In the luxury automotive industry, digital functions and digital services are also considered a form of luxury standard. Therefore, the faster anyone is on the path of digital transformation, the more likely they are to capture customers in the new era.
As the first luxury brand to enter the Chinese market, and the first high-end car brand in China to reach the milestone of 7 million vehicles, Audi's digital transformation is also ahead of the curve.
At present, Audi's digital transformation has completed the transformation from "product-centric" to "customer-centric". Audi's goal is not only to digitize products, but also to reflect digitalization in the whole process of user car purchase experience, marketing model, after-sales service and other relationships with users.
Product digitalization first
In the past, users' demands for luxury cars were nothing more than whether the materials showed quality, whether the space was spacious enough, whether the ride was comfortable, and whether the appearance was bright. However, in the digital era, with the users who grew up in the Internet era becoming the main force of the car buying group, this part of the group has added a lot of digital-related needs for luxury. For example, whether the vehicle is intelligent enough and whether it is personalized enough.
Audi, which takes "breakthrough technology and enlightenment of the future" as its brand gene, has long captured the transformation of user needs.
And how to meet the digital needs of these users? Audi is in action.
Audi first used its many years of digital experience to present its products to the ultimate digitalization.
In terms of human-computer interaction, the computing power of the third-generation MIB modular entertainment platform has increased by 10 times, and the AIE Audi intelligent experience can support a variety of interconnected functions. In contrast to the closed system of competitors, Audi has developed the first open app ecosystem for Chinese customers, allowing third-party developers to create tailor-made services and applications for the Audi Multimedia Interactive System (MMI) and integrate other digital assistant services, such as Alibaba's Tmall Genie. At the same time, Audi also cooperated with Tencent last year, so that some Audi models will be able to remotely upgrade OTAs, providing users with WeChat car version and other Tencent in-car service applications.
In the future, Audi's intelligent cockpit system can adjust the cabin environmental parameters such as lighting, seats, air conditioning temperature and so on according to user preferences, and even make real-time adjustments by observing the user's driving conditions and emotions.
This is just the first step in Audi's efforts to digitize its products, followed by more authentic Audi digital technologies.
Previously, Audi has formulated a digital upgrade plan for Chinese users according to the whole process of product to service.
Audi has accumulated unique intelligent networking technology in its digital transformation. Different from the current common intelligent networked vehicles, Audi will take the moving vehicle as the perception object and realize the interconnection between the car and the car, the person and the car and the road with the help of a new generation of information and communication technology.
For example, at the 2021 World Internet of Things Expo, a new generation of test L4 autonomous vehicle modified from the Audi Q8 successfully passed 13 application scenarios on the 6.5-kilometer automatic driving test route. This is also the world's first public demonstration of L4 level autonomous driving technology for road fusion V2X.
Audi is paving the way for the future of advanced intelligent driving, and when autonomous driving technology is commercialized, Audi will lead the industry in providing users with real advanced digital capabilities. It is understood that Audi will introduce more advanced automatic driving and automatic parking functions for domestic models in the future. Highlights will include autonomous driving in intersection scenarios, automatic lane changes, and autonomous driving and parking in garages.
Comprehensively promote the digitalization of services
Audi's digital transformation program covers the entire product-to-service process. In addition to product digitization, Audi is digitizing its service processes with the goal of defining a new standard of luxury for a new era.
As the first luxury brand to have dual partners in China, Audi and its joint venture partners are working together to advance the overall digital upgrade of the customer journey.
For example, FAW-Volkswagen Audi has created an Audi EP business ecosystem digital platform to reshape the product construction process and build a new operating system. With digital technology, Audi engineers can arrange production on the digital platform and see the production status in real time; users can see the logistics and transportation dynamics in real time on the mobile phone, increasing the transparency of the service process. FAW-Volkswagen Audi will also achieve 100% resolution of customer complaints within one day through the Audi Cloud Listening System, the industry's most advanced user digital management platform.
Digitalization will also be reflected in offline physical stores. It is reported that FAW-Volkswagen Audi will upgrade the new digital exhibition hall, and by 2023, Audi will realize the vitality of nearly 600 dealer exhibition halls, using more creative multimedia technology to show product characteristics.
SAIC Audi has also implemented Audi's whole-process digital concept, and its innovative business model has broken the online and offline barriers of traditional brands.
Offline, SAIC Audi has laid out three forms of terminal stores - "Enterprising Hui", Audi City, and Audi City Stores have all been unveiled. Whether it is Audi City or Audi City Store, it only undertakes service functions such as product display and experience, and users need to complete the vehicle configuration selection booking online through the official APP to sign the digital contract directly online. In addition to the product display experience, the function of offline channels has also been given more role and significance of user operation.
For example, in the Audi City, there are more cool cutting-edge experiences such as naked-eye 3D holods and virtual driving experiences, as well as user salon experience areas that focus more on fan socialization and user rest, so that user operations can be landed from online to offline, so that users and SAIC Audi can establish a closer relationship between users and users.
With the gradual rollout of SAIC Audi's offline outlets and the upgrading of FAW-Volkswagen Audi dealer showrooms, by the end of 2022, Audi's offline customer contacts in China are expected to reach more than 700, reflecting Audi's marketing innovation in an all-round way.
In addition, the Audi APP has also become an important contact point for the digital connection between the Sihuan brand and Chinese users. Audi APP not only integrates the whole process of user car selection, car purchase, car use and car maintenance, but also a one-stop user social and service platform that integrates experience, sharing and interaction.
In the era of electrification, Audi App also creates a convenient charging car experience for users. The Audi App connects to 250,000 public charging piles, providing full-process functionality from search navigation to payment charging. On this basis, Audi and its partner Kaimeisi provide users with a faster environment, better geographical location and more convenient charging experience, users can make an appointment to use The super charging pile of Kaimeis in the Audi exclusive App, and the payment experience is more high-quality.
Whether it is in the digitalization of the manufacturing process and logistics process, or the digitization of the whole process around the user service, Audi's goal is to implement the "user-centered" service concept and is committed to improving the user's car purchase experience, car experience and after-sales service.
Che Yun Summary:
In the minds of Chinese users, technology has long been Audi's external image and an indispensable element in defining luxury standards. In the digital age, with the rise of Chinese users who grew up in the Internet era, Audi has also changed from time to time, joining hands with FAW and SAIC to continuously enrich its scientific and technological image with advanced digital technology.
In the new era, Audi is redefining luxury.