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Dodge Viper's mobile customization option gives brand upscale cache

 

Starting Feb. 1, Viper buyers can order a customer version of the Viper GTC ? with any color, wheel, interior and aerodynamic kit combinations ? by starting at the Web site www.driveSRT.com/2015/viper/1of1. The move is an example of a non-luxury automotive brand embracing mobile in an upscale style to drive sales as the technology wins wider acceptance.

?This frankly brings Dodge Viper up to same standards as other premium brands ? Porsche, BMW, etcetera,? said Jamey Power, a customer-satisfaction expert whose family founded marketing research firm JD Power and Associates. ?One could argue this is to be expected for such an important vehicle in a line-up for a brand.

?In this case, because of the vehicle?s design and price point, a mobile application is one piece of the puzzle,? he said. ?It facilitates the discussion and supports the overall image. I don?t think they expect it to literally drive the sales decision.? 

Submitting order

After submitting an order, the customer visits a dealer to discuss the order with a concierge. After the order is verified, assembly of the vehicle will begin. The car will either be delivered to a dealer or to the customer's home.

Custom-tailoring the ride.

The customizable car has a starting U.S. manufacturer's suggested retail price of $94,995 ? roughly $10,000 more than the standard model.

It can be custom-tailored with more than 25 million unique build combinations. Options include 8,000 hand-painted exterior colors, 24,000 hand-painted custom stripes, 10 wheel options, 16 interior trims, six aero packages, as well as a host of standalone options.

Dealers will start taking orders in February. Production is scheduled to start at Detroit?s Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in the second quarter of 2015.

It takes between 140 and 160 hours to hand paint each Viper before it goes to assembly. Customers can track the entire process via updates on a mobile-optimized Web site.

Updates will include pictures of the meticulous paint process and each phase of the handcrafted assembly.

Buyers also can share their experience with friends and family via social media as they pass each build milestone.

The fifth generation of the Dodge Viper SRT made its return to the high-performance sports car market in late 2012 as a 2013 model. 

The car has a 645-horsepower hand-built aluminum V10 engine. Its hand-crafted body is comprised of hand-laid carbon fiber, aluminum, magnesium and high-strength steel. Since 1992, Dodge and SRT have built approximately 30,000 Vipers.

Vehicle customization is a hallmark of automakers in the digital realm.

If a consumer wants to experiment with vehicle features, he or she usually can access customizing tools on the desired brand?s Web site, Facebook page, dedicated mobile application, and elsewhere.

One obstacle automakers face, however, is motivating potential consumers who may not have considered the brand to actually use the programs. Oftentimes, consumers have to go through multiple, time-consuming steps that likely lead to abandoned designs, leaving only serious consumers to fulfill the process.

Mercedes-Benz sought to address this issue by bringing customization to Instagram. The initiative targeted younger consumers who might not have recognized that the automaker had affordable vehicles.

Bentley Motors allowed consumers to design their own version of the vehicles and share the creations on social media and through email.

Older customer

A Viper customer or prospect is likely older, more knowledgeable and predisposed to this type of discretionary purchase.  

Having it the customer's way.


?This mobile application is not essential to attracting interest of a shopper or closing the sale,? Mr. Power said. 

?The question is, how can Dodge take this overall approach and what it learns from it, using the mobile application, and vehicle customization, and apply it to other less expensive and mainstream car lines where the younger, more tech savvy consumer is likely to be a shopper ? a customer who expects a mobile experience that both engages and makes the process easier.?

Final Take

Michael Barris is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York.