When car buyers move online you build digital showrooms. Unfortunately, so does
everybody else, and competition gets fiercer by the day. So you need to build a
better, more engaging and more effective showroom and sharpen your online
communication with each buyer. How?
First things first: Mass marketing is stone dead. Because every car buyer is unique,
with different needs, interests, means and priorities. Online they are the ones calling
the shots, and online they expect you to treat them like individuals. When you don’t,
the exit is a single click away, and an alternative deal is always within easy reach.
Buying a car is often a very emotional thing. So, to win each buyer’s heart and mind
you need to present and promote the exactly right vehicle for them. Which means
that you need to identify and highlight the most attractive features of each car. Much
like an experienced car salesperson, but in your online showroom you have to do it
with hundreds or even thousands of cars.
Buyers may like to think of themselves as 100% rational people but, as any
experienced salesperson knows, human beings are easily seduced by brands,
shapes and colours and, not least, the latest cool functions and features.
Emotionally engaging
Video is by far the most effective form of marketing and sales communication,
second only to direct eye-to-eye, heart-to-heart connection. Especially when you
want to address both heart and mind. And, just like eye-to-eye interaction, it can be
intensely, emotionally engaging.
In terms of conveying and clarifying complex information it is also #1.This is why it is
so widely used in conjunction with training, education and complex instructions.
The one limitation of video is, or used to be that it was developed for one-off
productions and therefore both time-consuming and expensive. For car dealers and
market places with their large, never-ending, ever-varied flow of cars it was not a
realistic option. To customize videos for thousands of unique cars you need
automation.
Automation for mass-customization
In 2019 Phyron introduced Video+AI, the world’s first solution for automated, mass-
customized video production. Since then, a number of leading-edge car distributors
and market places are using it to take their marketing and sales into the digital age,
leaving competition way behind.
Phyron’s software is based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is mainly used to
automatically highlight the best selling points and to optimize image quality.
Beyond the technology and services provided by Phyron there is a lot to be learned
from pioneering users, including national VW, BMW, Ford and other retailers, as well
as market places and software partners.
Best practices
The system is very easy to use, and can usually be implemented within just a few
weeks. After that, with the right routines, you only need to invest a few minutes per
car to reap the full benefits of automation. The automated online showroom can
easily be part of the retailer’s physical showroom as well, making life easier and more
rewarding for customers and sales staff alike.
Car dealers around Europe also contributes to shared knowledge and best practices,
for example regarding:
Image quality – Yes, the system does help to enhance any pictures fed into Phyron’s
computers, but sharp and clear original images still makes a difference.
Neutral backgrounds – Yes, the system includes functions to clear the image
backgrounds, but the cleaner background in the original picture, the better final
results.
Information about each car – Yes, the system automatically identifies the most
important features and selling points, and highlights them in the video. But the more
specific information you provide, the better. And don’t forget the soft selling points,
like positive environmental aspects, remaining warranties, service contracts, dealer-
specific initiatives, and so forth.