BMW raises awareness of its electric vehicles by offering online quizzes through Messenger
50%
of chabot users converted
+2m
double digit increase in incremental reach
BMW US
Automotive
With rising demand for electric cars, BMW launched a Messenger chatbot to educate customers on their electric lineup. The bot offers a playful, personalized experience, helping users find their ideal EV match based on their preferences.
CTX ads on social
Take your ads to the next level with Click-to-Messenger and Click-to-IG DM (CTX) ads.
Retargeting messages
Build an audience and send notifications for ongoing engagement.
Entry points
Paid entry points (CTX) on Messenger and Instagram.
41% CTR
*Compared to Industry SMS Benchmark of 5-10% / Email: 2%
96% engagement rate
**Compared to Industry SMS Benchmark of 80-90% for Open Rates / Email: 21%
96% open rate
for recurring notifications
CHALLENGE
BMW's messaging strategy solves the challenges automotive marketers face with digital buyer journeys and lead generation
In recent years, the automotive industry has witnessed a significant shift in consumer purchasing behavior, with a growing preference for online and mobile platforms over traditional in-person dealership visits. This change in behaviour has proven challenging for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) as they try to meet the demands of modern consumers.
This shift is especially challenging in the Electric Vehicle (EV) market. Research shows that the average sales cycle for EVs is prolonged, as consumers spend more time in the consideration phase. And, brand loyalty declines significantly once buyers make the switch to EVs.
To overcome these challenges, BMW US partnered with Spectrm and set out to:
1. captivate users on their most used platforms with a dynamic, mobile-first experience
2. do so with maximum efficiency,
3. expand their customer base, and
4. drive sales.
Prolonged sales cycle for EVs
Simplify digital touchpoints into one easy to track conversation to accelerate the purchase journey.
Customer signals
Collect zero party data signals to improve lead quality, build segments, and reduce your cost per action.
Buyer education
Engage in a two way conversation that adds value and educates buyers about new models.
Ongoing engagement
Book more test drives by converting users to message channel with higher reachability than phone or email.
Lead activation
Grow new seed audiences and active existing lead lists on their preferred channel.
CASE
As the focus was to launch quickly in the US market, BMW US focused first on Messenger and Instagram Direct.
By adding Click-to-Messenger and Click-to-IG DM (CTX) ads to their campaigns they wanted to test in a scientific test the impact of bringing on-site experiences like Lead Generation and customer engagement tools to the messaging platforms. The results are then measured with a double control group along the funnel, from brand lift to site-action completion inside the messaging platform to sales.
The Messenger and Instagram chatbot experience transforms education on electric vehicles into a playful experience, showcasing BMW’s models & technology. Guided by the bot, users experience a personalized journey to find their perfect EV match based on their needs and preferences.
CUSTOMER JOURNEY
BMW offers a one-to-one conversational journey across the customer lifecycle. Here’s how the chatbot engaged users online and directed them from a Facebook ad, to a Messenger experience and then to the website.
1 | Acquire users
BMW US engages users with CTX ads across Meta’s platforms using creatives such as video and still. BWM’s CTX ads are best practice: They clearly indicating that the experience is conversational and continuing on a messaging platform and therefore avoiding surprises.
2 | Engage & qualify
Once the user clicks the ad, they are directed to the Messenger or Instagram ad, where the chatbot starts the conversation. The chatbot asks for preferences, such as driving style, weekend activities or specific car models to make a recommendation for the perfect EV model from BMW US.
3 | Convert users
At the end of the chatbot experience, the chatbot offers a click-out to the website for further information, or collects the lead directly in chat in a conversational way. With an integration into BMWs CRM systems, this information is then instantly shared with a dealer.
3 | Send notifications
With recurring notifications, BMW US keeps engaging users even after the chatbot experience ends. They send follow-on push notifications to users on their preferred messaging app to drive ongoing engagement and upsell them
DATA CAPTURE
BMW captures zero party data in a privacy-safe channel to improve customer profiles, segment audiences, and reach them directly
Below is an example of how BMW structures the data from chat to build audience segments and re-engage customers one to one with push notifications from Messenger.
Source: Click to Messenger Facebook ad
KEY RESULTS
BMW's Success with Spectrm Chatbot: Overcoming Automotive Challenges and Achieving Exceptional Engagement Rates
BMW US saw across the user journey and across the funnel strong results in one of their biggest campaigns in the entire year. The scientific setup with the double control group creates a lot of confidence in these significant results.
- Messaging helped driving double digit incremental reach showcasing the value of adding messaging experiences to our usual BMW-branded ad strategy to reach new buyers with almost no overlap to BAU campaigns.
- High engagement on Messenger and Instagram Direct; on average users chatted for +2min with the chatbot. The follow-on push notifications BMW US sent to re-engage users had a 96% open rate.
- Almost 50% of all messaging users were converted to a lead or switched to the car configuration on the website.
- The campaign drove significantly more sales (measured by cars sold) in that time frame than the BAU campaign.
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