This is one of the key findings of a recent GfK survey of car buyers, in which more than 75% of respondents agreed with the statement 'If I went to a dealership, I wouldn’t want to be sold a car. I’d rather look at the cars and then approach a sales person when I’m ready'.
Here are a few ways that automakers are helping buyers experience their brands and move toward a purchase.
- Audi City is an online and in-person virtual experience of selected models in life-size form. Consumers can design the Audi of their dreams. At the Audi City showroom in Mayfair, London, visitors can use interactive screens to explore various options, see cars in action, etc. It's a social media experience, too, on Facebook, as well as on Twitter.
- Nissan Innovation Centre at London's O2 Arena is a non-dealership devoted to giving consumers a positive brand experience without sales pressure. Prospective buyers can even take Nissan models for test-drives--especially important for newer models like the electric Leaf, which are seeking much higher market share in a challenging economic environment. 'Few manufacturers rely solely on the dealership for marketing but this is the customer’s key touchpoint at the end of the purchase process', says Nissan's GB marketing director.
- Telegraph Festival of Motoring, launched earlier this year, is the newspaper's virtual supplement featuring six automotive brands: Alfa Romeo, Kia, Volvo, Honda, Audi and Vauxhall. Videos, webinars, online chats and more offered the opportunity for car buyers and brand fans to see the latest and greatest, ask questions and get a peek at future designs. No hard sell, just a fun brand experience.
