Hyundai is now working with Amazon to sell their vehicles online! This instantly got my attention because whenever I am shopping for a car, the first thing I do is to start googling local dealerships. I thought this was a brilliant idea and it definitely makes sense with how many people are shopping online especially post-Covid!
The article titled “Hyundai shows how easy it is to ‘Add to Cart’ via Amazon Autos” by Aaron Baar in Marketing Dive tells us all about Hyundai’s newest marketing campaign. The three key takeaways are:
- Hyundai is flaunting that they are the first brand to collaborate with Amazon to sell cars online
- This is the first campaign, and it highlights how it is easy to ‘Add to Cart’; the complimentary “mini campaign” is going to show how quick and easy it is to purchase a Hyundai off Amazon Autos
- By working with Amazon, Hyundai is going to reach consumers in “54 markets (representing 71% of Hyundai’s sales volume)”.
Hyundai’s value proposition is offering stylish, affordable and dependable cars that appeal to younger to middle aged consumers such as college students and families. I believe the challenge that Hyundai is facing is how they can capture more of the market, increase brand awareness and to stand out in the saturated automotive industry.
Interestingly enough, Amazon has an article on their website about Amazon Autos going live that day (December 10, 2024). A month has passed since it was written and no one I have spoken to even knew about the Hyundai/ Amazon collaboration. That is another problem that this marketing campaign has addressed. It is worth noting that Amazon's value proposition is the ease and convenience of shopping as well as offering safety when shopping through their site by money back guarantees and allowing returns.
This is a brand-new campaign strategy from any automobile company and Hyundai is the first brand to partner with Amazon. You simply go onto the Amazon website, search for the Hyundai model (or browse the "Evolve Showroom" if you aren’t sure), customize by choosing trim level and color then type in your zip code/ how many miles you are willing to drive to the dealership.
Amazon does all the legwork and gives you a clickable list of dealerships within the listed radius. Not only does it include the customized car you want, but it also lists the price from the dealership’s website- saving you tons of time! Once you find your desired car, you can add it to your cart and find financing and even get a quote from an independent company to trade-in your current car! Bonus: you don’t even have to listen to those overeager salespeople trying to sell unnecessary protection packages and extended warranties!
Here are some screenshots of the "Evolve Showroom" and how to customize your Hyundai:
This is a revolutionary way to sell a new vehicle, and it is completely unique to what is available in the market. For instance, with other online companies like Carvana, you can browse and find a used car, but you can’t buy brand new vehicles that you chose and customized off their website. With competitor companies like Toyota or Kia, sure you can find a new car at one of their many dealerships but you, the consumer, have to do the legwork and search all these different dealerships within the radius you are willing to drive. Boy oh boy it's annoying and time consuming! As a member of Hyundai's target market, I would have compared hybrids like the Elantra to a Toyota Prius due to the convenience and price range.
This marketing approach is excellent and it's not just another boring car commercial! It offers the consumer a unique experience (just like Seth Godin’s “Purple Cow”) and they marketed it in a way that I think Simon Sinek would be proud- by telling consumers the why. At the end of the commercial it says “Buy a Hyundai like you buy everything else” because we as consumers want that convenience. Another idea that Hyundai takes advantage of is marketing to the early adopters- I guarantee there are people out there that will buy a Hyundai just to say, “I was one of the first to buy my car off Amazon!”.
One thing I would have done differently as the brand manager of Hyundai would have been to offer deliveries to customers from the dealership to add to the ease and convenience of the transaction. Even if it's not possible in all areas (especially rural), at least it could be offered in larger cities as a trial run to test it out. In addition, I would include a charge for the service to cover the costs of labor, gasoline and a small convenience fee.
From doing this assignment, I learned just how much companies need to stay innovative and think outside of the box to stand out in their industry. I have never really paid attention to car commercials before; the idea behind this one was just so different. If it wasn't for them collaborating with Amazon, Hyundai wouldn't even been on my radar. I also didn't know there are consumers in 54 different markets that Hyundai is now exposed through by working with Amazon (according to the article).
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