Automotive projects in Switzerland

 

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Being a bit of a petrolhead myself, I really enjoy getting deeper into our automotive projects in Switzerland and working with the Social Media team on improving the “We Are Cars” site.

’The dealer gave me such a good price on the car that I seriously thought about buying it. But because of the birth of my granddaughter I knew I would need a 5-seater, so I decided against it, eventually’ – said a Bare Evaluator during the Evaluator Day in 2014, in Geneva. He referred to a luxury saloon.

‘We loved that project… when does it return?’  – echoed another comment.

Being my first project – and probably the most challenging one ever since – I can still very well remember the details.

In some other cases, we sent Evaluators to the most beautiful parts of Switzerland – just driving there must be fun already. In addition, we also paid a travel fee for those locations.

Why do we ask certain questions in our system?

When a project gets posted on the job board, we ask questions – like: “When could you perform this visit? / Do you have a driving license? / Do you have a certain type of car? “

We ask these questions (just like the ones in the Extended Evaluator Profile) in order to tailor our offers to you. By answering these, you give us the opportunity to get to know you better.

What automotive projects are going on in Switzerland?

There are usually plenty of choices, from premium / luxury car visits to utility vehicles. It varies from project to project if a test drive is required – that’s a great opportunity for car lovers to try magnificent cars and earn money while having some fun. Of course it’s not always about expensive cars, but nevertheless you have the chance to experience the newest gimmicks in brand new cars. Don’t hesitate to contact me, in case you want to know more!

What if I don’t like cars or don’t have a driving license?

For some of the automotive projects, no license is required. I mean the mystery visits without a test drive in general.

Furthermore we have many different projects going on in different parts of the country, in different industries, such as cosmetics, jewellery, fashion, design – and many more. You can find out more via your job board or by contacting me. Of course in case of other countries, you have other schedulers, many of them much more experienced than me.

What are the most problematic points?

Always read the Guidelines – everything is included. If not, or you need further information then give us a call, or Skype us. You can also write an email. We are here to make your lives easier. It’s always better to ask beforehand than risk making a mistake – we reach out to you and even go those extra miles, but we are not able to do miracles. We’re trying hard to acquire that talent, but have yet to succeed.

In some cases, there is a specific model you need to ask for, or a given configuration. Always stick to these, if not stated otherwise.

Show genuine interest, and be open towards the suggestions of salesperson – you are about to pay lots of money for a vehicle (at least according to your role) – you need to show you’re taking it seriously. Never mind that it’s only a roleplay. Enjoy the smell of a brand new car, listen to the roar of the engine and feel the freedom. You are, after all, our Secret Agent out on a mission.

Is BARE International reliable?

Yes. We try to sort out all upcoming issues as soon as possible – even if sometimes Resource Managers are less almighty than you might think. Still, we always try our best to help you. So don’t hesitate to become and Evaluator and gain new experiences!

 

Author: ÁkosÁkos_blogger_pic_edited

Ákos is a full-time employee of Bare International.
He works as a scheduler for Switzerland and is a member in the Social media team. He likes travelling, cars, and craft beers. He has a diploma in German Literature and a Master’s Degree in International Relations. Besides English and German, he is trying to master French and speaks Norwegian reasonably well.

 

Interested in becoming an Automotive Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Automotive community We Are Cars?

Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com

Car-sharing, is it a consumer trend or the way towards autonomous driving?

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Have you ever had a priest and a driver in one person? As funny as it sounds, if you use car-sharing services like Uber, Lyft, BlaBlaCar or any other, you can easily find yourself in such a situation.


What is car-sharing?

There are two types of car-sharing: taxi-like services and peer-to-peer car-rental. The first one has been getting more and more popular, because it works like a taxi. You pay for your ride from A to B. In the latter case you rent someone else’s car.


Is the automotive industry really supporting car-sharing services?

The most interesting thing is that not just car-sharing service providers are in this business, but some actors from the automotive industry are also supporting this movement. But why does an automotive manufacturer support a car-sharing service? Isn’t that bad for the business? It seems on the contrary.


Car manufactures are also investing in car-sharing services

The biggest news at the beginning of the year was that General Motors invested $500 million in it, chasing the dream of the autonomous car. “We see the future of personal mobility as connected, seamless and autonomous,” said GM President Dan Ammann in a statement. “With GM and Lyft working together, we believe we can successfully implement this vision more rapidly” – wrote the Time – which, I must say, is pretty fascinating. Furthermore, because of the shift in consumer behaviour, other car manufacturers like Daimler or BMW have also started to develop their own car-sharing systems.

