Collaboration for the future
Earlier this month, the Experience-First event brought together automotive manufacturers, retailers, and partners across the Middle East and Africa. Both days of the event, organised by Keyloop, were spent in collaborative discussion to shape the future of the industry in 2024 and beyond.
Thanks to the incredible open collaboration between speakers and visitors, attendees were able to share their experiences and come away with informative, actionable insights. Elhamy Elsheikh, Group IT Director at Ezz-Elarab Automotive Group commended the event, stating:
The line-up of speakers was exceptional. I left the event feeling inspired and motivated to implement new ideas and strategies. Furthermore, I had the chance to connect with industry professionals and like-minded individuals, which has already resulted in promising collaborations and potential partnerships.
Through a deep dive into Keyloop’s Experience-First ethos, the event aimed to help industry players future-proof their businesses. Experts emphasised the importance of a connected automotive retail technology ecosystem, built on an Experience-First platform, in creating frictionless customer experiences that foster loyalty and drive growth. Serving to connect key stakeholders in the automotive sector, the event facilitated the sharing key industry trends, and a wealth of market insights to help navigate the future of automotive in this region.
Technology and the consumer: expert and guest insights
A highlight of the event for many was guest speaker Joseph Salem, Partner for consulting firm Arthur D. Little, Middle East.
Panel discussion from day one. From left to right, Andrew Barratt – Deputy CEO for Abdulaziz Al-Ali Al-Mutawa Group of Companies, Veliswa Rozani – Chief Financial Officer for NMI – Beyond Mobility, Paul-Roux De Kock – Chief Analytics Officer for Lightstone Auto , and Joseph Salem – Partner for Arthur D. Little Middle East , and host Jacqui Barker – Global OEM Director for Keyloop.
In the spirit of active collaboration, attendees engaged with enthusiasm throughout the presentations, contributing shrewd insights around consumer behaviours and the importance of long-term loyalty in aftersales profitability. Thoughtful questions fostered open discussion on navigating the evolving industry, including how technology can enable the personalised, omnichannel journey consumers want.
Leveraging the Experience-First Platform
At the event, attendees learned how Experience-First reflects the new reality of automotive sales – a fundamental paradigm shift with customer experience at the forefront, enabled by a connected ecosystem of automotive retail technology.
Consumers are more often utilising the convenience of digital channels during their car buying and owning experience but tend to prefer a blend of online and offline, creating challenges for developing a seamlessly connected journey. A 2023 study by Simon-Kucher found that 85% of prospective auto buyers in the UAE prefer starting their decision-making process online, but the same study found that 87% still prefer to negotiate in person, with similar numbers seen for buyers in Saudi Arabia.
Panel discussion from day two. From left to right, Andrew Barratt – Deputy CEO for Abdulaziz Al-Ali Al-Mutawa Group of Companies, Rana Abbadi – VP Operations for Ezz Elarab Group, Zakaria Elnaggar – Group CIO for Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Co., Abdulla Al-Attas – GM of IT, Business & Digital Transformation for SAMACO Motors, Paul-Roux De Kock – Chief Analytics Officer for Lightstone Auto , and host Jacqui Barker – Global OEM Director for Keyloop.
Keyloop experts highlighted how, within this shift, Keyloop’s Experience-First platform is designed to help industry players seamlessly connect their technology solutions to drive experience, efficiencies, and growth across the customer journey. The platform unlocks data from the DMS and connects it across other Keyloop solutions and partner solutions. This enables retailers to weave together disparate systems throughout the entire customer lifecycle while prioritising consumers at the heart of their transformation.
As Tom Kilroy, CEO of Keyloop, explains, “Delivering an ultra-relevant customer experience is revolutionising the automotive industry and requires a profound shift in perspective for both retailers and OEMs. Today’s modern consumers share common expectations across both their physical and digital journeys, requiring a redefinition of technology priorities. Be it ordering food on your mobile device, buying sophisticated consumer electronics in new retailing environments, to shopping for your next car, delivering superior experiences is crucial for establishing that initial relationship and building enduring loyalty. Success lies in providing precisely what’s needed when it’s needed. Our Experience-First strategy ignites this transformative shift, always ensuring technology-enabled relevancy throughout the customer’s journey.”
Five key principles for Experience-First success
For automotive retailers to be successful in implementing an Experience-First approach, Keyloop’s experts shared five key principles with event attendees. These principles reflect the demands of today’s consumers around convenience and responsiveness and highlight the ways industry players can build lasting loyalty by turning every touchpoint into an opportunity.
Success in the shift to Experience-First means developing consumer experiences that are:
- Distinctive – Shaping every touchpoint to win consumers’ hearts as they move back and forth between online and offline.
- Unified – Activating insights across systems and connections to get an ongoing 360-degree view of the consumer.
- Frictionless – Elevating human performance and operational agility through digitised processes and continuous recalibration.
- Connected – Harnessing a technology ecosystem as well as the network effect of API-driven experiences and OEM and partner connections.
- Simplified – Operationalising dealer and consumer data by unlocking it from the DMS and unifying it from multiple data points.
These five key principles are the backbone of Experience-First at Keyloop. When applied, dealerships transform from transactional spaces full of salespeople to experience centres filled with advisors and experts. They change into what consumers really want and demand throughout all their retail interactions – journeys that are personalised and hassle-free.
Presenters and panelists are all smiles as they thank the audience for their engaged participation.
Navigating the future of automotive retail
The shift to Experience-First isn’t just a way of doing business, with a focus on consumer experience and a connected technology ecosystem. It’s a chance for retailers, manufacturers and key stakeholders to combine their collective knowledge and pave the way forward to an elevated automotive landscape.
We’ve been delighted to see such a positive response from attendees following the event, and cannot wait to do it all again in 2024!
