What’s the future of automobile marketing? Volvo has an idea… and it’s completely different than what’s out there now.

As part of Volvo’s new car-selling strategy, the “Volvo Way to Market”, will focus on four areas: marketing tools, digital leadership, dealerships and service.

“The car industry is one of the most conservative, least evolutionary marketing clusters in global business,” said Alain Visser, Senior Vice President Marketing, Sales and Customer Service at Volvo Cars. “For decades, car marketing has been following a certain pattern which is followed by the entire car industry. Now, Volvo Cars chooses to defy that logic and implement a strategy that is geared towards its own needs.”

The manufacturer will be upping their marketing budget in support of the new strategy which includes concentration on three key international motor shows, Geneva in Europe, Shanghai/Beijing in China and Detroit in the United States. In addition, it will conduct an annual Volvo event to showcase its products and brand. The brand also looks to place online sales and marketing at the center of its marketing strategy and drastically upgrade its dealerships and service offering.

At the center of this strategy is consumer experience which is why Volvo is investing heavily in dealerships:

• All new dealerships will have a globally uniform lay-out and look and feel. Exterior and interior will look and feel Scandinavian and truly Volvo.
• Existing dealerships will be upgraded in a similar way with small details that make a difference. These will display the Scandinavian roots of the Volvo brand and the key attributes and customer benefits of Volvo products.
• Volvo Cars will implement small differentiators that underline the company’s Scandinavian and Swedish heritage. Examples include offering customers a drink in Sweden-produced glasses, sound and smell elements that portray a Scandinavian spirit and waiting/lounge areas that offer highlights from Swedish cuisine.
• All dealer staff will go through a training program to be familiarized with these new customer service processes and standards. European dealership staff will be dressed by Swedish fashion designer Oscar Jacobsson.

The final leg of the Volvo Way to Market is Volvo Personal Service which entails the introduction of a Personal Service Technician for each and every Volvo customer. At the delivery of his or her new car, the customer will be introduced to the Personal Service Technician who will take care of the customer and car throughout the ownership.

By 2018, all dealerships will have the Personal Service Technician concept as a standard offering.

image courtesy of Volvo