Now is possibly the best time to fall in love with automobiles again!

There was a time in the not-too-distant past where automobile manufacturers relied largely on their engineering capabilities to compete in the market: superior driving, performance, and vehicle reliability. While these are still at the core of marketing for automobile brands, one can note a significant shift in customer preferences when it comes to their decision-making in purchasing.

Customers today are increasingly seeking out the experiences that a brand can bring for them. This stems from the need to associate with a brand on a deeper level or as a part of their extended self, as coined by Russel Belk a business academic, in 1988. His study highlights the need for brand communities that are organized around the ethos of the brand, leading to a certain?lifestyle. Adding to this, customers today are increasingly focused on ensuring the best experience for them and their families. For the auto industry, this has translated into an increase in communities, which according to marketing expert Mark Schaefer, helps the customer belong to the brand. Over the past few years, there have been increasing reports across the world showcasing this shift in the market, changing the way we interact with the automobile industry.

In 1983, the customer outlook on purchasing changed, and Harley-Davidson shifted gears to becoming a community-centric brand. Today, the brand has one of the largest communities globally and has been rated as one of the top 50 brands globally. Central to the brand's turnaround success is the company’s commitment to building a community; organised around the lifestyle, activities, and ethos of the brand.

Catering to the growing need, brands are now bringing forward the unimaginable in terms of customer service and experience, allowing the customer to curate their journey with the brand. The future of the industry lies in memorable customer experiences, and this can be noted globally. While automobile brands have always had museums dedicated to their history and heritage,?brands today are opening doors to their workshop floors and design centers, enabling customers to interact with the brand in ways like never before. Innovation in terms of customer experiences as well as engineering crosses new bounds on a quarterly basis. Innovation, in every way possible, is certainly what drives the automobile industry, making the present possibly the best time to own an automobile.

With India being the 3rd largest auto market in the world, and the largest two-wheeler market,?several auto companies are working towards the growing trend in community and experiences extending beyond the traditional marketing roles. Ownership subscriptions, once a wild concept from the West, is now something a growing number of households are opting for. From Maruti to Royal Enfield, global rental options negate the need to own a vehicle. Consumers can now plan one ride or short-term ownership that suits their specific needs.

With this shift in consumption patterns in the automotive industry, there’s also been an increasing number of festivals and IPs over the past decade catering to this market, along with brand-led experiences for customers, - HOG Rallies, Joytown by BMW, RE Motoverse, TVS Moto Soul, Suzuki Matsuri, Maruti Jimny Rock & Road, Porsche Festival of Dreams, The Great 4x4 Expedition by Toyota, Isuzu’s Truck Life, Jaguar Art of Performance, etc. Countless individual groups and communities are budding across the country and it is a truly rewarding time for brands to enable their journey. Communities such as off-roaders, classic car collectors, overlanders, and motorcycling enthusiasts are increasingly being catered to by boutique operators - Mille Miglia Dubai, Adventures Overland, Helmet Stories, Learn Off-Road, Throttle Shottle, Underground, Valley Run, Vanani Camper van hires.??

Brands are exploring the passion and focusing on building a lifestyle around it. For example,? BMW’s presence at the Oberoi Concours D’Elegance. The Mercedes Classic Car Rally and all their initiatives to enable Mercedes classic car collectors is a testament to the growing influence of niche communities in the overall marketing mix.

A Quarter Century of Building Auto Brands and Culture at 70EMG?

Keeping up with the growing demand and curiosity of consumers, and partnering with brands over the last quarter of a century, 70EMG has curated countless unique experiences in the automotive industry. The shift from the traditional drives allowing attendees to experience the magic of the vehicles, to an entirely curated weekend packed with local experiences has made our team experts in the space.

Over the past decade, our teams have worked on community management events for Tata SOUL, Isuzu IV League, Ducati, and Jaguar Land Rover multi-city experiences and also partnered with Harley Davidson on setting up the foundation of the HOG India chapters, each experience being curated for the consumers.

Bringing our love for auto, together with our knowledge and expertise in curating extensive drives and unique launches, team 70EMG has promoted experience-led events like “Cartier Travel with style” focusing on classic car collectors across the country, and “India Bike Week” (IBW), the largest community event for motorcycling enthusiasts in the country, giving us a distinctive ringside view of the motoring community.

Increasingly, we are seeing brands focus on consumer experiences, especially moving up the value chain. Lamborgini Giro Drives, AMG, Audi, and BMW through their Joy Town events, Mini, Fans of Skoda including their dealerships - run successful CX programs to create brand value. Other brands like Renault successfully run their Gang of Dusters, and Mahindra with their ‘Adventure’ series, Camp Jeep, and Hyundai Explorers which encompasses everything from Arrive and Drives to Overland Expeditions.

With the constantly growing and evolving market and an increasing focus on consumer experience, it seems like an interesting time for customers to allow brands to enrich their lives to a whole new level.