In a world where “Attention Economics” has become a course of study, it makes perfect sense that experiential marketing has become so important to auto brand managers. Driving is, first and foremost an experience; by introducing two-way communication, OEMs can instantly turn events into “experiences”, while drastically improving key brand metrics like awareness and engagement. But how are OEMs measuring these all-important success metrics? Where do branded experiences typically factor in the customer journey, how are they tied to other engagements, and eventually, sales? What does it really mean to deliver a soup-to-nuts branded experience in 2019?

Ready or not, here they come: Gen Z, those born roughly between 1995 and 2010, will soon enter the workforce en masse. These voracious consumers of social media in all forms can almost always be spotted holding a mobile device. Self-assured and resourceful, they are especially uncomfortable being placed into traditional identity boxes based on things like politics, religion, gender or sexual orientation. In this presentation, RPA’s SVP Strategic Planning Director, Mia von Sadovszky, will take us through the findings from the Santa Monica-based agency’s just-released study on how marketers should prepare for the coming wave of these “Identity Shifters”.

As we know, consumer mobility and location data are game-changers for marketers of all stripes—although, OEMs have a longer and more complicated conversion path than most. How does location strengthen and reinforce important touchpoints along the car buyer’s journey, and do OEMs feel they are taking full advantage? How, for example, does the data gleaned from Out-of-Home, Experiential/Event activations and other IoT/nontraditional sources pair with traditional digital touchpoints to tell a complete story, and how is ROI being measured? What data can be bought/borrowed/exchanged to improve interactions and achieve intended results? Also: with Gen Z on the horizon, how are OEMs altering their approach to the customer journey in both the near and long-term?