The automotive industry faces a fundamental challenge: customers crave personal connection in an increasingly digital world. For Volkswagen, this meant bridging the gap between showroom conversations and the weeks of anticipation that follow a car purchase – a period when excitement can turn to anxiety without proper support.
Traditional brochures gather dust. Digital experiences often feel impersonal. Volkswagen needed something different: a solution that captured the magic of that perfect showroom moment when customer and advisor connect over the ideal car configuration, then sustained that relationship through to ownership.
Our Personalised Brochures were born from this insight – delivering bespoke digital experiences that feel genuinely human. Pre-sale brochures preserve and enhance those crucial advisor conversations, while post-sale owner brochures transform the vulnerable early ownership period into an opportunity for deeper brand connection.
Our objective was clear: transform how Volkswagen customers experience the journey from consideration to confident ownership.
In a market where 73% of car buyers feel overwhelmed by choice and 60% experience post-purchase anxiety, we needed to empower Volkswagen's 1,500 sales advisors with tools that could extend their expertise beyond the showroom floor.
Our strategy emerged from a simple human truth: people don't just buy cars – they buy confidence in their decision.
Research revealed critical friction points in the Volkswagen customer journey. Customers left showrooms energised but often second-guessed choices during the wait period. Meanwhile, new owners felt disconnected from their purchase, struggling to unlock their vehicle's full potential without ongoing guidance.
Our insight: rather than creating another digital tool, we needed to digitally extend the human relationship customers already valued. The solution wouldn't replace personal interaction – it would amplify it, giving customers a private space to revisit conversations, explore options, and build confidence at their own pace.
We created two interconnected but distinct experiences:
Personal Brochures (Pre-sale): When customers configure their ideal Volkswagen with a sales advisor, that conversation doesn't end when they leave the showroom. Using the Digital Showrooms App, any of Volkswagen's 1,500 sales executives across 174 retailers can instantly create a bespoke digital brochure capturing that exact specification – from alloy wheel choice to interior trim. Customers receive their personal brochure immediately, complete with their finance calculations, chosen accessories, and video content explaining features they've selected.
Owner Brochures (Post-sale): The moment an order is placed, customers gain access to their Owner Brochure – a living document that evolves with their journey. Accessible via direct link, retailer sharing, or the Volkswagen website’s owner section, it transforms their specific ordered vehicle into a personalised guide featuring exact specifications, helpful video tutorials, and cross-sell opportunities for accessories and service plans.
The introduction of Personalised Brochures delivered measurable impact across both the pre-sale and post-sale customer experience.
In the showroom, their use contributed to an average £800+ increase in order value, alongside other digital tools, and delivered a 6% uplift in customer satisfaction. Conversion rates improved, too – with more customers feeling confident enough to progress from consideration to purchase. The visibility of add-ons and accessories also grew, boosting awareness and uptake of cross-sell opportunities.
On the post-sale side, Owners Brochures played a key role in driving engagement during early ownership — a period that significantly influences long-term loyalty. Customers were more likely to explore aftersales services, with increased visits to revenue-driving areas such as service plans and accessories. Sign-ups to the owner portal rose, and internal CX tracking showed improved satisfaction scores among new owners.
Beyond hard metrics, the Personal Brochure solution addressed fundamental business challenges: reducing retailer strain during peak periods, supporting the complex EV sales process with additional information, and creating competitive differentiation in a crowded marketplace.
