Showcasing the Showroom

Increasingly, it’s the experience in and around the showroom environment that’s getting prepped ahead of automakers’ pitches. New technologies, elements of fantasy and iconic architecture and service that goes the extra mile are all being utilized to convince car buyers to plunk down their cash for a new car.

All of these efforts are alike in that they bring the brand’s showroom experience, traditionally a bold, sleek, clean environment, to the shopper, whether it’s online or in their own living room.

Jaguar Land Rover / Jaguar Land Rover Virtual Experience

Using a 3D projection environment, JLR has created a system to create images of its vehicles in nearly any location using just a display screen and a laptop.

Customers can view over 300 images of a car’s inside and outside, open the doors, and even fire up the ignition, toggling between the automaker’s entire range of car, trim levels and options and features.

Unveiled for the first time at the Paris Motor Show, the system was originally intended for just the F-TYPE Jaguar and the Range Rover, but the company has adapted it to the entire range of cars. Additionally, there’ll be a home-to-phone-to-visual element, where people creating their dream vehicle on their home PC can save it to their phone, then come to wherever the Virtual Experience is present to see it up close and personal. Well, close at least.

In an era of customization, where dealerships can’t stock an enormous range of cars, the Virtual Experience solves an important problem: customers can’t fall in love with a car they can’t see. The Virtual Experience can turn any area into a showroom, and bring that car to life.

Andy Goss, president of Jaguar Land Rover North America, told The New York Times early this year that in 2000, people made an average of 7.5 visits to a dealer before placing an order. In 2010, that figure was 1.3 visits, with shoppers conducting 80% of research on their own. Jaguar Land Rover knows people using information to enable their purchase decision in a way they can’t quite own in experiential channels, but now with Virtual Experience they can be ready for a car buyer who’s got a lot of knowledge (and maybe even a specific model and color in mind) when they walk in the door.

Hyundai / Virtual Test Drive

We’ve seen a few different virtual test drives before, but the latest for Hyundai’s i30 from South Africa’s iLogic Agency brings new dimensions into the affair.

iLogic parked a special i30 at nightspots in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, and allowed test drives. But the car never moved. Drivers’ moves, along with their co-driver in the passenger seat, were projected on the inside of the windshield as they participated in a driving challenge. The game forced them to work together, collecting power-ups based on vehicle features. A fun twist broadcast the drivers’ actions onto HD screens outside the car, including one camera trained directly on their faces. Photos from the most intense moments were posted to the drivers’ Facebook walls, while those waiting in line could use a touchscreen to explore the car’s brochure.

The genius bit of this? Normally, when you’ve had a few cocktails, test driving is off limits. But in this case, you could leave the club and play a fun game, while still interacting with the car. Meanwhile, the Amplified Live component (as mentioned in last month’s column) makes it easy to share the result, whether it’s a high score or a funny photo

Audi / My Audi Tracker

Our last example comes from Canada, where Audi has seen surprising success over the last few years. Sales of the A8, Audi's signature product, are up over 220% through May 2012, according to Automotive News.

Agency BIMM created My Audi Tracker to help the brand manage its sales volume of custom Audis. 
The My Audi Tracker features behind the scenes video, images and information to bring the manufacturing process to life, and keep the car buyers sated before they were able to fire up the engine. The site also included profiles of workers and videos showing how specific models were being assembled. 'Most car dealerships, you go in, you take a test drive and you put down your deposit and it’s "See you later." This is all about customer delight, which is a big thing that Audi stands for, and about providing the unexpected,' BIMM chief creative officer Roehl Sanchez told Marketing. 'From a brand perspective, this should get people engaged with the brand beyond just picking up the keys. They’re feeling they are a valued customer, because they’re getting a one-of-a-kind experience that’s relevant to their vehicle in real-time, which doesn’t happen very often.' 



Knowing What You’ve Got /

The company already had a system to track the autos in place; it was all about figuring out how that process could be turned outward. 
'That’s when a light bulb went off,' Sanchez said. 'That black box follows a vehicle from the time the order gets placed to the time it gets placed on the ship. [Our challenge was] could we find a way to connect that with some kind of communication so the customer gets a play-by-play of what’s going on with their vehicle.' Because of its success in a pilot with 20% of Canadian dealerships, the programme is being exported to Europe, where, presumably the trip from factory to garage is a little bit shorter.

This is a great effort that fits perfectly in line with the trend of social business. People want to know what happens behind the scenes of a company, particularly when they spend a huge amount of money on a specially created automobile. People are starving for high-quality information about their purchases and My Audi Tracker recognises this. It turns the wait for a newly-ordered car into a thrilling experience, rather than a nuisance, allowing people to savour in the moment and takes a personalised approach to help customers appreciate the attention that has gone into creating their customised premium vehicle.

Three different brands in three different regions turned around three different ways to take their automobile experience from the showroom and bring them to life in a place that’s more relevant to their consumers. Automakers, please: if we wake up and there’s someone in an ill-fitting suit drinking coffee in the kitchen, you’ve gone too far.

One final note: If you fancy a trip to London for a Contagious gala event, we’re all getting things ready for Most Contagious 2012, our big unveil of the year’s most important ideas. We’re calling it ‘The World in a Day,’ and it’s all kicking off on 12/12/12 at Kings Place. For more information, visit Most Contagious.





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