, we can see that furniture stores used to be limited to around 100 square meters, but now they can be over a thousand square meters because the marketing model is experiential and requires more products and content to enrich it.

　　"D-Plane" is just the beginning.

　　[Host]: One last question, after launching this new product D-Plane, will Qianchuan introduce more series or sub-brands with clear market positioning?

　　[Feng Li]: Yes. Qianchuan wooden doors are professional, focused, and dedicated to making wooden doors. "D-Plane" represents a fashionable, modern, and simple style. Qianchuan wooden doors adhere to a steady, traditional, and grand style. There are also some higher-end products, such as those for villas, luxury, or purely pursuing lifestyle taste. Therefore, Qianchuan wooden doors will gradually develop some sub-brands suitable for different consumer groups to enrich and strengthen the Qianchuan family. In the wooden door industry, Qianchuan hopes to consistently cover and serve the largest possible customer base with good quality and wholeheartedly serve these groups. I believe this is the responsibility of a large enterprise. If a company has the ambition to maximize market share, it must have such responsibility.