Imagine a world where self-driving vehicles are running on the roads and you can order a ride by clicking on an application on your phone. Would you like to travel with a BMW or a Chevrolet? Here you go!


Ok, but what’s in it for us? Why is it good to use car-sharing services?

  1. It is cheaper than using your own car alone or ordering a taxi.
  2. It is convenient, usually there is someone around you when you need a ride. This applies for bigger cities more of course, but who knows what will happen in the future?
  3. Enjoy a more carefree way of travelling, and do away with maintenance costs.
  4. And what is with the environment? The more people are using the same car, the smaller your ecological footprint will be.
  5. You can even earn money by sharing your car, but of course think about your national regulation first. Do some reading and choose the best-fitting solution for you.
  6. Get to know new people! It is always interesting to come to know some new faces, but proceed with caution.
  7. Thanks to the internet and the applications, you can also monitor your ride: when it will arrive, where you are exactly during the ride, and so on.

Now are you ready for the car-sharing experience? Share your thoughts with us!

 

Author: Anita @AnitaKocsis910facebook_profile picture

Anita is an employee of Bare International. Besides her work
at the Social Media and Recruitment team, she loves doing yoga,
travelling and reading. Her love for the automotive industry came
from the passion for innovations and technology. She has a master’s
degree in International Economics and Business.

 

 

Interested in becoming an Automotive Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Automotive community We Are Cars?

Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com

CES, the ultimate auto show

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What does CES mean nowadays? Consumer Electronics Show? Futuristic Cars? Autonomous driving? Car Show? I think all of them are correct.

As 2015 showed us, the world is rapidly changing. It was best seen at the CES – Consumer Electronics Show – at the beginning of January. During this event, several well-known car brands made themselves more visible. It seems this was a breakthrough year for the automotive industry; because not just automakers, but also suppliers “treated the event as a de facto auto show”. The industry showed us in the past years that it is once again the drive of innovation. Furthermore it wants to integrate everything into the 4-wheelers to offer a better driving experience. Of course these cars are not the cheapest ones, but surely the most advanced – in concept at least.

FFZERO1

Faraday Future made a great debut with the FFZERO1, the car that might become the new love of the fans. Batman all over again from the 1990’s, just redesigned with much more gadgets. This car will be – according to the FF’s promises – the ultimate one that will be able to allow autonomous driving, have more than 1000 horsepower with a top speed of more than 200 mph (320 km/h) and the list goes on.  However, this car still belongs to the future and the company promises that within a couple of years they will be able to produce the first model.

BUDD-e

Despite the scandal against Volkswagen the company still decided to show off in the Show with a new concept called BUDD-e. Not a bad move at all. This car again wants to make the user experience more enjoyable just like FF. According to the concept, the BUDD-e will be able to recharge its batteries to 80 percent within 15 minutes. Again, not bad. Currently Tesla’s Supercharger is able to recharge to about 50 percent in 20 minutes.

Interactive gadgets

Of course CES wasn’t only about concept cars, but about which direction the automotive industry will head in the future. There are already many initiatives on crowdsourcing information “about traffic, parking, and road hazards to make the trip as stress-free and short as possible”.  The interactive dashboards, full-connectivity to the Internet and applications from your phone can improve the driving experience. Personally I look forward to it and to the green way these companies started to think, finally. Especially GM’s ride-sharing service Lyft.

The question is, does that mean that within a decade we will be more likely to buy an electric or still a traditional vehicle? How fast these changes will be?

 

 

Author: Anita @AnitaKocsis910facebook_profile picture

Anita is an employee of Bare International. Besides her work
at the Social Media and Recruitment team, she loves doing yoga,
travelling and reading. Her love for the automotive industry came
from the passion for innovations and technology. She has a master’s
degree in International Economics and Business.

 

Interested in becoming an Automotive Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Automotive community We Are Cars?

Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com

 

Four Reasons You'll Want to Go Electric

shutterstock_198927128Should I buy an electric car, a hybrid or a diesel or petrol powered one? Are you concerned about both the environment and your pocket? How much do we really care?

