Since the acquisition of a car is one of the biggest decision people make, the research period might even extend to a couple of months. The consumers spend many hours on the Internet comparing every detail and reading reviews on forums. The challenge was to create an authentic and realistic user experience for a car that wasn’t widely available on showrooms. So, how to better express the feelings that you have when stepping into a brand-new car when actually the car isn’t real and you cannot sit in? By using Virtual Reality. The audience was set on the tech-savvy consumers searching for the next big think in automotive.
Kia used VR technology in a very accessible way to encourage users to engage fast. The virtual showroom was created for everyone in the US who desired to try the new hybrid model. The virtual showroom was created in mobile web, with no request of downloading the app, and it was compatible with most VR headsets, offered freely from Google.
The users were invited to step inside the virtual showroom where they could change colors, turn the car and look at it from many angles and also sit inside to get the feel of it. The project was entirely mobile based, even though could be viewed through desktop devices. The media reach was fully organic. The virtual journey has been attached to the “build and price” list. The brand also collects personal data.
Kia launched the app in March 2017, targeting 20k unique users and registered 10k Google Carboard requests. Until May 31, 82k people engaged with the campaign and tried the VR experience. There were 23k submissions on the site. The media achieved was for free because the campaign created guerrilla buzz and the spread was organic. The cost per lead came in at $12.17 per qualified customer, which was 32 percent lower than previous campaign benchmarks.
Since the flat images on magazines don’t offer the consumer a fulfilling experience of the product, Kia made it the digital way for the launch of the new and hybrid car called the Kia Niro. So, the producer decided to develop a VR showroom with options list and prices. But the users could use the Virtual Reality showroom and even take the wheel. The Kia Niro got closer to consumer that cold finally have an almost real experience and feel of the car.
