In many respects, the automotive industry is quite a traditional one, particularly when it comes to its digital presence and how its products – cars – are presented digitally.
But with fewer and fewer consumers visiting car dealerships in person, instead opting to interact with automotive companies online, brands are beginning to realise that a change is needed in the way that they approach digital strategy.
Audi is one of those brands. In October 2017, Audi UK revolutionised its approach to digital with the launch of beta.audi.co.uk: a mobile-first, fully responsive online experience that was designed to put the customer back at the centre of the car-buying process.
The website was initially launched as an A/B test to compare performance with Audi’s existing desktop and mobile sites, and after delivering impressive returns, has since been rolled out to all of audi.co.uk’s visitors.
Antony Roberts, who joined Audi UK as Head of Digital in 2016, spearheaded the transformation of Audi UK in partnership with Somo, Audi UK’s long-time digital collaborator. I spoke to Roberts, together with Ross Sleight, Chief Strategy Officer at Somo, about how Audi UK and Somo came to develop and launch the beta.audi.co.uk site; the results it yielded; the inspiration for Audi UK’s revamped approach to digital; and what the future holds both for Audi UK and for the automotive industry.