Heal the world,  Michael Jackson´s hit, has already been trying to get this idea into our heads for the last 24 years. Save the planet!

It is already common knowledge that regular cars produce carbon emissions that pollute the environment. This has certainly been highlighted in the recent Volkswagen scandal. Luckily there is a solution.

The Electric car (Or EV – Electric Vehicle) has evolved to become appealing and convenient. Just look at the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt or Ford Focus Electric. Or the high performance Tesla Model S which seems to be increasing  in popularity every day. We also have governments doing more to provide subsidies for people willing to take this eco-friendly path. 

Let´s together go through the main advantages of owning an EV:  

  • First of all, you don’t need petrol. You power your car with electricity that is significantly cheaper than petrol. This lowers your running costs amazingly.  With all the conflicts going on around the world for this precious non-renewable resource you will be lucky to stay away from it.  
  • There are no tailpipe emissions of toxic gases or smoke. You don´t produce  the pollution that you get with internal combustion engines. The EV uses rechargeable batteries. However, there is still an environmental cost. The electricity used has to come from somewhere. There are several ways to obtain this energy – some cleaner than others – but  in worst case scenario, the emissions are cut to half.
  • You save money on maintenance.  You don’t need oil to lubricate the engine, you have fewer maintenance costs. You don’t need to service your car as often as you do with a normal petrol powered car.
  • You go green. You play your role in saving the planet. The rechargeable batteries used by electric cars recycle well which avoids creating tons of garbage.

If you use your car primarily in the city to go to work and back – an electric vehicle is ideal for you. Stay alert, make your calculations. Car companies are putting more effort into developing this visionary technology.ev-fleet-count

The Electric vehicle market share is increasing. It has experienced a huge growth, especially during the last two years. Eager to see the 2020 figures.  

Your ideal EV is just around the corner.  Are you ready for the change?

Author: Vicky Lima  

Vicky Lima is a multifaceted professional with a Master´s Degree in Advertising. She is passionate about customer experience and the Automotive world. Besides her work in social media, she shares her passion and knowledge about cars as a writer. An avid traveler around the world investigating the relationship between customers and brands. 

Interested in becoming an Automotive Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Automotive community We Are Cars?

Apply to: wearecars@bareinternational.com

We are the customers! Why what we experience will shape the future of the car industry

Car brands are increasingly putting focus on improving their customer service at the car dealerships. In a highly competitive marketplace where sales are getting hard to achieve through traditional methods this is to be expected.

If we take a look back to understand how automotive sales and customer experiences have evolved, the big thing 10 years ago was car brands adjusting to the commercial power of the internet and adopting dynamic websites. The official website of a brand is a trustworthy place to begin our investigation to acquire a new object – in this case, a new car. It is our first encounter, the first touch point,  where we get our basic questions answered. We can scroll through the car’s technical characteristics and view enticing and close up photos. The website also often serves as a gateway to contact with the company employees. Consequently, we want it to be easy to navigate with a feeling of going with the flow. We want to feel welcomed and connected and not having to be led down endless roads or up dead-ends. 

Once our initial research is done we are ready to hit the road and  visit the nearest dealership of the brand we desire. The first chance for  a real look at the beauty we’re about to acquire. We are getting closer to our goal. Inside the store the interior decoration, the layout and the way we are treated by staff  is crucial. A welcoming atmosphere should fill the place. The customer experience we experienced and which pleased us on the website should  continue and must be coherent. The sole fact that we have taken the second step, shows our intent. Now it is up to the employee at the dealership, to either help us climb one more step closer to the goal or to push us backwards off the cliff.  It is here where we expect to be greeted and served with a friendly knowledgeable approach to not end up in the situation where pushy sales techniques may push us out as fast as we came in.

The main competitive tool, as Gartner insists, by the end of 2016 will be – yes you guessed it – customer experience. Even when we are convinced that our favorite brand is superior to the rest, in many cases there is an existing competitor out there that can actually provide an equal product and service. What will distinguish our choice is just a matter of personal experience and the strength of that brand image.

