Would you buy a car on Twitter or Facebook? Mercedes-Benz is betting that Chinese customers are up for making a big purchase on social media as it offers a limited edition Smart Car on the Sina Weibo microblogging service, China Daily reports.
The company is selling 666 units at $12,700 (RMB128,888) each. The special edition car is designed to celebrate the upcoming Year of the Snake on the Chinese zodiac.
It launched a Weibo app accepting submissions for a chance to buy the car last week and kicked off sales last Friday.
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“It is the first time an automobile brand is offering its products in such an innovative sales approach,” Daniel Lescow, head of Mercedes-Benz China’s smart vehicle division, told China Daily.
A Mercedes-Benz VP also noted that the effort isn’t just about making sales, as it’s also an attempt to engage customers via social media. Sina Weibo’s 400 million users make it a prime platform for brands to reach out to consumers.
Mercedes-Benz has in the past tried other creative sales techniques, including a group buy on Alibaba’s Taobao and a special edition release on 360Buy.
Smart Car sales in China grew 45% in 2012 to a total of 15,680 vehicles, according to the company. It’s still a niche player, though, given the overall size of the Chinese automobile market.
Sina’s partnership with Mercedes-Benz is a win for the platform. The company recently teamed up with Xiaomi to sell smartphones on Weibo, and it is rolling out other monetization schemes like in-feed advertising.
Image credit: JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN / AFP / Getty Images
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