1. AUTOMOTIVE UPDATE
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BRANDS ON APPS
AUTOMOTIVE UPDATE – Q3 2010

2. AUTOMOTIVE UPDATE
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INTRODUCTION
The first in a series of updates on how brands across major
industry sectors are embracing mobile as part of their digital,
marketing or product strategy.
In our study, we reviewed over 700 branded mobile
applications and summarized the key findings and trends to
give you a snapshot of who is doing what and how.
This update focuses on the Automotive Industry.
Other updates for brands will be available soon for the
following industries:
• Airlines
• Fashion
• Accessories/Jewelry
• Retail
• Banking & Finance
• FMCG
• Cosmetics
• Restaurants
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Hospitality
To automatically receive Exicon’s Branded App Updates,
subscribe at http://digital.exicon.mobi/reports

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700+ apps reviewed to date
AUTOMOTIVE BRANDS HAVE EMBRACED MOBILE APPLICATIONS
11% of the apps we reviewed in our study were
automotive apps.
The automotive industry was an early adopter in the
application space.
On average a brand in the auto industry has 2.6 apps vs
an average of 1.4 across all industries.
Include dealer apps and that average jumps to 9.7.
11 %

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Luxury vehicle brands, BMW
and Audi were among the first
to market alongside major
brands Coca Cola & McDonalds.
Now all the major auto brands
are on board.
LUXURY BRANDS
BMW Mercedes-Benz Toyota
Nissan Volkswagen Audi
Mazda Seat
Auto app downloads
exceed ALL other
categories
LED THE WAY
2of the first 4
apps created were
automotive apps

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TOP FEATURES &
TOP APP FEATURES IN AUTOMOTIVE
iPHONE LED THE CHARGE
Specific features such as the accelerometer, have clearly driven
app development. As other smartphones adopt these features,
other platforms will catch up.
Location-aware capabilities, integrated maps, product catalogs
and personalization options have proven to facilitate real requests
from users either by helping to locate the closest dealer, enabling
customization of car models or by submitting requests for real
test drives.
VW Real Racing GTI
Quickly became the most
downloaded auto app, despite
the fact that mobile was the only
digital promotion channel used.
increase in sales leads
and test driving requests
80%
The top 6
features
stimulate
test driving
requests
TEST DRIVES

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of Automotive Apps
include games
30%
GAMES ARE INTEGRAL
TO AUTOMOTIVE APPS
Audi’s A4 Driving Challenge
4M
Downloads
First Auto App on iTunes

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GAMES ARE OFTEN
INDEPENDENTLY DEVELOPED
Volkswagen partnered with developers ‘Firemint
Real’ to create a winning mobile game for the
launch of the new VW GTI.
4.3Mdownloads
Games cost! Typically games are developed by specialized
game development companies.
An effective solution can be to leverage the success of an
existing game, developed by an independent developer,
and customize it for a new model. The advantage is that
there is an existing game, user base, brand and appealing
user experience.
Alternatively, brands can use one game ‘engine’ and
multiple ‘skins’ to leverage the cost of development across
multiple models.

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MOST BRANDED
APPS ARE FREE
Ferrari GT Evolution Ferrari Sound app
Ferrari, however, charges
US$0.99
Interestingly, Ferrari have reduced the price
over time. When GT Evolution was first
released in Dec ‘08 it cost US$9.99, then
dropped to US$5.99 in mid ’09, US$1.00 in mid
’10 and is now selling for US$0.99.

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Car brands are among the strongest “Brand Guardians”.
However, there has been evidence of a proactive approach
towards dealer applications in order to enable the local
penetration of branded applications in the different markets
and support channel sales.
HQ COMMISSIONED
Corporate HQ – BMW Group
Premium App
Commissioned by BMW Group
Local HQ – BMW France
Advanced App
Commissioned by BMW France
Only focus on HQ
commissioned apps
1
DIFFERENT BRANDS FOLLOW 2 VERY DIFFERENT
STRATEGIES

