Client: Jaguar Land Rover
Agency: Aspen Marketing Services
Objective: Leverage new marketing channels for after-sales retention
Many automobile brands commonly use a blend of traditional and digital strategies to attract new customers. But a growing number of brands, such as Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), are also leveraging cutting-edge technologies to retain customers in an after-sales environment.
“In today’s modern business environment, the best customer is the one you already have, says Stuart Schorr, JLR ‘s VP of communications and public affairs. “That’s why JLR has made a significant effort in recent years to communicate more with its current customers.”
Automotive brands are test-
driving new marketing strategies
driving new marketing strategies
Today, auto manufacturers are incorporating elements such as social media contests and outreach to distinguish their respective brands.
STRATEGY: Aspen Marketing Services provides global CRM and marketing services for JLR ‘s after-sales division, teaming up with 17 of JLR ‘s National Sales Companies (NSC’s), which manage 2,305 dealerships and stores in 177 countries.
“Once a customer purchases a vehicle and becomes part of the family, we have to embrace their decisions; we have to validate their decisions and say they made a great choice throughout their ownership lifecycle,” says John Vierheller, Aspen Marketing Services’ EVP of automotive. “We have to keep them informed based on all their needs as a way to mitigate future defection.”
Vierheller says, “For JLR specifically, we deploy a lot of really relevant content to customers,” he says. “So when we send you an email that says you’re due for service, there’s the ability for you to engage a video library and a subject-matter expert to tell you exactly why your brakes are so important to maintain.”
GOALS: An innovative after-sales strategy allows direct marketers to refine and customize customer communications for an enhanced experience. For example, JLR plans to communicate with its customers across multiple channels including direct mail, email, brochures, and point-of-sales materials. As a result, Vierheller says, JLR will be better equipped to sell customers everything from vehicle maintenance checks and repairs to parts and accessories based on variables such as country, dealership, automobile model, and customer preferred communication channel.
By leveraging digital channels such as email and video libraries, Aspen Marketing Services also plans to help JLR increase retention and thereby cut the significant costs of “conquesting customers from one brand to another,” says Vierheller.
