For Audi, experiential marketing is working like a charm in India

Audi, a brand known for bringing the luxury driving experience to the masses, has bridged the gap between regular consumers and the elite with its experiential marketing techniques.

With cars being such a major investment through an integral part of people’s lives, a positive personal engagement with the vehicle is vital. In the automotive industry, a great experience is key and Audi decided to get creative in its marketing approach and focus on ‘in-the-moment’ action.

Though the German car-maker previously used typical auto shows to launch new vehicle reveals, it has prioritised the consumer experience across various markets with hands-on track introductions, and closed-course programmes powering driving experiences.

Audi realised that it was not only selling a product but a whole complex of feelings, design and experiences, intended to dazzle consumers’ senses, touch their hearts and stimulate their minds.

And there was no better way to achieve this than with real-life, face-to-face marketing. “Experiential marketing has been a key driver for the Audi brand since we started in India,” says Rahil Ansari, Head, Audi India. The auto major’s Audi Driving Experience, a national racing-track based high-performance advanced driving education programme, lets consumers get up close and personal with the automobile’s in-built innovation, performance and precision.

After an experience conducted internationally on the race tracks at Barcelona, EuroSpeedway Lausitz, the Nurburgring, the Salzburgring, Dubai and in Belgium, the German marquee brand brought the experience to India in 2012, giving enthusiasts the opportunity to get behind the wheels of its highly engineered cars.

Last year in July, the luxury car manufacturer flagged off the seventh edition of the experience programme at the Buddh International Circuit.

The Audi Sportscar Experience also attracts around 2,500 drivers each year, creating a bond between consumer and brand. By showing off the car’s capabilities on the track, customers get to experience exactly what it was designed to do.

However, some of the best automotive experiences don’t include a test drive at all. The Audi quattro Cup tournament series, an amateur golf tournament bringing together over 1,00,000 golfers from 55 countries, has also proven to be an ideal opportunity to intensify business relationships and establish new contacts. The tournament has completed 12 years in India.

As Ansari points out, “The Audi Driving Experience and Audi quattro Cup are our calendar properties that have a fan base waiting for the properties to come to their city every year. Our programmes have been very successful in driving the Audi brand to the top of mind, and our continued investments in them ensure they stay there.”

The company is offering tech-powered interactives and experiential marketing to engage with consumers and get their motor running. As these events also tend to spark interest in the brand in several lower tier cities, Audi has been experimenting with mobile showrooms and pop-up stores to reach potential buyers in cities where they have no physical showrooms.

Ansari insists the company’s focus has always been to expand to Tier 2 and 3 cities. “The contribution of our Tier 3 cities is growing steadily. Over the last few years, volume contribution from Tier 3 cities has grown by double digits. These regions have clearly exhibited rising aspirations for luxury cars.”

Noting that “even if sales in these cities is still limited,” Ansari points out their contribution to volume is increasing. “Making the brand available and accessible for these customers is hence vital for us.”

For the company, some of the Tier 3 cities like Rajkot, Vadodara, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Vishakhapatnam and Ranchi are growing more than the industry average.

Advertisers insist an experiential approach is the way to broaden understanding of the brand and turn customer’s interest into commitment.

By allowing consumers to get behind the wheel, automotive brands can show off their cars’ quality, technological capabilities, and performance first hand, says an ad industry veteran.

Given that these experiences are also high-adrenaline and high-energy, he adds, it can turn someone, who walked into the showroom with nothing more than curiosity, into an actual customer.

But given the major headwinds the auto industry is facing, in terms of new technology, changing regulatory environment and an extremely hard-to-please customer, increasing brand awareness and creating an emotional connect could well turn out to be a tall order.

More so for a company marketing a niche luxury product. Yet, Audi is confident that it can more than meet the challenge. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that a diversified landscape like India can also translate into a host of opportunities. As an auto CEO recently remarked, “India is many countries within a single country.”

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