Rise of Personalisation in the Motor Industry
As car brands make their way into the world of personalisation, let's take a look at why personalisation options are so important, how this has impacted industries in general, and the brands paving the way towards personalised car manufacturing.
Growing Demand For Personalisation
Today, the demand for personalisation is growing across a wide range of industries. Take something like iGaming, for example. Traditionally, online slot games would have set numbers of reels and paylines for a consistent, universal gaming experience. However, when playing online Plinko games, like Plinko Go, players have the option to adjust the number of paylines to numbers between eight and 14. In turn, this will customise the size of the board and the multipliers available to be won. By allowing players the opportunity to personalise the gameplay, this provides them with an immersive and engaging experience that is tailored to suit their desired gaming behaviours, preferences, and wants.
Another example demonstrating the increasing demand for personalisation lays in the world of retail. In fact, 71% of consumers report becoming frustrated if their shopping experience is not personalised, according to research compiled by Forbes - and, if a brand does not offer personalised suggestions, 47% will take their business to Amazon instead. Furthermore, 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with a business who offers personalisation, highlighting the sheer power behind this strategy. Be it customisable products, tailored suggestions, or even personalised email marketing, personalisation is becoming an essential cornerstone of any shopping experience.
Personalised Car Manufacturing
As personalisation is having an enduring impact across many industries, the motoring world is unsurprisingly no different. This is particularly the case for the luxury end of the market, as high-quality cars are seeing a higher demand for customisation options. Just look at Mercedes - Mercedes recently announced the expansion of its Manufaktur programme due to the consistently high demand for customisation. The updated customisation programme will provide car lovers with the option to choose from a wide range of different paint colours, types of interior leather, and a multitude of trims to create their ideal motor. Whilst currently only available for the S-Class, it will be expanded to include luxury saloons by 2025, and SL, GT, and G-Class models sometime in the future.
Elsewhere, Bentley reported their second-highest profit on record for the 2023/24 financial year of £502 million, which they have credited to an unprecedented rise in demand for luxury personalised vehicles. It is said that Bentley's customers spend around £39,000 on personalised features such as interior leather, bejewelling, hand-stitched detailing, unusual materials, and sustainable features. As standard models start at around the £170,000 mark, one customer requested the car to be built from wood from their own forest, hiking the price tag to £470,000, whilst another surpassed £1.64 million in value due to the chosen customisation.
As you can see, the demand for personalisation for luxury motors is continuously growing. And, as more processes become automated and AI programmes assist in the car design sector, it might only be a matter of time before car personalisation becomes available for middle-ground and budget-priced vehicles. But, as personalisation itself continues to be a key element of customer experience, it is clear that this will at least become a discussion point for many retailers.
