The future of Marketing | Test Drive Mercedes

“Am o intrebare… cati dintre dumneavoastra acum cinci ani ati fi spus ca argumentul de marketing nr. 1 ca sa vinzi in prezent o masina noua este o tableta conectata la internet?

Probabil aveti doi ani de intarziere fata de competitorii dumneavoastra si ati pierdut 10% din piata… “

Florin Paun, Director Inovare Industriala, Onera.

Marketing the Mercedes way | McKinsey Quarterly

the high-tech and high-touch marketing of an iconic brand (* articol complet)
… his views on what’s driving the future of marketing, particularly at the luxury end.

The Quarterly: Has marketing changed fundamentally since the first golden age?

Ola Källenius: It has become a more challenging game, but I would say that some of the basics are still the same. You need an attitude, a story. You have but two buttons to push—emotion and intelligence, heart and mind (* Buyology / Limbic brain).

The Quarterly: What does the digital side allow you to do that you couldn’t do before?

Ola Källenius: Here’s one example where big data has actually changed the way we’re doing business: car2go.1 We know everything that happens to those cars, 24/7, around the year. If you start analyzing that data, you can see patterns.

We can also improve the customer experience so there is a one-to-one relationship with the customer. That’s what we do now with “Mercedes me,” which allows our customers to have a unique Mercedes ID. This allows seamless integration between your smartphone and your car, and between us and our vehicles. We know, for example, how your brake pads are wearing. That data lets us know when a car needs service even before the customer does, so we can prompt a service appointment.

The Quarterly: How important is it for you to integrate marketing into product development?

Ola Källenius: We have completely reorganized our marketing and sales department instead of having different things in different areas, and have created what we call “best customer experience.”

We’ve improved the customer experience by eliminating the pressure of the transaction.

Presiune? De ce Apple nu are vanzatori?

The Quarterly: Which becomes a key facet of this new golden age, does it not?

Ola Källenius: The founding father of our company called it: “The best or nothing.” What did he mean when he said that? He was not talking about a product description, per se. He was talking about attitude. You don’t rest on your laurels. You move beyond.

We push the emotional button very consciously across touch points in marketing. And the great thing with Mercedes is that you do have emotional brands. When you buy a Mercedes, it’s always been about the dream of the little kidone day driving the star… 😉