It shouldn’t be a secret that auto shows are an essential part of the OEM brand calendar. Nowhere else can OEMs connect with a large volume of highly engaged consumers than at major international auto shows.
But there are flaws in the current system. For their experiential and event marketing campaigns, automotive brands currently rely on too many disparate tools and agency partners. On top of that, brand marketing teams and their agencies have less time and resources to deliver even greater results.
Automakers today face many challenges: changing consumer behaviours, digital disruption, and broken experiences. Watch our latest webinar, “The Future of Experiential & Events: How Top OEMs Leverage Digital To Impact Engagement & Bottom-Line Results,” and learn what major brands like Cadillac and GM are doing to deliver a rich brand experience and drive sales across tiers.
The question on everyone’s mind is: How can I make sure I maximize every consumer touch point leading up to, during and after the event in multiple way to increase handraisers, leads and sales?
This guide will outline how these teams can do more with less to improve the results of their auto show marketing.
How can you increase efficiencies in your auto show workflow? What options are available? And, most importantly, how can OEMs track results for auto shows, ride ‘n’ drives/test drives and more to ensure they are meeting their desired objectives? All this information and more, below.
Contents
Problem: Too Many Tools, Too Little Time
Let’s get straight to it: Automotive marketers and their agencies depend on a variety of tools and custom solutions to run their auto show experiences.
They use a CMS to build their microsites, survey software to create contests/surveys and analytic tools to track and report on consumer behavior.
The majority of OEMs also specialize in a segment of their auto show with custom solutions. One provider will focus on a wheel stand, another on digital kiosks, and so forth.
The outcome? Subscription and licensing fees for multiple products are costly. Additionally, your agency or internal team must create a new asset each time. It’s not surprising that 54% of car buyers would pay more for a better buying experience, even if the price wasn’t the lowest. Putting the customer first is the first step to better outcomes. More and more OEMs are using digital to improve efficiencies across their own efforts and for the consumer.
They see an opportunity to significantly increase sales, increase engagement, and reduce expenses. In the coming years, the leading auto brands will be distinguished from the laggards by these internal operational efficiencies. But don’t take our word for it.
Creating a clear and unified view of the consumer purchase journey to improve handoff from OEM to dealer could increase average spending effectiveness by up to 67%.
An enhanced omnichannel customer experience will generate $263 billion in direct revenue and efficiency savings for the automotive industry over the next ten years. The best practices below were compiled by sourcing third-party data from industry experts such as Forrester, Accenture and Autotrader, and by analyzing internal data working with hundreds of OEMs across North American Auto Shows.
Using Software To Improve Auto Show Results
If automotive brands want to create an experience that’s as premium as they are, digital must be an essential part of their strategy.
McKinsey analyzed 24 customer touch points for more than 9,000 new car buyers and identified seven core touch point dimensions of consumers’ willingness to pay. Of these, digital experience ranked second most important, just behind live experience.
This rest of this blog provides eight actionable best practices to help automotive marketers improve the overall digital auto show experience for consumers, increase the quality and quantity of engagements and ultimately sell more vehicles at the dealership.
These practical recommendations will assist you in developing an onsite display and digital system that piques customers’ interest, provides them with a seamless experience, and provides sales representatives with the essential information they require to provide customers with the most personalized service possible, regardless of whether you are targeting the luxury automobile market or the general consumer market.
1) Interactive Wheel Stand Kiosks
Capitalize on the traffic and awe that your vehicles generate with strategically placed wheel stand kiosks.
These interactive kiosks, located beside display vehicles, should act as your hub for consumer engagement with basic product information and brand imagery.
They are, at their core, attractive, interactive product brochures that pique the interest of customers. Check off the following to maximize the impact of your wheel stand kiosks. Engagement with your brand is never higher than at an auto show. Customers are provided with a comprehensive overview of the models and trim levels you offer that are being displayed by your wheel stand interface. Capture relevant consumer data with forms and contesting that are easy and intuitive to use.
Contact a dealer, request a test drive, and request a brochure are all effective CTAs. Integrate decision trees and multiple consumer experiences. Based on the unique inputs of onsite customers, these consumer journeys are built on the principle of serving personalized content and relevant calls to action. Your interactive wheel stand not only acts as an informative and engaging brochure, but also as a portal for further targeted engagement with your brand that extends beyond the auto show.
Transmit any information collected through forms and calls to action right from your wheel stand kiosk straight to the dealership, and sort by postal code, so that these leads can be followed up by local sales reps.
2) App for Product Specialists
Consider building a product specialist app to create an interactive experience for brand ambassadors. With the app, they will be able to look through the consumer’s basic information, as well as images, models and videos of the cars.
The goal of this app is twofold: it offers an additional entry option to floor kiosks while also acting as an extension of the kiosk experience.
The more information you can collect from each person, the better you can service them—and ultimately sell more cars. The following should be capabilities of your app: Be both functional and attractive. You can gradually profile and collect more information by including relevant calls to action and consumer information questions. The specialist app, in contrast to the wheel stand kiosk, includes more in-depth product information and specific calls to action for scheduling test drives and dealership appointments. For consumers who are interested in the detailed product information, make sure the app has the ability to book specialists on the showroom floor.
Have your floor representatives approach consumers for deeper engagement.
3) Pre-Invitations for Customers
Reward current customers and loyal brand enthusiasts before the auto show with customized invitations that include incentives like free tickets, discounts, or preferred entry to the auto show. These invitations are particularly effective for consumers with a short purchase timeline.
With a simple personalized digital invitation, you not only reward their loyalty, but create an opportunity for deeper engagement, and extended data capture and up-selling or cross-selling at the auto show or dealership. Maximize your pre-invitation strategy by doing the following:
Cultivate an atmosphere of exclusivity for these guests—something they won’t forget.
Give your loyal customers a first look at your newest product line or set up a VIP area with complimentary drinks and food for them. These are crucial factors in determining how much they value the invitation. Your product specialist can then come over with a visual app, and take down consumer information.
The digital experience should mirror the exclusivity of the in-person one: Data entry, onsite applications, check-ins and product kiosks should incorporate a simple user interface, upscale branding and the ability to deliver automated personalized content.
Send a thank-you email and relevant content to customers following the event to encourage them to buy a car and assist them in making a decision. 4) Contests for Hand-Raisers
Qualified leads may be the most likely targets to convert to a sale, but hand-raisers form the foundation of your future marketing efforts. They haven’t purchased a car yet, but have shown interest in your brand by providing their basic information.
It’s important to capitalize on the shear traffic of the auto show and collect as many hand-raisers as possible. One of the most effective ways to do this to offer contesting.
Maximize opportunities with hand-raisers by offering contesting with a higher perceived value.
Offer a prize with a high perceived value such as a once-in-a-lifetime or VIP experience to increase engagement and capture more data.
Unlock high perceived prize value by developing hyper targeted contest experiences in locations and venues where the majority of consumers have a proven interest in the specific opportunity you’re offering.
Example: During a recent promotion of the newly redesigned Civic, Honda encouraged consumers to become “Fantographers” by taking photos of the Civic on display and posting to social media with the hashtag #CivicReborn for the chance to win great prizes. This improved the performance of Honda’s contest by enticing consumers to become brand advocates with the simple addition of social sharing.