Sohu Auto: What are the behind-the-scenes stories for Infiniti’s sponsorship of the TV program “Where are we going, Dad?”?

　　Dr.Daniel KIRCHERT: “More time and space for your kids and yourself” is how we define Infiniti JX (QX60). And the TV program “Where are we going, Dad?” fits the concept perfectly. The feelings between the dads and their children in the program, that is exactly what we wanted to express. We are doing this sponsorship not only for commercial purposes. In the program, the dads take their children to all kinds of interesting places in the country and brave many challenges; our vehicles brave those challenges with them together.

　　Sohu Auto: Many automakers have 2 sets of goals. One for telling the public, the other, a set of higher goals, is used to motivate the staff. Does this apply to Infiniti as well?

　　Dr.Daniel KIRCHERT: To be honest, within the next three years, sales volume should not be the most important goal. We expect it to grow, but it is not that the growth rate must reach 40% or 50%. We need to look at the long-term prospect. Infiniti has a global vision: to be one of the major luxury vehicle makers. It will definitely take a long time for us get there. Maybe 10 years or even longer.

　　Sohu Auto: Gan Ai is Infiniti’s future direction for its brand development. How should we understand this expression?

　　Dr.Daniel KIRCHERT: It is not an expression, but a concept, which is what our brand is all about. We will continue to make products that shine, but we also hope to strike a chord with consumers. Gan Ai is a highly differentiated concept. Consumers with a truly young mindset put a high value on the thickness of life. To them, life is a journey. We need to grasp that.

　　Sohu Auto: What are your considerations about Infiniti’s sales model once localized production begins?

　　Dr.Daniel KIRCHERT: Nisssan and Dongfeng have 10 years of successful cooperation. After we begin localized production, we will take advantage of the many strengths of Dongfeng Nissan. But in terms of brand management, the two sides have different demands and target clients. So we need to be totally separate. As to the sales model, it won’t take long for you to find out. I cannot tell you at present. But we are confident. There is no reason that Infiniti cannot be as successful as Dongfeng Nissan.

　　Sohu Auto: In terms of building dealerships, does Infiniti have some special operation or management methods?

　　Dr.Daniel KIRCHERT: The shops we build next year will have a unique style. We are currently considering how to give consumers great brand experience. Our goal is to make consumers, who knew nothing about us, get to know us, become interested, grow to like us, and finally become a fan and love our brand. China is unlike other markets. The fans here will influence their friends, and word-of-mouth matters a lot.

　　Sohu Auto: How will Infiniti judge whether it has achieved its goal of becoming the most “intuitive” luxury vehicle brand?

　　Dr.Daniel KIRCHERT: In 2018, we want to become the most intuitive luxury vehicle brand for high-end consumers with a young mindset. We will do market surveys and use metrics to evaluate our performance. But I cannot tell you what they are just yet. And we also want to become the 4th largest luxury vehicle maker in China. During this process, our sales must exceed 100,000 units.