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Basic app
Commissioned by Dealer
Empower
dealers to
create their
own apps
MOST POPULAR FEATURES USED IN DEALER APPS:
1. Location aware
2. Integrated maps
3. Phone dialer
4. Twitter integration
5. Facebook integration
MOBILE APPS
Local Dealer – BMW Atlanta
Basic App
Commissioned by Dealer
• 150+ additional apps issued at dealer level,
independent of global or regional HQ
• “Dealer apps” enable car dealers to market their
own business (particularly popular in US & Canada)
• Toyota, for example has 24 dealer apps
• The most effective dealer apps can be driven by
“App Wizards” thereby protecting the brand image
as well as facilitating the rapid roll-out by dealers.
DEALER INITIATED
2

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Most apps reviewed were commissioned by
‘Global’ HQ in N. America or Western Europe.
However, increasingly, apps are commissioned
by the ‘Local’ HQ & localized for specific
markets.
More impactful is when the content is market
specific, which is a good argument for
promoting a localized dealer app strategy .
GLOBAL VS LOCAL
Portuguese app in Brazil, commissioned by Audi Brazil
“An average sales increase ranging from 18 to 22 % when
developers make their app available in a local language.”
Mercedes also has multiple versions including Chinese
Head of Product Marketing, Global App Store

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Mobile Website
Micro-Sites
YouTube
Channel
Twitter
Facebook Sites
and Apps
Online Game
Promo
Blogs & Feeds
THE APP IS JUST THE START
INTEGRATION IS KEY
iPhone App
MySpace

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Launched in June 2010, in time for the release of the iPad in the Middle East.
VW DAS iPad App
YOU NEED TO BE PLANNING FOR
WHAT’S COMING NEXT
VW was the 1st auto brand
with an app for the iPad

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APPS WE LIKEMINI GETAWAY STOCKHOLM IPHONE APP
A brilliant idea from MINI. A mobile geo-location
multi-player reality game, built around a play-to-
win concept. This app not only offers players a
fun experience but has a great incentive, with a
brand new MINI Countryman up for grabs.
The way it works is, players have to hunt down and catch a virtual MINI
in Stockholm. Then the real challenge begins, as they now need to
escape with it and stay at least 50 meters away from everybody else in
the city. The player who manages to keep the virtual MINI in his iPhone
at the end of the game week wins a real new MINI Countryman.
Locate the virtual MINI Within 50m of the car,
‘steal’ it onto your device
‘Dodge’ your enemies &
keep the virtual mini safe
Keep it for a week and the
real thing is yours.

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APPS WE LIKEROLLS-ROYCE GHOST
This app by luxury maker Rolls Royce stands out
because it uses the product interaction and UGC
features to let consumers create their custom
Rolls-Royce Ghost model.
Ghost is the essence of Rolls -Royce in its simplest, purest
form. Whatever you have in mind, you can see it take shape
with the Rolls-Royce Ghost App. Also available as an iPad
app.The quality of the brand is conveyed throughout the app. Customers
can immerse themselves in the design process and explore the
possibilities of exterior color, leather upholstery and wood veneer.

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In a mini game, a 360° view and the integration of Augmented
Reality users can see a virtual car model with further information
by pointing camera at the billboard ad. The mini game also deals
with the ecological innovation of the Prius model – educating users
about alternative energy power.
Interaction Product Education Multi-Touch
APPS WE LIKETOYOTA PRIUS EXPERIENCE
Part of an overall multi-touch point digital
marketing initiative. Provides users interactive
information about the car & a way to engage
with the model’s billboard ads.

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Visit our website to download a copy of this report and
subscribe to receive other industry reports.
http://digital.exicon.mobi/reports
Other updates for brands will be available soon for the
following industries.
• Airlines
• Fashion
• Accessories/Jewelry
• Retail
• Banking & Finance
• FMCG
• Cosmetics
• Restaurants
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Hospitality
This report was brought to you by
Exicon Digital. Exicon Digital is a hub
for brand marketers & agencies to get
everything they need to build
successful applications. Find out
more at http://digital.exicon.mobi
If you enjoyed this report, then you might be
interested in participating in The Expedition, a series
of invitation-only workshops about going mobile.
Together with leading local brands, agencies and
developers, you’ll hear first-hand from people who
have been in the trenches. You’ll also be able to
discuss how to apply the learnings to your brand as
well as meet the relevant people who can make it
happen.
Let us know which cities you’d be interested in
attending and we’ll be in touch when we’re in your
neck of the woods.
Go to http://digital.exicon.mobi/new/expedition.php