Gasgoo Munich- Recently, Dongfeng MHERO officially announced Gülnezer as the brand spokesperson for the MHERO M817.
The news hit, and discussions on social platforms almost all revolved around the same question: "Why her?"
To many, MHERO stands for military DNA, rugged off-roading, and tough-guy culture. Gülnezer, on the other hand, embodies the city, fashion, and sophistication. The two seem an unlikely match.
More importantly, this isn't an isolated incident.
Image Source: MHERO, Land Rover Defender
Two months ago, Land Rover Defender announced Dilraba Dilmurat as a brand spokesperson, sparking similar market buzz. One is a classic off-road brand with over 70 years of history; the other is a new representative of China's new-energy rugged off-roaders. One chose Dilraba; the other chose Gülnezer.
A decade ago, such pairings were almost unimaginable. Today, they are happening in unison.
In our previous piece, "Are Automotive User Portraits Failing?," we discussed how traditional demographics like age, gender, and income are increasingly poor predictors of why consumers buy a car. What truly drives decisions is lifestyle, values, and the version of themselves a consumer hopes to project through their vehicle.
This trend is finding validation in the market. An Accenture 2025 survey shows that 41% of Chinese consumers view "experience and emotional value" as a key factor in choosing a brand—a proportion that now exceeds those focused primarily on price.
As product performance converges, brand competition is shifting.
In the past, brands used user portraits to find consumers. Today, consumers use brands to find an identity that expresses who they are.
This marks a significant turning point: automotive marketing has entered the era of "identity."
Why Are Rugged Off-Road Brands All Picking Female Spokespeople?
The controversy surrounding MHERO and Gülnezer isn't about celebrity endorsements per se. It's because the pairing challenges ingrained perceptions of what this type of car brand represents.
For a long time, rugged off-roaders adhered to a stable brand narrative: power, conquest, adventure, and toughness.
Whether it's the Land Rover Defender, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, or the Jeep Wrangler, they all cultivated a typical off-road culture. So, when Dilraba became the face of the Defender and Gülnezer the MHERO M817, many people's immediate reaction was: "What do they have to do with off-roading?"
But continuing to define today's consumers strictly as "off-road players" suggests the brand is falling behind the market.
Consider the Land Rover Defender first.
Previously, the Defender belonged mostly to the professional off-road circle, symbolizing a spirit of adventure and extreme challenges. Today, it increasingly appears on city streets, at campsites, and ski resorts. Many consumers may not cross a desert once a year, yet they are still willing to buy a Defender.
They aren't just buying off-road capability; they are buying the lifestyle the Defender represents.
They want to express a spirit of exploration, not demonstrate a driving skill.
Dilraba's arrival hasn't altered the Defender's core "exploration" DNA, but it has shifted perceptions of "who can own a Defender."
It tells the market that the spirit of exploration doesn't belong to a specific profession or gender—it belongs to anyone who identifies with this lifestyle.
This is an expansion of identity.
By comparison, the MHERO M817 takes this a step further.
Because for the M817, the real change isn't just the target audience—it's the product itself.
If the MHERO 917 emphasizes military DNA and extreme off-roading, the M817 is moving toward an all-scenario rugged SUV route. While retaining off-road capability, it places greater emphasis on intelligence, family travel, and camping trips, aiming to capture a broader base of urban users.
The product has evolved, so the brand identity must be re-established.
Gülnezer's real task isn't to change MHERO's off-road attributes, but to help consumers understand: today's MHERO is no longer the exclusive preserve of off-road enthusiasts; it can also be the choice for those who love travel, camping, and the outdoor lifestyle.
If Land Rover Defender is widening an existing identity, then MHERO M817 is creating a new one.
In fact, this reflects one of three distinct patterns emerging in automotive celebrity partnerships in recent years.
The first is identity shaping. Brands use spokespersons to redefine themselves. MHERO with Gülnezer and Defender with Dilraba fall into this category—the former reshaping identity, the latter expanding it.
The second is product breakout. Product competitiveness is mature, but the goal is to break out of the automotive echo chamber and reach a wider mass audience.
The third is launch amplification. The celebrity acts as a volume booster during a new product launch, helping the brand quickly generate buzz.
On the surface, they are all hiring stars, but the problems they solve are completely different.
This stands in stark contrast to the landscape a decade ago.
Around 2014, Hyundai and Kia successively invited K-pop icons like Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Min-ho to endorse them. Essentially, this was a battle for brand awareness in a growing market. The star's greatest value was simply getting more consumers to remember the brand.
Today, the auto industry has entered an era of stock competition.
Consumers lack neither information nor choices. What is truly scarce is whether a brand possesses an identity that consumers are willing to embrace and use to express themselves.
