As one of the biggest markets for the brand, consumers in China prefer to buy a stock-ready car or one that would be arriving, rather than go through the process of personalization. In today’s times, most cars are pre-configured by dealerships to ensure there is a pipeline of ready cars, with the main objective – for quicker sales.

We were tasked to create a dynamic brand experience that fascinates customers about the possibilities they can build on their own; one that is also easy for sales consultants to follow up with the centralized sales process system without additional cumbersome steps such as having to disconnect between the physical display and going through the online configurator which is slow to load.

To close this gap, we looked at experience touch points that would delight a customer, and built a unique service which gave the brand a chance to ingrain themselves into the customer’s lifestyle and behavior.

Instead of the typical personalization services targeting color, material and function, we asked questions about the activities in the customers' daily life and their driving passion to derive a recommended personalized solution for the customers. They are encouraged to pick up their preferred car model, see the colors, touch the car parts, feel the materials, listen to the sounds to experience, and zoom in on the various details.

Through exploring 6 lifestyle and artistic installations, customers select a persona that best represents them, and a pre-curated configuration recommendations will be generated as the starting point of an individual ‘garage’ experience, where they start to build their dream car by interacting with various real options.

The target lies in the 25 to 55 year olds, both male and females who desire quality and outward ways to demonstrate their styles and personalities. For these, the car is often seen as a status symbol, to showcase and differentiate from their peers. They are less knowledgeable about the personalization offer and options.

With an online configurator and showroom displays, these customers did not know how far they could go with the personalization journey. Neither of these created a coherent, intuitive and exclusive experience that would inspire, educate and guide these customers through the journey.

The idea is to play on the customers' lifestyle and work their way to creating the car that genuinely matches who they are.

Through lifestyle installations, customers select a persona best represents them followed by a pre-configured combo of the new model as the starting point of personalization. By interacting with real options with responsively rendering the progress, customers experience an immersive personalization journey. The customer receive a QR code documenting all selections and the sales will help order the personalized option.

Timeline

03/2020 Approval by the brand to develop prototype

05/2020 Appointment of Agency for prototype development

08/2020 Appointment of Agency for experience&interactive development

10/2020 Go Live

12/2020 Hit the road

Placement

07/2020 Prototype launched for dealership training and user testing

10/2020 Live showcase at public ticketed event

11/2020 Retail use case developed for Auto Show

12/2020 Event kit showcase for dealership booking

12/2020 onwards – Event kit roll out at dealership

Scale

100 options displayed with interaction ability

Event kit will tour more than 50 dealerships in 2021

Business Impact: sales, donation, site traffic

As many as 100 personalization options displayed with carefully-considered user experience design and interactions will form an event kit to tour more than 50 China dealerships in 2021. From 256 dealership respondents, 97% have expressed interest in this new concept, and with a score of 9.6 out of 10, there is significant confidence on the potential business impact in terms of sales.

Impressions

Uplift of 20% in experience (consumer research)

Delivers sense of cutting-edge innovation which comes across to consumers as highly unique

Delivers on ability for individualization and trendiness of brand

Consumer awareness

Heightens awareness of customization of seat centres and stitching

Heightens awareness of invisible options and provides education on key features of invisible functions