Automotive Insight Report: Reframing Customer Intimacy During the Metamorphosis of the Agency Model and Beyond
Written by Jason Craker on
On the 30th November 2023, we hosted our annual automotive roundtable event in partnership with AvartoConnect and Sport in Mind at Frameless, an immersive art experience in London. The agenda for this year's event was to explore how we can reframe customer intimacy within the agency model to provide a more seamless and personalised customer experience to rival the investments other sectors have made in this area. It was agreed that we need to create a more compelling value exchange in order to create a rich picture of each individual customer and their buying journey.
As with our previous event at Bletchley Park, we were privileged to have attendees from leading bodies across the automotive sector - from OEMs, leading industry bodies, retailers, and platform providers to insurance and compliance experts, security experts and designers - each with their own unique and valuable perspective.
The report highlights some key takeaways from the day as follows:
- The customer’s buying journey isn’t linear - We need to understand our customers’ behaviours and preferences to design seamless omni-channel experiences which support individuals.
- We didn’t get here by design - We need a complete and accurate picture of our current state to understand what works well and what causes friction and frustration.
- Wall-to-wall digital isn’t the answer - People buy from people. The ideal solution is an optimised blend of technology and human interaction.
- What’s in it for me? - Customers won’t care about the agency model unless it delivers a better experience than today
- We need a compelling value exchange - We must explain the benefits customers will receive from sharing data because they are reluctant to engage with organisations they don’t know or trust
- Simplify - We have too many disjointed legacy systems. Our processes have numerous gaps and redundancies which frustrate customers. We must identify and remove these sources of friction
- Use data effectively - Data is only useful when it becomes actionable insight. Products, services, and experiences created from incorrect assumptions will alienate customers
- Value employees - Employee experience is as important as customer experience. They are the front line and key to building lasting relationships. We must create an environment in which the right behaviours are reinforced
- Reframe our perspective - We are creatures of habit, our view of the world is coloured by biases and preconceptions. It’s time to put these aside and look at things afresh
- Be comfortable with the uncomfortable - In a world that’s constantly accelerating and in motion, we must adopt a growth mindset and live in the moment.
Download our full automotive insight report here: