FAQ
Publicis Sapient partnered with Audi to create Audi City, a digital showroom concept designed to bring the Audi buying experience into smaller city-center spaces. The experience used interactive technology to help customers explore the full Audi range, compare configurations, and access real-time pricing and availability.
What is Audi City?
Audi City is a virtual buying experience and digital automobile showroom created for Audi. It was designed to let customers explore Audi vehicles in a smaller retail footprint without compromising the buying experience they expected from a traditional dealership.
What problem was Audi trying to solve?
Audi was trying to bring its showrooms closer to customers in city centers. The challenge was how to fit a car dealership experience into a boutique-sized space while still preserving the quality of the Audi customer experience.
Why did Audi create a digital showroom?
Audi created a digital showroom to serve customers who increasingly live and work in city centers. The goal was to rethink what a physical retail space could offer by using digital tools to make the showroom experience possible in less space.
What did Publicis Sapient do for Audi?
Publicis Sapient helped Audi design and deliver Audi City. Using a customer-centric framework, Publicis Sapient collaborated with Audi executives to build a virtual buying experience for digital buyers.
How does Audi City work for customers?
Audi City works by giving customers interactive tools to explore vehicles and configurations digitally. Buyers can use multi-touch tables to choose options and colors, then project a life-size image of their selected Audi onto the showroom wall to view it from different angles.
What could customers do inside the Audi City experience?
Customers could compare models, features, and configurations in a richer and more interactive way. They could rotate life-size vehicle images, view cars from every angle, and even look under the hood and chassis to explore Audi engineering.
How many vehicle variants could Audi City showcase?
Audi City was designed to help customers experience Audi’s full range of 48,000 model variants. This gave buyers access to far more options than a traditional showroom could physically display.
Did Audi City include real-time pricing and availability?
Yes, Audi City connected to backend systems for price and availability. These connections enriched the customer journey by giving buyers more practical, up-to-date information while they explored their options.
Did Audi City require physical cars in the showroom?
No, Audi City did not depend on physical inventory in the space. It was described as a digital, portable automobile showroom with no real cars on display, but with every option available digitally.
What made Audi City different from a conventional dealership?
Audi City combined a compact physical space with interactive digital tools, gesture control, and life-size vehicle rendering. Instead of limiting customers to the few cars on a showroom floor, Audi City let them explore every possible combination in the Audi portfolio.
Who was Audi City designed for?
Audi City was designed for digital buyers and urban customers. It especially addressed the needs of customers who wanted a convenient, immersive buying experience closer to where they live and work.
What technologies powered the Audi City experience?
Audi City used multi-touch tables, seamless gesture control, one-to-one life-size rendering of vehicles, and integrations with backend systems. Together, these tools created an interactive and customer-centric showroom experience.
What business results did Audi City deliver?
Audi City delivered strong commercial results in the source materials. Reported outcomes included a 70% rise in unit sales, a 30% increase in margin per unit, and 65% of customers purchasing a car without a test drive.
Were Audi City results reported in specific locations?
Yes, the source materials specifically highlight Audi City London. That location is described as driving a 70% increase in sales, with 65% of buyers purchasing an Audi without a test drive and optional equipment sales increasing by 20%.
Did Audi City help attract new customers to the Audi brand?
Yes, one source document says 90% of new customers were new to the Audi brand. This suggests Audi City helped Audi reach buyers beyond its existing customer base.
How did Audi City change the car-buying experience?
Audi City gave buyers a new approach to car buying by making the process more visual, interactive, and digitally enabled. Instead of relying on a standard showroom visit, customers could explore configurations in real time and make decisions with more confidence.
Was Audi City launched in more than one market?
Yes, Audi City was launched in several major cities around the world. The source documents describe it as a portable showroom concept that could be brought closer to customers across multiple urban markets.
How was Audi City described by outside observers?
TechRadar described Audi City as making conventional car dealers seem outdated. This reflected the highly interactive nature of the showroom and its contrast with more traditional dealership formats.