Audacity of Digital – The Next Mobility Experiences

The changing face of the new consumer

There is a whole new generation that is shaping many industries simultaneously – from automotive to consumer goods, from agri products to healthcare. This is a generation that is growing up on DIY habits, travelling the world, living off AirBNBs and Ride-sharing of cars and bikes, Freedom for this generation means investing in alternative careers and learning new skills and cultures, and taking part in the change that they want to see through inclusion of LGBT rights and Climate Change. Automakers would do well to pay a lot more attention to this single largest numerator of their target audience.

What then are the trends that characterize this new audience?

There are really 8 of them:

Value Me - Consumers are increasingly viewing their digital identity and data as a commodity, and are looking to enter open exchanges with brands that must offer rewards in return for richer, deeper insights.

IntelligentlyON - In our constantly connected world, and with increasingly blurred boundaries between digital and non-digital worlds, people are seeking more intelligent ‘always on’ relationships with technology. 

The Right To Anonymity - We want to control our privacy and to have a right to delete our digital footprint

My Analytics –describes the consumer trend for tracking habits and activities, measuring performance and seeking insights from personal data and strategizing around self improvement.

Enhancing The Real - Technology is binding to many of our complex human senses. Technology will increasingly deliver tactility, in combination with graphics and sound, for a more complete, and more engaging, sensory experience. Enhancing the Real is where the boundaries between the virtual and the real really do blur

Age Of Serendipity - As experiences online continue to be driven by social models, consumers will increasingly look for more serendipitous encounters online that deliver solutions that they never looked for. These encounters will surprise, challenge and enhance opportunities to voyage and discover

Niche Networks - Consumers are looking for more personal and local experiences online. The one-stop-shop experiences are being supplemented with other services that offer the depth and quality experience consumers crave

Creator Culture - New coding cultures are emerging globally. Experimentalism, creativity and desire for progress and achievement lie at the heart of the culture in both mature and emerging markets

What fuels consumer enthusiasm around a Brand

Consumer enthusiasm around any brand must be predicated by all of the above and more importantly around how any product creates enthusiasm, is addictive and productive and thereby garners a position of habit in their lives. It is only then that consumers would want to opt-in and actively seek an opportunity to connect with the brand. That’s when we will see the progression from being Indifferent to Interested; then from Interested to engaged and finally from Engaged to Addicted.

Too much time and money has been spent on digital retail experiences – from Experience Stores to Dealerships at Home. Unfortunately, that is not going to be enough for the new consumer.

They are is looking for experiences that are truly personalized, addictive and productive

The definition of Customer Lifetime Value must therefore undergo a radical change. It can no longer be a function of aggregated purchases that a consumer makes over time but on the number and quality of opportunities that a consumer provides to the manufacturer by opting in; thereby providing opportunities to the OEM to learn more and design better products. Automakers have woken up and begun to pay attention to lifestyle changes in their design – that is great news.

But there is a long road ahead, if automakers really want consumers to fall in love with their brands again, they have to focus on the next experiences that are personal, addictive and productive.

The Automotive Industry must wake up to their “WhatsApp-Moment” – the consumers are waiting.

Views expressed in this post are personal