In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Volvo sales and marketing chief Alain Visser dropped some bad news for Swede fans hoping to see the newest Volvos at auto shows around the world: The carmaker will only appear at three shows in 2015, opting to focus its time and money on overhauling its internet presence instead. Guess the future really is online.
Visser told The Wall Street Journal that the company will only attend the auto shows in Detroit, Geneva, and Beijing, citing the company's "massive" investment in making over its website and social media presence. When it comes to launching new models, Visser indicated that the carmaker will do so at its own company-hosted events, such as the Stockholm art museum unveiling the company chose for the all-new 2016 XC90 crossover.
The Chinese-owned Swedish carmaker's newfound focus on selling via the internet is in part due to a marketing budget that's likely a small fraction of what competitors like Mercedes-Benz and BMW can spend. It's also, perhaps, an attempt at modeling the success of Tesla's direct-to-consumers online sales model, or GM's Shop-Click-Drive online service used by nearly 40 percent of U.S. dealers.
- Official Photos & Info on the 2016 Volvo XC90
- 10 Things You Need to Know About Volvo's All-New XC90
- Volvo's Expanding Lineup Will Include Compact Crossovers and New Sedans
Visser acknowledges that the turn to online marketing may make some Volvo dealers nervous, and that it might not all be smooth sailing. "We will make mistakes," he told WSJ. "I hope we will make mistakes, so that we will learn." But the company hopes that a revamped online presence could bring more people walking in the doors of Volvo dealerships, which are set to be renovated with a sleeker, more Scandinavian aesthetic.
The online sales method has already shown some promise for Volvo: The company offered online reservations for the first 1927 examples of the new XC90, all of which were claimed in less than 48 hours.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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