Accenture, a multinational consultancy,  performed  a study and found out that for 81% of respondents, personalized customer experience is among  the top 3 priorities of organizations. Micah Solomon analyzed customer experience trends and established 5 interesting trends as to what we as customers expect:

  1. A preference for being served in a way that makes the customer feel that those serving and those being served are equals.
  2. A streamlined and hassle-free/friction-free experience. As easy as on the web.
  3. Authenticity: today’s customers are on a quest for what is genuine, authentic, what feels like “the genuine article.”
  4. Transparency: A preference for businesses to be open and forthright in explanations, pricing, quality standards, vendor relations, and so forth.
  5. Adventure and Experience: A feeling that most commercial interactions are improved if there is an element of adventure, excitement, a true “experience” within the customer experience.

Coming back to our car buying experience, it doesn’t stop at driving the car home. Now we turn to the very much needed service we’ll be experience years and years to come (hopefully), in the so called “after-sales” service. The service we experience  will affect our decision to still be a brand ambassador and to continue our relationship with the brand.  Or, if we feel rather disappointed to go out and start the process again and look for another car.  

According to  Shana Rusonis, in the future, customers will care less and less about the ‘thing’ they’re buying, and will increasingly look for the value in the impact of that product or service post-transaction.

As customers it is important we get into action mode if we don’t feel we are treated the way we deserve to be. We are the ones that have the power to improve the service.  We are the engine of the future automotive industry.


Author: Vicky Lima  

Vicky Lima is a multifaceted professional with a Master Degree in Advertising. She is passionate about customer experience and the Automotive world. Besides her work in social media, she shares her passion and knowledge about cars as a writer. An avid traveler around the world investigating the relationship between customers and brands. 

Interested in becoming an Automotive Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Automotive community We Are Cars?

Apply to: wearecars@bareinternational.com

 

What role does the subconscious play in buying a car?

Welche Rolle spielt das Unbewusste beim Autokauf

A considerable part of our decision making is guided by the subconscious and this is also the case when it comes to making decisions on spending. As the results of a study reveal, our subconscious is always alert, even in a loud and busy environment such as the hustle of a cocktail party, people are able to filter and identify information that is relevant to them, for example, their own name and one specific conversation. This phenomenon is known as the Cocktail Party Effect. But what does that have to do with purchasing a car?

The processing of stimuli on a psychological level

The results of the experiment suggest that an acoustic stimulus is never only processed on a physical level, but also always has psychological relevance. Without being aware of it, we constantly evaluate and categorize the acoustic input we receive. Many of the decisions we make every day remain unconscious to us and though we might consider them to be our objective choices, we are often influenced by the environment a certain product or service is placed in. Similarly, advertising leaves us with a positive image of a product, in the same way as an attractive sales office and the charms and appeals of its employees can direct our decisions. Indeed, it is not only acoustic signals that appeal to our unconscious, but stimuli of all kinds.

A gravel car park versus an elegant show room – the same car?

People will perceive the quality of a car that is sold on the gravel car park next door as considerably lower than the quality of a car displayed in the ambiance of an elegant show room – even though it could be the very same car.

The significant impact of our unconscious on our processes of perception and evaluation is highlighted by yet another study: Two groups of participants were shown a picture of the same middle-range car. However, whereas the first group was shown an image of only the car, the second group saw an image of the car accompanied by an attractive, young woman leaning over the driver’s door. Besides being pleasant on the eye, the girl had no other function.

After looking at the photographs the members of each group were asked to assess the car. Interestingly, the group which had been shown the image of the car with the woman judged the car to be more expensive, more appealing and more youthful than the first group, but also it was estimated to be less secure. Nevertheless, 90% of the participants claimed to have focused only on the car and said that they did not let themselves be influenced by the good-looking girl. Well, this certainly opens up new possibilities for implementations/sales strategies at the Point of Sale since the prestige of a business and its environment clearly impact on the costumer’s perception. And indeed, those factors are taken into account.

Car manufacturers and their hostess girls – why?

The principle of displaying a car together with an attractive woman seems to work just as well/to be applied just as successfully at big car fares: In order to create a more appealing, exciting and youthful image of the car, the manufacturer hires good-looking girls, so-called hostesses, who then pose next to the car. In the course of the event, journalists take pictures of them and hence also their audience will see these pictures of the pretty girls next to the new cars. Often these pictures go all around the world – especially if a new product is at stake.

It can be assumed that the same effect is hoped to be achieved: And in fact, sometimes it seems that representatives of the media forget about the car and only remember the brand an the beautiful girl associated with it. A few days later, the car itself might be perceived in a more positive light and even the article written about it could turn out more enthusiastic.

