Shaping the Future of Automotive Retail – From Vision to Execution

Case Study: Omnichannel Conversion for a Global Luxury Automotive Brand

Case Study: Global Luxury Automotive Brand

Shaping the Future of Automotive Retail – From Vision to Execution

Background & Market Context

A leading global luxury automotive brand found itself at a critical point of transformation. While renowned for precision engineering and emotional design, its retail and ownership ecosystem was constrained by increasing complexity:

• Fragmented structures: OEM, importer, and dealer operations were siloed, creating disjointed customer journeys.
• Legacy processes: Existing systems slowed down transformation and hindered operational agility.
• New customer expectations: Digital-first buyers demanded seamless omnichannel experiences across online and offline touchpoints.
• Disruptive forces: The rise of EVs, new mobility trends, and loyalty-driven engagement models were reshaping premium automotive retail.

The ambition: Align global brand vision with market-level execution, while integrating OEM, importer, and dealer journeys into one seamless omnichannel flow.

 

Our Approach

We combined consulting heritage with our Playbook methodology and SaaS prototyping to move the brand from vision to execution. The engagement was structured around four building blocks:

1. Customer Journey Design

• Developed end-to-end customer journeys covering sales, service, ownership, and loyalty.
• Translated brand DNA into consistent digital and physical touchpoints across markets.
• Introduced seamless digital experiences such as online test drive booking and digital contracts.
• Built a 360° view of the customer linking CRM, data points, and engagement triggers.

Outcome: Brand-consistent journeys that anticipate customer needs and shape actionable retail innovation.

2. Retail Process Integration

• Standardized processes across OEM, importer, and dealer levels to eliminate inefficiencies.
• Aligned operations with corporate expectations, KPIs, and compliance guardrails.
• Introduced performance dashboards providing transparency into sales funnel, service, and aftersales.
• Built training and enablement programs to ensure dealer staff could deliver consistently.

Outcome: Future-ready retail operations with transparent performance and aligned execution.

3. Innovation Pathways

• Designed and piloted loyalty and membership programs to strengthen long-term engagement.
• Integrated EV charging behaviors and mobility touchpoints into ownership journeys.
• Deployed immersive digital tools (apps, showroom visualization, service tablets) to enhance CX.
• Established a future-proofing roadmap to test and scale new innovations across markets.

Outcome: Scalable innovation, turning strategic ambitions into tangible market impact.

4. Governing Transparency

• Established OEM-led governance frameworks to ensure oversight and accountability.
• Introduced KPI tracking and reporting systems across retail networks.
• Created a repeatable governance model to enable expansion to new markets.
• Embedded structured gate reviews to track effectiveness, validate business cases, and ensure continuous improvement.

Outcome: Innovation and execution linked to measurable business outcomes and market impact.

How We Worked

The project was delivered through a structured transformation framework with clear phases:

1. Preparation & Setting the Scene — Defined guardrails, scope, and governance structures.
2. Hypothesis & Topic Development — Identified innovation opportunities and built a validated topic portfolio.
3. Measure Development & Roadmapping — Designed measures, clustered into modules, sequenced in a 2–5 year roadmap.
4. Business Case Development — Linked modules to detailed business cases to ensure commercial viability.
5. Post-Project Review — Set KPIs and conducted ongoing reviews to validate impact and scalability.

This phased approach ensured clarity, stakeholder alignment, and traceable delivery at every stage.

Results & Impact

The engagement delivered:

• Integrated Journeys: Unified customer experience across sales, service, ownership, and loyalty.
• Operational Efficiency: Standardized processes and transparent reporting across markets.
• Customer Engagement: Piloted loyalty programs and mobility touchpoints that deepened relationships.
• Future-Proofing: Roadmaps and frameworks enabling readiness for EV, agency models, and new mobility trends.
• Scalability: A governance and delivery model repeatable in multiple regions and adaptable to local contexts.

Why It Matters

This project was not just about digitizing retail processes — it was about redefining how a luxury automotive brand engages with customers across their entire journey. By bridging the gap between strategic ambition and operational execution, the result was a future-ready omnichannel retail model that:

• Preserves the brand’s heritage and premium positioning.
• Meets the rising expectations of digital-first customers.
• Equips the dealer network to deliver consistently and transparently.
• Positions the brand at the forefront of the EV and mobility-driven future.