How Big Data and Behavior Prediction are Shaping Automotive Dealerships

In this special guest feature, Johannes Gnauck, CEO and Co-Founder of automotiveMastermind, discusses how big data and behavior prediction are shaping automotive dealerships. Through the use of big data and behavioral analytics, it’s possible to precisely target who is ready to buy and create personalized, micro-marketing campaigns designed to increase the probability of completing a sale. Johannes Gnauck is CEO and Co-Founder of automotiveMastermind, the leading provider of predictive analytics and marketing automation technology for the automotive industry. The company’s cloud-based platform helps dealers precisely predict automobile-buying behavior and automates the creation of micro-targeted consumer communications, leading to proven higher sales and consistent customer retention.

Implementation of technology is now the backbone for new vehicle models, and dealerships are reaping the rewards of that technology. As cars become more connected, they send upwards of 25GB of data to the cloud per hour [1]. This data can then be translated into personalized experiences for consumers through behavior prediction technology, which aids in dealerships’ marketing and outreach. Dealerships utilizing this technology are able to craft a unique experience tailored specifically for their consumers, as opposed to offering experiences where consumers feel they are ‘just another customer.’

By leveraging behavior prediction technology, dealerships can accurately and quickly identify which customers are most likely to purchase, and the reasons why. These technologies sort complex data through machine learning, and then refine that data through proprietary algorithms. This allows dealerships to easily access details about potential consumers and their reasons to buy.

In other words, dealerships can easily analyze this rich information and use it to anticipate the time before consumers are ready for their next car purchase. They can decipher the consumer’s preferred features, make, model and whether they intend to lease or buy. This knowledge empowers and prepares dealerships to make a sales experience tailored to the consumer.

Consumer Focus

Let’s back up for a moment. The research phase begins when consumers are ready to for a new vehicle. In fact, the top five activities conducted online by car shoppers include researching car prices (71%), finding actual cars listed for sale (68%), comparing different models (64%), finding out what their current car is worth (63%), and locating a dealer or getting dealer info (46%) [2].

So how do dealerships begin their journey of personalizing a customer experience? Many dealerships utilize data they already have or can easily obtain from readily available sources. The most common pieces of consumer data dealerships utilize prior to contacting a prospect include ones they have on hand – basic contact details, vehicle interest, purchase and service history [3]. With the help of behavior prediction technologies, dealerships have access to much more than just that. Ensuring, from the first point of contact with a consumer, dealerships have knowledge of the consumer’s preferences that will allow for a more enjoyable sales experience.

By understanding what consumers are researching, dealerships can make sure their outreach, and the deal they offer is personalized to the consumer’s interests, thanks to behavior prediction technologies. This means consumers will now receive relevant deals, prices and more through the means of targeted marketing (such as a phone call, flyer, email, etc.), when their need for a new vehicle arises.

Market Results

For automotive dealerships, the biggest marketing sales priority, by far, is increasing lead volume and conversions. Big Data, and therefore behavior prediction, offers endless advantages for automotive dealerships and can ultimately achieve an increase in lead volume and conversions by utilizing these technologies [4].

Big Data allow dealerships to target the most ideal customers from the get-go, saving them time and money by reducing efforts on reaching out to the wrong potential customers. Therefore allowing for tailored communications, based on customers unique circumstances and preferences, which can lead to an increase in future customer loyalty. More and more dealerships are in the infancy stages of implementing Big Data initiatives, and over the next year, this revolution will continue to evolve.

[1] https://qz.com/344466/connected-cars-will-send-25-gigabytes-of-data-to-the-cloud-every-hour/
[2] http://www.v12data.com/blog/25-amazing-statistics-on-how-consumers-shop-for-cars/
[3] http://www.v12data.com/blog/25-amazing-statistics-on-how-consumers-shop-for-cars/
[4] http://www.v12data.com/blog/25-amazing-statistics-on-how-consumers-shop-for-cars/

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