…so last time you were at the car dealership, did you really just look at the cars?

 


Author: Benjamin Brodbeck @automativBenjamin Brodbeck Publicist Automativ Guest Blogger BARE International

Benjamin Brodbeck, 24 years old, is a multifaceted petrolhead. Besides his work as a jazz pianist, he brings his passion and knowledge about cars as a publicist at AUTOmativ.de. He studied Automotive Business Management and is currently doing his master’s degree in journalism at the University of Vienna.

Interested in becoming an Automotive Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Automotive community We Are Cars?

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If in Doubt Choose the Car – Why?

If in Doubt Choose the Car. Why? Benjamin Brodbeck Automativ.de

Most Europeans still feel a strong emotional connection to their car. But why is that the case? In Florence, a group of Italian researchers conducted an experiment investigating the process of decision making by consumers: In most cases, a consumer will choose going by car over using public transport,  even in cases where taking public transport represents a faster, cheaper and more efficient option. The ‘automobile effect’ makes clear why so many people prefer driving a car to more economic alternatives.

The car wins – even though it is expensive

We do not always make rational decisions, especially when it comes to the choice of transportation. Instead of considering all possible options and choosing the most time-saving and economic one, many people prefer to be the driver themselves – even if it is not the most efficient option.

Scientists studied a group of participants who were engaging in a game about modes of transportation. In this game, participants were given the choice between going by car or taking the metro. Each player started off with a certain budget and taking into account expenses and travelling time, had to select their preferred mode of transportation. Mirroring real life conditions, the price for the metro tickets was fixed whereas the costs for using the car varied depending on the weather, accidents, construction work on the roads and other events. In addition, the costs for using the car were dependent on the ‘traffic’, that is on the number of other players going by car.

In the best-case scenario of the experiment travelling by car was cheaper than travelling by metro because it was the quickest option. However, when the traffic reached its peak, taking the metro was clearly the cheaper option. In total, 50 rounds were played and after each round, the players received feedback on their performance and were asked to decide again on a preferred mode of transportation. As the game went on, the researchers expected the participants to learn from their mistakes and make more informed decisions – especially since an improved performance resulted in a financial profit. After the first series of the experiment, the researchers changed the option ‘metro’ to ‘bus’. Nevertheless, the percentage of participants choosing automobile over public transportation continued to be 55% or even higher. The participants showed a clear preference for the automobile, even when the cost of going by car was about 50% higher than that for the metro. Changing the option ‘metro’ to ‘bus’ brought about similar results.

It seems that people are highly biased when it comes to selecting a mode of transport and our decision appears to be based on rather simple rules.

The choice of transport is often guided by our emotions

Taking into consideration the fact that it was only a game and people only had to make ‘theoretical choices’ and they didn’t actually have to get into a car or metro, the results are even more impressive. Even in a purely theoretical context, the participants could not renounce their penchant for cars.

It looks like rational decision making is abandoned when it comes to driving a car – or at least, this seems to be the case for the majority of the people.

Of course, this game is not a solid representation of all aspects of real life decision making, but it does highlight our continued passion for automobiles. Perhaps ultimately, the satisfaction you get from being in full control of your own mobility is what drives your choice.

Can you relate to these results and would you also choose to go to work by car than use the bus or metro?

 

Benjamin Brodbeck Publicist Automativ Guest Blogger BARE InternationalAuthor: Benjamin Brodbeck @automativ

Benjamin Brodbeck, 24 years old, is a multifaceted petrolhead. Besides his work as a jazz pianist, he brings his passion and knowledge about cars as a publicist at AUTOmativ.de. He studied Automotive Business Management and is currently doing his master’s degree in journalism at the University of Vienna.

Interested in becoming an Automotive Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Automotive community We Are Cars?

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James Dean's Cursed Car

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The 30th of September of 1955 James Dean died in a car accident. The “Little Bastard” numbered 130 played its part. It was a Porsche 550 Spyder, one of just ninety produced, a silver bullet,  shiny, fast and rare. After the crash the car was broken up for parts, but today the remaining parts are nowhere to be found.

The 24 years old movie star acquired the Porsche 550 Spyder during the shooting of Rebel Without a Cause, to use it in a race in Salinas, San Francisco. Dean hired the legendary car customizer George Barris to work on the car. The racing number 130 was painted on the front, sides and back. Along with red racing stripes and the name Little Bastard on the back.

