Digital: Honda uses data to fine-tune content
In the past, car dealerships played a vital role in determining which car hit the right rational and emotional cues for buyers. But today, by the time a customer visits a car dealership or two they have reached the end of a 2-3 month buying process and have already selected the car they want. At this stage the dealership visit is simply a validation of a decision that’s already been made. Honda recognised this issue, crunched the data and created the virtual test drive and car showroom, to bring a real feel to its online marketing and capture buyers attention earlier on.
Campaign scope
Digitas won Honda’s pan-European content work in 2017, to develop a fully integrated suite of engaging and informative content for the Honda car brands. This content marketing and customer experience project is part of that remit. It’s intended to bring the Honda Jazz, Civic, HR-V and CR-V models to life. It extends beyond the UK to 22 markets speaking 17 languages across Europe. The production process leaned upon neuroscience techniques to test the impact of alternative visualisations in communicating the desirability of these Honda cars.
Together with London-based VR film-makers Mad Cow Films and CGI experts Saddington Baynes, Honda created a suite of around 20 virtual test drive and showroom films.
CIM 2018 award winner
The virtual films feature a realistic first person test-drive experience which was created by Digitas and virtual reality gurus Mad Cow Films combined with a virtual showroom experience from CGI film producers Saddington Baynes. This content is deployed on Honda websites and across social media.
The data-first approach has garnered Saddington Baynes and Digitas a CIM Marketing Excellence Award for Best use of data and insight 2018.
Data defines who and what
Around 85% of UK driving license holders own a vehicle with independence being their primary motivator for purchase. But buying a car goes beyond the practical requirement to be able to get to work, and logical considerations of price and fuel economy, and taps into emotional triggers linked to our own values and self-image.
Digitas crafted the films in response to the specific attitudes and lifestyles of each model’s customer group to reflect what matters to them for the virtual test drive. TGI and New Car Buyer data was used, together with search and social stats to identify features and benefits that would resonate with these buyers, for the showroom element of the reel. In this way data revealed a clear portrait of the audience for each film and the features of the car that matter most to them.
Testing reactions during production
Scroll to view the Saddington Baynes behind the scenes video
Saddington Baynes used its Engagement Insights® tool to test alternative treatments during production. This uses neuroscience to identify subconscious reactions. This included testing eight alternative showroom visualisations which imagined spaces with different materials and light levels, for example.
It was also used to test alternative ways of visualising the features of each car. Would a wavy or curved line better symbolise the reversing sensor, would more or less motion blur encourage positive feelings towards the car?
Alternatives were tested to discover which had the greatest impact on a perception of being sporty and advanced; believable; creating emotional pull and intent to purchase.
The thinking is that standard questioning techniques leave room for customers to modify their responses to the ones they feel are appropriate, whilst reactions captured through the agency’s Engagement Insights tool are subconscious and automatic which means they are genuine and irrefutable.
The result
This virtual experience has increased engagement and moved potential buyers further along the buying process for Honda. Digitas report these KPIs:
- Increased site dwell time by 13 ½ minutes (6 x increase)
- Doubled the likelihood of users selecting Honda’s Book a Test Drive process
- Doubled the likelihood of users selecting Honda’s personalisation option to configure a car to the driver’s requirement
Interested in the CIM Marketing Excellence Awards?
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