As Li Fenggang, general manager of Beijing Hyundai, stated at the 2026 China Automotive Forum, the key to forming true differentiated competition lies in building a unique brand image.
Stars remain important. But today, they increasingly act as "translators" of brand identity, rather than mere traffic funnels.
In the past, stars helped brands gain attention; today, they help brands gain endorsement.
Why Did the Same Xiao Zhan Deliver Two Totally Different Report Cards?
If the MHERO and Defender cases explain *why* brands are fighting for identity, then Xiao Zhan's two automotive endorsements answer a more pragmatic question:
How exactly does identity translate into sales?
In January 2022, SAIC Audi officially announced Xiao Zhan as its brand spokesperson. As one of the most influential young actors at the time, related topics quickly hit the trending lists, giving the brand massive exposure. However, the heat didn't sync with market performance. Public data shows that in the first full sales month after the announcement, SAIC Audi sold just 316 units.
Four years later, with the same Xiao Zhan, the results were vastly different.
In April 2026, SAIC Shangjie officially announced Xiao Zhan as a brand ambassador. Just 27 minutes after the new car launched, confirmed orders surpassed 12,000 units, with those born after 1995 accounting for over 60% of buyers. It became one of the most talked-about launches in the industry this year.
Image Source: SAIC Audi, Richard Yu's personal social platform
The same star, two collaborations, two completely different results.
Attributing this simply to "Xiao Zhan being more popular" clearly doesn't hold water.
What really changed wasn't the star, but the brand.
Automotive marketing has long relied on a classic theory: the marketing funnel. Consumers typically go through multiple stages from first contact to ownership: exposure, interest, search, lead generation, dealership visit, test drive, order, and delivery.
What stars can bring is concentrated at the top of the funnel: boosting exposure, sparking interest, and increasing searches.
But moving from search to lead, or from visit to transaction, depends on a complete system including product competitiveness, brand trust, channel capability, and pricing structure.
In 2022, SAIC Audi was still in its introduction phase. "Who is SAIC Audi?" and "How is it different from FAW-Audi?" were still questions in many consumers' minds. The star brought exposure, but couldn't answer these questions for the brand.
The 2026 SAIC Shangjie situation was different.
Following the development of AITO, Luxeed, and Stelato, Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) has established high technical trust and brand recognition. Being a "HIMA member" has itself become an identity label. Consumers choose SAIC Shangjie not just because of Xiao Zhan, but because they identify with the intelligent and tech-driven lifestyle represented by this brand ecosystem.
Xiao Zhan amplified an identity that already existed; he didn't create one out of thin air.
This point is also being borne out by industry data.
J.D. Power's newly released "China Automotive Brand Reputation Index (NPS)" shows that among 72 brands, only 8 achieved healthy scores across product, sales, and service experiences simultaneously. 89% of brands still suffer from varying degrees of experience imbalance. Xie Juan, general manager of J.D. Power China's Digital Retail Consulting division, stated that China's auto industry has entered a new stage of "comprehensive user experience competition."
In other words, the real competition is no longer just about product specs, but whether consumers are willing to consistently identify with the brand.
The evolution of Avatr's spokespersons in recent years reflects this same logic.
Image Source: Avatr
As the brand entered its market expansion phase, Avatr invited Tony Leung Chiu-wai as a global brand spokesperson to quickly establish a "new luxury" identity. As brand awareness took shape, it invited Zhang Linghe as a brand ambassador to further expand recognition among younger consumer groups.
Tony Leung answered "Who is Avatr?" Zhang Linghe answered "Who else likes Avatr?"
The two spokespersons shouldered different tasks.
This means that today, when auto brands choose stars, it is increasingly less about simply manufacturing trending topics, and more about solving different communication problems at different stages of brand development.
Consequently, the criteria for evaluating a partnership's success have also shifted.
In the past, companies cared more about views, playback counts, and trending frequency. Today, the focus is on search indices, lead conversion rates, dealership visit rates, and order conversion rates.
Because the industry increasingly realizes: stars can manufacture traffic, but they cannot create a brand; they can amplify identity, but they cannot substitute for it.
What truly determines the final purchase is never the spokesperson, but whether the brand has established an identity worth embracing.
The Most Valuable IP Is Actually the Brand Itself
If identity is a medicine, what it truly cures is the rising cost of communication between brands and consumers.
According to incomplete statistics from Gasgoo, approximately 700 new passenger vehicle model lines were launched in the domestic market in the first seven months of this year—averaging over 3.3 per day. July 16 was dubbed "Crazy Thursday," when six brands—Li Auto, XPENG, IM Motors, Wuling, Leapmotor, and WEY—collectively released seven new models within two and a half hours.
New cars are flooding in like a tide, yet their power, range, intelligent driving, and cockpits are rapidly converging. It is becoming increasingly difficult for brands to build long-term differentiation based solely on technical parameters.