The Little Bastard was supposed to be trailered to Salinas that day but at the last minute, Dean decided to drive himself and took the mechanic with him. At 5:59PM a 1950 Ford Custom Tudor Coupe, traveling in the opposite direction collided with the Spyder. James Dean died and his copilot,  the mechanic Rolf Wütherich, was badly injured.

This was the beginning of the Little Bastard disasters. George Barris purchased what remained of the Porsche, selling off the engine to Troy Mchenry and the chassis to William Eschrid. When the wreck arrived at Barris’ garage, the Porsche slipped and fell on one of the mechanics unloading it. The accident broke both of the mechanic’s legs.

And the show goes on. During a race at the Pomona Fair Grounds in 1956, Troy McHenry and William Eschrid both racing cars with parts of the Little Bastard suffered accidents. McHenry died when his car, which had the Porsche’s engine installed, went out of control and hit a tree. Eschrid’s car flipped over. Eschrid, who survived despite serious injuries, later said that the car suddenly locked up when he went into a curve.

The car’s evil influence continued after the race. One kid trying to steal the Porsche’s steering wheel slipped and gashed his arm. Barris reluctantly sold two of the car’s tires to a young man; within a week, the man was nearly involved in a wreck when the two tires blew out simultaneously.

While being stored in a garage in Fresno California the garage caught on fire and everything but the Spyder was destroyed. In fact the paint was barely even scorched. When the car was put on exhibit in Sacramento, it fell from its display and broke a teenager’s hip. George Barkuis, who was hauling the Spyder on a flatbed truck, was killed instantly when the Porsche fell on him after he was thrown from his truck in an accident.

The strange deadly events surrounding the car continued until 1960.  That year the Porsche was  loaded onto a box car in Miami, Florida  safety exhibit and sealed shut. Then it was transported via train back to California. When the train arrived in Los Angeles, the seal was still intact, yet the car had mysteriously  vanished. To this day, the Little Bastard’s whereabouts is unknown.  

So it seems that it is not just in horror stories that cars are possessed!

Author: Vicky Lima  

Vicky Lima is a multifaceted professional with a Master Degree in Advertising. She is passionate about customer experience and the Automotive world. Besides her work in social media, she shares her passion and knowledge about cars as a writer. An avid traveler around the world investigating the relationship between customers and brands. 

Interested in becoming an Automotive Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Automotive community We Are Cars?

Apply to: wearecars@bareinternational.com

 

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Why Car Makers Invest in Motorsports

Porsche 911 RSR (77), Dempsey Proton Racing: Patrick Dempsey, Patrick Long, Marco Seefried

There are currently about 500 official motorsport circuits and several hundred international race series worldwide. While some struggle for their financial existence, many circuits and series still have a great number of spectators and an extensive media coverage. The question here is, what is the impact on car brands and their relationship with the customers?

Technology developments

Are you one of those people who are enthusiastic about motorsports? If yes, you are part of a large community. Despite the climate and environmental debate around cars over the past years – the love for motor sports stays true. This is very much to the satisfaction of both operators, participants and spectators.

This acceptance and enthusiasm of the general public is the result of a decades long  commitment between car makers and motorsport committees who ambitiously revise and tweak motorsports’ rules with the objective of advancing technology. In this way they create a sustainable and credible external image which is also continually adjusted to be up-to-date and trend setting.

Some technologies developed for motorsports have found their way into our own vehicles. For example, the dual clutch transmission was applied in motorsports by Porsche in the eighties. In the same way, the high-performance capacitor based hybrid technology was first developed for motorsports more recently.

When motorsports becomes marketing

There is also a question whether the investment of participating in these races pays out. The sports car manufacturers usually participate for two main reasons: testing and exposure. There is nowhere else that can they recreate the extreme conditions and extreme load that is found in endurance races. Sports performance is one of the key elements of a sports car manufacturers external image and very much required for customer satisfaction.

Similarly, car manufacturers ask themselves how a successful image can be built in a way that can be used for marketing campaigns that are meaningful and credible to their customers. In sports – especially in motorsports – the problem is that on one hand while second-placed competitors are spurned as just an also-ran in the media, victories can also be quickly forgotten.

