Case Study | International Luxury Auto Brand

CHALLENGE

As an International Luxury Auto Brand set out to build its multicultural consumer base to be on par with other luxury auto brands, it sought insight into how its brand message resonates. The Brand called on Collage Group to help it gain a better understanding of what multicultural consumers desire in terms of the luxury auto space. The automaker aimed to learn how multicultural consumers perceived the Brand and how to better craft its messaging to connect with multicultural audiences. In turn, Collage led the Auto Brand on a journey to unlock growth through Cultural Fluency.

SOLUTION

The first step of the journey entailed Collage Group helping the International Luxury Auto Brand identify and answer key research objectives. An analysis was performed on the brand values, its history, and messaging. Collage Group experts then evaluated the various ways for the Auto Brand to show up for specific consumer segments. This process called for determining whether there was a need for more cultural representation within the Brand’s marketing. Collage Group posed challenging questions, such as “Is the brand not interesting enough?” and “Is the focus on safety connecting?”

Actionable Insights

The International Luxury Auto Brand’s journey incorporated Collage Group’s three streams of syndicated intelligence, as well as custom research and consulting. The journey started with assessing the Brand’s cultural relevance in the market at large via our CultureRate Brand & Testing.

From there, Collage Group’s syndicated consumer and category essentials studies provided a preliminary look at the strongest opportunities for increased relevance, brand favorability, and purchase intent. Among other findings, Collage Group’s research shows that multicultural Americans will reward brands and organizations that support them. In fact, over half of multicultural people are dissatisfied with how they are portrayed in advertising. Armed with this knowledge, Collage Group advised the Auto Brand to take measures to dig deeper into category-specific nuances. Collage’s custom research team designed a unique A&U study for an acute view of critical needs and preferences of multicultural luxury vehicle prospects, which unveiled the following:

- 60% of multicultural consumers intend to buy a vehicle in the next two years.
- Multicultural consumers are more likely to consider auto brands that are:
  - Culturally inclusive
  - Active in their channels and communities
  - Recommended by their peers and loved ones

- Multicultural consumers want stylish and sustainable high-performing technology in a vehicle that makes them feel seen, unique, and successful.

- To connect with these consumers, the Auto Brand must:
  - Disruptively accelerate relevance and visibility
  - Engage and drive with key luxury and workmanship credibility beyond safety
  - Fuel a unique driving experience that upholds identity and celebrates success

Issues to Address

- The Auto Brand’s values and messaging are not currently resonating with multicultural consumers.
- There is a historic perception that the Auto Brand’s vehicles are unstylish and boxy. This viewpoint, while outdated, lingers in consumers’ minds, and creates a barrier to gaining consumers consideration.
- The Auto Brand’s historical emphasis on safety appears to have distracted consumers from familiarity with other vehicle features. As a result, the brand has been overlooked as a luxury offering.

RESULTS

Overall, the combination of Collage Group’s syndicated intelligence, custom solutions, and subject matter expertise identified that multicultural luxury consumers are much more likely to plan to make a vehicle purchase in the next two years. Moreover, the journey with the Auto Brand identified key immediate opportunities to win with Hispanic and Asian luxury intenders.

Collage Group unveiled that the International Luxury Auto Brand did not need to re-invent the car to meet multicultural consumer needs. When asked what needed to change for them to consider the Brand, consumers often pointed to features already offered in existing Brand models. As such, Collage Group advised the Auto Brand to emphasize high-end/stylish design (both interior and exterior), as well as comfort, driving assistance, and in-car entertainment features.

This reframing would elevate perceptions of the Brand as an exceptional luxury offering among multicultural consumers. Additionally, effort to further promote hybrid and electric models may tap into fuel efficiency and environmental considerations that show up as key preferences across consumer segments.

Multicultural consumers desire authentic cultural representation in marketing efforts. Advertising recall of the Auto Brand is amongst the lowest of luxury brands and is compounded by their social circles’ own limited experience with the Brand. While the brand is currently associated with success and wealth, multicultural consumers also perceive typical drivers of the Auto Brand as family-oriented, older, and White. As a result, Collage Group advised the Auto Brand to consider how advertising can be used to paint it as a brand that multicultural consumers enjoy to express their personal style, values, and thoughts.

The Collage Group journey with the International Luxury Auto Brand continues, as we delve into greater specificity of implications to their name plates.