Honda
Transforming Honda UK's D2C Future Sales and creating a pan-european marketing platform.
With the shift to electric vehicles, changing consumer preferences and increased model competition from international brands, Honda chose to launch a direct-to-consumer (DTC) offering as part of their changing relationship with their dealerships and customers.
With AEM driving the experience, we developed modular components for the front end, including a full purchase journey, revamped configurator and a MyAccount area. Through user research and technical proofs of concept, we reimagined the customer journey and changed the way that Honda customers buy cars from the brand, allowing for an omnichannel experience that mixed digital and dealerships.
The project also involved integrating and orchestrating across complex systems like Salesforce Commerce for vehicle data, real-time proprietary pricing information, and Honda’s identity management system.
We launched in April 2024 enabling users to buy the e:Ny1 completely online and then rolled out commerce functionality for all new models in the UK.
Scope / Role
Digitas UK had, from 2012 onwards, acted as a digital experience partner for Honda Europe, creating the pan-European marketing platform (web) for Honda's cars, bikes, tools, and marine divisions.
This was then extended (2023, 2024-2026) into the future sales programme for Honda UK, described above, working collaboratively with other solution partners to deliver a digital commerce transformation programme. Digitas UK held responsibility for front-end orchestration and experience and integration into the existing Honda marketing and customer experience platform.
- Exec pitch lead (2021 & 2023 renewals)
- Mobile / Technology Strategy Lead (2016, 2018-2020)
- Exec Lead / CTPO (2019-2026)
Outcomes
- End-to-end D2C Sales increase (confidential) against targets
- 35% increase in high value behaviours through experience optimisation (e.g. configurator completions, book a test drive, help me choose)
- Estimated 40% of Honda UK sales influenced by digital
- Initial commerce pilot led to prioritised wider model roll out
- Contributed towards a move to a product / CX led model for Honda teams
Selling a car fully online was the headline; the quieter win was shifting the internal teams toward a product-and-CX way of working.
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