Regarding this, Lang Xuehong, deputy secretary-general of the China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), pointed out that 2026 is a "big year for products" but not a "big year for the market." Manufacturers are rolling out products in droves, yet the market isn't responding enthusiastically. In a market of oversupply, the value of the "moat" of brand identity is becoming increasingly apparent—only brands truly recognized by consumers can navigate cycles and resist fluctuations.
Consumers are increasingly buying not just configurations, but the values the brand represents.
This is also why more and more automakers are starting to cultivate entrepreneur IPs.
Image Source: Wei Jianjun, Lei Jun's personal social platforms
Wei Jianjun, Lei Jun, Richard Yu, Li Xiang, William Li, and He Xiaopeng have all virtually become part of their respective brands.
When consumers discuss Xiaomi EV, Lei Jun is inseparable; when discussing Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, Richard Yu comes to mind; when talking about Li Auto, one associates it with Li Xiang's continuous expression of family user values and product philosophy.
This is no accident.
Compared to stars, entrepreneurs possess three natural advantages.
First, authenticity. Consumers might not believe a star drives a specific car every day, but they will believe a founder truly participated in product development and brand building.
Second, continuity. Celebrity collaborations often last a year or two, whereas entrepreneurs grow with the brand over the long term, allowing brand identity to accumulate continuously.
Third, explanatory power. When products upgrade, strategies shift, or controversies arise, entrepreneurs can communicate with users immediately—a role stars cannot fulfill.
Thus, in recent years, we've seen an interesting shift: the frequency of automakers hiring stars hasn't increased significantly, but the frequency of entrepreneurs making public appearances has climbed.
Because companies increasingly realize that what truly builds long-term brand equity isn't a trending topic, but a sustained, stable, and credible brand identity.
Of course, this doesn't mean stars are no longer important.
Stars are responsible for establishing the first impression; entrepreneurs for continuously managing the brand; but what ultimately retains consumers is the product experience itself.
For this reason, Li Fenggang of Beijing Hyundai proposed at the 2026 China Automotive Forum that the key to differentiated competition lies in crafting a unique brand image.
Stars are just one way of expressing a brand, not the brand itself.
Identity Marketing Also Has Its Boundaries
Identity marketing can quickly establish brand connections, but it also entails higher risks.
One major pitfall is mistaking the star for the brand itself.
One of the most controversial cases in the international auto industry recently is Jaguar's brand rebranding. The new ad campaign featured almost no cars, no driving scenarios—just fashion models and abstract visuals. The brand hoped to build a new identity, but left many consumers asking: "Where are the cars?"
The brand wanted to express the future, but consumers didn't know who the brand actually was. This is a textbook case of identity expression disconnecting from brand perception.
Returning to the Chinese market, the SAIC Audi case illustrates this too.
Xiao Zhan wasn't the problem. The real issue was that the brand itself hadn't established a clear identity at the time. No amount of traffic could compensate for a vague brand positioning.
Therefore, the biggest risk with a star isn't negative news, but that it amplifies the brand's own issues.
The clearer the brand positioning, the more effective the star; the fuzzier the positioning, the more likely the star is to expose that fuzziness to a wider audience.
Beyond that, there is an even more worrying risk—identity dependency.
If consumers remember Lei Jun but not Xiaomi EV; remember Richard Yu but not Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance; remember a certain star but not the car model itself, then the brand's true competitiveness has yet to be built.
The development of international mature brands has proven that those capable of surviving cycles ultimately rely not on a single individual, but on the brand itself.
Stars can help a brand make its first introduction. Entrepreneurs can help build the first round of trust.
But what truly keeps consumers for the long term is the product, technology, service, and the ability to consistently deliver on promises.
Identity marketing is never about finding the most influential person, but about building a brand worth identifying with for the long haul.
Closing Remarks
The previous article discussed how traditional user portraits are failing. This piece attempts to answer another question: When user portraits fail, how can brands establish new connections with consumers?
The answer isn't more precise segmentation by age or gender, nor is it finding stars with higher traffic. It is about building a brand identity that consumers are willing to embrace.
From Land Rover Defender to MHERO M817, from Xiao Zhan's two endorsements to the entrepreneur IPs of Lei Jun and Richard Yu, we see the same trend: brands are increasingly fighting not for a specific class of consumers, but for a lifestyle, a set of values, and an identity.
In the past, brands used user portraits to find consumers; today, consumers use brands to find an identity that expresses themselves.
This may be the true marker of automotive marketing entering its next stage.
But as all brands begin leveraging celebrity personas, emotional value, and values to shape identity, new questions arise: Will mass-produced identity lead to homogenization? Can auto brands continue to hold the power to define their users?
We will continue to explore this in the next article.
