It used to be that test driving a new vehicle came with its own gatekeeper: the high-pressure salesperson. However, COVID-19 restrictions began to change that dynamic and reshaped the test drive into a solo affair. Although drivers appreciated the freedom from being tethered to a salesperson, it was ultimately a poor experience, leaving customers with more questions than answers about complexities like EV technology.
To solve this, my team and I at Amazon partnered with Volkswagen to develop "Test Drive with Alexa" for the release of the first-ever VW ID.4 EV. This innovative experience gave customers the comfort of an independent test drive with the added benefit of allowing them to ask questions about the vehicle and receive authentic responses from Alexa, a trusted voice they know from their own living rooms.
We created Test Drive with Alexa events featuring the VW ID.4 EV that were held in participating cities such as Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Watch the campaign case study below for a look into our creative process and how we made this experience come to life.
I designed and built traffic-driving media and a custom landing page on Amazon.com where customers registered for Test Drive with Alexa events. This CLP also featured a vehicle configurator for building and locating your own VW ID.4 SUV.
Over the course of two months, thousands of potential new VW owners participated in Test Drive with Alexa. After each event, we challenged ourselves to review customer inquiry data and optimize Alexa's responses in order to provide the best customer experience possible.
Data shows that 66% more questions were asked during an Alexa test drive as compared to a traditional test drive with a salesperson. Post-drive surveys showed customers felt more comfortable overall and walked away feeling more informed.
There was an 81% increase in brand awareness and affinity during the time of our test drive events. And while lead-generation was not the goal of the program, the campaign generated more qualified leads to dealers than any single campaign in VW's history... yes, you read that correctly.
Regarding awareness and press, 261 articles (like this one) were written about the Test Drive with Alexa, with a gross reach of 4.8 million readers. The tonality of this media was analyzed as 99% positive.
To top it off, our client was absolutely thrilled. Here's a quote from Mr. Andrew Savvas, CMO at Volkswagen Group of America: “In our push to bring EVs and electromobility to all, we need to find new and exciting ways to talk to our customers. This collaboration with Amazon does just that. Future Volkswagen owners can experience all our ID.4 has to offer with the aid of a voice they’ve already come to know.”
Volkswagen / AI, Alexa, event, website, digital, print / art direction, graphic design, web design, UX/UI design
