Revolutionizing Car Sales: Mercedes-Benz’s Redefinition of the Automotive Buying Journey with Blings.io Technology
“Mercedes-Benz single goal is to put our customers first. By adding MP5 videos to our portfolio, we were able to introduce an entirely new opportunity for dealerships to include video in their promotions delivering higher conversion rates and engagement.“
Background
Mercedes-Benz, an epitome of luxury and automotive excellence, has consistently set the standard in the global automobile industry. This prestigious brand is celebrated for its unwavering commitment to unparalleled quality, elegant design, and advanced technology, firmly positioning itself as a paragon of superior driving experiences. With a heritage that stretches over a century, Mercedes-Benz is not just a symbol of prestige; it embodies a relentless pursuit of perfection in engineering and an unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction. Always at the vanguard of innovation, Mercedes-Benz is committed to exceeding the expectations of its sophisticated clientele, continually redefining the boundaries of automotive technology to cater to the refined tastes of those who seek more than just a vehicle, but a symbol of status and achievement.
Another critical objective for Mercedes-Benz was to align its sales strategy with the ambitious goal of selling 25% of its cars online by 2025. This required innovative approaches to digital car buying experiences, adapting to the evolving consumer behaviors and the digital transformation of the automotive market. The brand understood the necessity of integrating digital touchpoints throughout the customer journey, ensuring that the luxury experience they are known for in the showroom is also reflected in the online environment.
Challenges
The primary challenge for Mercedes-Benz, was to modernize the car presentation and sales process on its website, as well as in its dealerships and distributors’ online and offline digital touchpoints. The traditional use of static vehicle images no longer met the evolving expectations of a digitally savvy customer base and luxury-oriented brand. Mercedes-Benz aimed to create a more dynamic, informative, and visually compelling presentation of its vehicles, one that not only showcased its high-end features but also reflected the brand’s commitment to sophistication and excellence. This approach was designed to captivate potential buyers with an immersive experience, enhancing the allure of their luxury vehicles and improving sales efficacy.
A significant part of their challenge was leading in digital innovation. Mercedes-Benz sought to enhance both the online and in-dealership experience, providing an immersive and engaging journey for potential buyers. This was coupled with an effort to foster a new, positive approach to customer engagement, aiming to make every interaction with the brand memorable and personalized.
In their quest to boost customer loyalty, Mercedes-Benz focused on offering customized experiences that showcased its commitment to quality, thereby turning buyers into long-term brand advocates. They also aimed to provide a level of customization in their presentations that made each customer feel uniquely valued, thereby enhancing the overall perception of the brand.
These challenges were integral to Mercedes-Benz’s overarching strategy, contributing to its aim of maintaining its position as a leader in the luxury automotive industry while evolving to meet future market demands.
Campaign
Utilizing Blings.io’s MP5 video technology, known for its dynamic updating capabilities, Mercedes-Benz successfully developed a versatile and interactive video template. This approach enabled a single template to effectively showcase the entire, extensive inventory of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Each video could be dynamically tailored to reflect the specific model and specifications of each vehicle, ensuring a personalized and precise presentation for every item in their vast lineup.
The video templates were developed for use by car dealerships, these videos enhance the online car-buying experience. They enable dealerships to offer a personalized showcase of car features, packages, and extras, catering to the diverse preferences of their clients. A significant feature of these videos is their adaptability to various languages, making them accessible and relevant to a global clientele and personalized for different markets.
Dealerships can automatically create videos for their entire car collection based on the car model, dynamically chosen backgrounds such as tranquil water scenes or high-speed roads, and the ability to choose scenery in daylight or at night and highlight specific car details and equipment. The videos are designed in two formats – both for vertical screens like mobile devices and for usage on computers and digital signage physical screens. They feature a comprehensive 360-degree view, providing a virtual yet realistic representation of the car’s exterior and interior features. This immersive experience is enriched by offering options for a full detailed video, providing an in-depth exploration of the car’s features, or a less detailed version for a quicker overview, catering to different customer needs.
To enhance engagement and interaction, interactive elements such as QR codes for showroom screenings and clickable buttons for web and phone displays were incorporated, facilitating immediate customer engagement
Mercedes-Benz ensured broad accessibility of these videos by integrating them across various platforms, including the ability to embed them in dealership websites and vehicle pages and present them on showroom screens. The videos were made available as an API product, using Blings.io’s client-side SDK for on-the-fly video creation, a video playlist auto-playing multiple vehicles, or downloaded in MP4 format, suitable for use on different portals and social networks.
Moreover, these innovative videos are a powerful tool for dealerships, providing prospective clients with valuable insights into the vehicles before their consultations. They offer a 1:1 representation of the vehicle as it was ordered. This approach not only informs clients but also builds excitement and anticipation, significantly enhancing the pre-sales experience. It establishes a deeper connection between the client and the Mercedes-Benz brand, ultimately enriching the dealership’s sales strategy and customer engagement. The multilingual adaptability of these videos further underscores Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to inclusivity and global reach.
“Another opportunity to turn our customers into fans and enrich the customer journey”.
Results
The campaign orchestrated by Mercedes-Benz using Blings.io technology significantly contributed to achieving key Mercedes-Benz goals:
- Enhanced Customer Experience During Waiting Period: The period between vehicle order and delivery was transformed into a positive experience. By engaging customers with interactive content, the perceived waiting time was effectively shortened, making the anticipation part of the luxury experience.
- Increased Customer Loyalty: The use of a personalized website significantly elevated Mercedes’s profile among customers. This digital touchpoint effectively emotionalized customer loyalty, making each interaction with the brand more meaningful and personalized.
- Customized Appreciation: Allowing customers to visually experience their ordered vehicle before delivery acts as a testament to Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to exceptional care and appreciation. This level of customization not only enhanced the purchase experience but also deepened the customers’ connection with the brand, reflecting a thoughtful approach to customer satisfaction.
- Enhanced Online Decision-Making Process: The engaging and informative nature of the videos played a critical role in the customer decision-making process. Customers spending more time with this content is a significant step towards achieving Mercedes-Benz’s goal of selling 25% of its cars online by 2025. By enhancing the online car-buying experience, the campaign has laid a strong foundation for increasing online sales, aligning perfectly with the company’s future sales strategy.
The campaign played a pivotal role in reinforcing the desirability of Mercedes-Benz cars. The interactive videos brought the cars to life, allowing customers to experience the luxury, sophistication, and advanced features of the vehicles dynamically and engagingly. This approach helped in positioning Mercedes-Benz cars as not just vehicles but as coveted, high-end possessions. Additionally, it not only improved customer interaction but also aligned seamlessly with Mercedes-Benz’s strategic goals of building the world’s most desirable cars, fostering customer loyalty, and advancing their online sales objectives.
Conclusion
This collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Blings.io represents a significant leap in digital innovation within the automotive sales industry. By integrating advanced video technology, Mercedes-Benz has not only enhanced the car buying experience but also reinforced its position as a leader in digital transformation and luxury branding. This case study demonstrates the impactful role of technology in reshaping traditional sales methodologies, while also elevating the brand’s allure and desirability in the market. It solidifies Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences that are synonymous with luxury, sophistication, and exclusivity. This strategic move further cements Mercedes-Benz’s reputation as not just a car manufacturer, but a purveyor of desirable, high-end automotive experiences.
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