Long-term participation and recurring wins

It is really only through a successful long-term commitment to motorsports that a sports car manufacturer can establish a worldwide brand and continually reinforce its image as a car maker.

Let’s take Porsche again as an example: by splitting their engagement to different race series (rally, endurance racing, several DTM racing classes and Formula 1) and their continuous successes, Porsche advances to all essential areas and has created a strong brand. This way Porsche is able to acquire new customers buying Porsche cars.

This makes it difficult for manufacturers who only make a short term commitment to leverage this into a customer demand for their products. It is also hard to build customer satisfaction thanks to their meeting the aspirations they have created with their sports activity.

Is the presence and the success of an automaker in motorsports series (DTM, Formula 1, …) important for you?

 

*Article image: Porsche 911 RSR (77), Dempsey Proton Racing: Patrick Dempsey, Patrick Long, Marco Seefried

 

Benjamin Brodbeck Publicist Automativ Guest Blogger BARE InternationalAuthor: Benjamin Brodbeck @automativ

Benjamin Brodbeck, 24 years old, is a multifaceted petrolhead. Besides his work as a jazz pianist, he brings his passion and knowledge about cars as a publicist at AUTOmativ.de. He studied Automotive Business Management and is currently doing his master’s degree in journalism at the University of Vienna.

Interested in becoming an Automotive Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Automotive community We Are Cars?

Apply to: wearecars@bareinternational.com

How Rare Cars Influence Your Choice

Autosalon auf der Techno Classica Essen 2015

It’s rare that a car will sell itself; though it may be possible for super cars, which are emotionally charged and sold to powerful wealthy customers who don’t need to be persuaded. But wait, even then is it actually true? In this case appearances can be deceptive and we jump to our own conclusions.

The manufacturers of these highly attractive cars use psychological methods for sales which are being communicated to the public and to the individual customer by the marketing department and the sales staff.

One of these principles or methods is the impression of rarity, products typically get more popular if there aren’t many of them. Consequently, the demand raises the price. Then there is the sympathetic salesman, sympathy is another method of sales psychology. It’s easily understood how to apply and implement this method, even though it cannot be universally applied.

It’s extremely rare, buy it now…

The perception of rarity applies to super sports cars and parts of the used-car market but for the volume market other sales strategies are in use. For instance, car manufacturers try to influence people in the social circles of a potential customer and convince them to buy a car so that – in a kind of chain reaction – the potential customer, affected by peer pressure, will also make a purchase.

As a result a potential customer may find themselves coming home with a personally signed purchase contract three days after they went to a car dealer to take a look. Superficially this appears to be a purchase made for inexplicable reasons.

Sympathy: incorporated at the dealer

Even minor changes to an overall product or service can have profound consequences on the degree of customer loyalty to that product or to the quality claims of the product. Scientific studies have shown that product packages with pictures of faces are more popular if their pupils are larger. Pupil dilation is said to be an indicator for sympathy. So what could be changed in car dealerships? Set up billboards or posters showing attractive faces? Why not!

In this way small, insignificant changes on a product or on the product package will have a stronger impact on the customer’s perception than the customer may admit to or even realise. The customer’s subconscious mind draws conclusions on the properties of a product, even though the product appears not to have changed at all.

In a similar case in a different industry, many people were suddenly complaining about the quality of a brandy after the top capsule was changed from lead to plastic. To investigate and verify this theory the company sold half of their product with lead capsules and the other half with plastic. Indeed the result showed that customers perceived a change in the quality of the brandy depending on the product package.

There are many situations which correlate with this so-called Irradiation Phenomenon when buying a car. For example the perception of a cars acceleration depending on the return spring in the gas pedal or the clothes of a salesman defining their position in the company and the sympathy that the customer will get. Understanding these factors and how they can be used to improve customer satisfaction and push towards the elusive perfect sale will be keys for future success.

How do you feel when you are at your local car dealer looking to buy a new car? Are these things that you’d pay attention to in your conversation with the sales person?

Benjamin Brodbeck Publicist Automativ Guest Blogger BARE InternationalAuthor: Benjamin Brodbeck @automativ

Benjamin Brodbeck, 24 years old, is a multifaceted petrolhead. Besides his work as a jazz pianist, he brings his passion and knowledge about cars as a publicist at AUTOmativ.de. He studied Automotive Business Management and is currently doing his master’s degree in journalism at the University of Vienna.

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