Unique interactive customer experience designed and built by Accenture
Real-size 3-D products can be visualised and explored
Colour and trim can be configured instantly
Innovative new technology pilots in selected sales outlets
Munich. BMW i is the first automotive brand in the
world to offer customers an interactive, 3-D augmented reality
experience of their products in a pilot programme which is being
rolled-out from today. Using Tango, Google’s smartphone augmented
reality technology, customers can explore their ideal BMW i3 or i8, as
a real-size, interactive visualization.
“Our vehicles are emotional products and to get that emotional
feeling, you really need to experience them,” commented Andrea
Castronovo, BMW Group Vice President, Sales Strategy and Future
Retail. “In situations where the desired product isn’t available on
the spot, this visualisation is the next best thing,” he continued.
Piloting initially in a double-digit number of sales outlets,
selected Product Geniuses will be provided with a consumer mobile
device which is Tango-enabled. Using this, they can then support
customers to visualize and experience the BMW i products, using
augmented reality to create a 3-D image which can be explored
interactively: the customer can open the boot or the doors, even
getting “inside” the car to take a closer look at the interior. Eric
Johnsen, Head of Business Development for Augmented Reality at Google,
said, “The thing that sets Tango apart is the fact that it understands
the context of the space that it’s in. So the wheels are really on the
floor, for example, giving the whole experience a much more realistic feel.”
The quality of the images created is certainly extremely realistic.
“In our initial tests, we saw people ducking down when they were
getting into the car, as if there really were a roof there for them to
bang their heads on,” Andrea Castronovo recalled. “It’s that level of
detail which means this technology offers the customers real added
value,” he commented.
BMW i is the first automotive brand to use Tango to provide customers
with this interactive experience. “BMW i is the spearhead of
innovation at the BMW Group, so it’s clearly a good fit for the pilot
of this new customer and retail tool,” explained Stefan Biermann, BMW
Group Head of Innovations Sales, BMW i. The BMW i Visualiser App is
the latest innovation in the BMW Group’s Future Retail programme,
which began rolling out around three years ago and which has
transformed the customers’ experience of buying a car. Many
significant elements of Future Retail, such as the Product Genius or
the Virtual Product Presenter, have set new benchmarks for the industry.
The BMW i Visualiser was designed and developed by Accenture,
integrating BMW i picture data of the vehicles into an app which uses
Tango technology. It offers customers a new and interactive way to
experience the car, with functions that enable customers to open the
door or switch on the lights. In order to keep the user-experience as
intuitive and simple as possible, the app is a visualiser instead of a
full configurator, where features such as interior and exterior
colours or wheel rims can be altered at a touch of the screen. Once
the visualisation is complete, the customer can save the data and
share it with others, including BMW i sales outlets, via social media,
email or QR code.
Once the pilot is successfully completed, it is planned to offer the
app on Google Play so that customers with Tango-enabled devices can
download it for use any time, any place. “We believe that over the
next couple of years, the majority of premium Android devices will be
Tango-enabled,” said Eric Johnsen. “Augmented reality has such huge
potential for retail, we’re just getting started,” he continued.
“Our research shows that consumers are seeking improved use of
technologies like augmented reality during the car-buying process to
make the online-offline experience more compelling,” said Christina
Raab, managing director in Accenture’s Automotive practice. “BMW i’s
use of Tango technology and its integration with sales outlets and
existing configuration tools is helping create the seamless
multichannel experience customers are seeking.”
If you have any queries, please contact:
Corporate Communications
Emma Begley, Business and Finance Communications,
emma.begley@bmwgroup.com
Telephone: +49 89 382-72200
Glenn Schmidt, Head of Business and Finance Communications,
glenn.schmidt@bmwgroup.com
Telephone: +49 89 382-24544
Media website:
www.press.bmwgroup.com
Email: presse@bmw.de
The BMW Group
With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the
world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles
and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global
company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly facilities
in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2015, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.247 million cars and
nearly 137,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the
financial year 2015 was approximately € 9.22 billion on revenues
amounting to € 92.18 billion. As of 31 December 2015, the BMW Group
had a workforce of 122,244 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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