Infotech Lead Europe: Taking a 15-year relationship forward, BMW has now entrusted Accenture with the responsibility of managing the roll out of BMW’s custom-built web platform.
Accenture will also manage BMW’s global digital marketing campaigns and overlook the content.
The rollout in 100 of BMW’s major markets will be done in a phased out manner and has started with the first 16 countries. It will be completed by 2014.
Recently, Infosys Technologies signed a five-year deal with BMW for application-based infrastructure management services. The German luxury car maker, which is in the process of expanding its global production capacities, will benefit from predictable IT operations services.
Infosys, which is facing huge exodus in some of the overseas markets, says the contract with BMW will cover services such as maintenance and operations of the web infrastructure, content management, SAP Basis operations, IT for IT (the company’s internal IT system) and the business intelligence systems of BMW Group.
According to a media statement from Accenture, the new web platform leverages customer relationship management (CRM) technologies and web analytics to improve customer interactions.
Accenture will take care BMW’s online marketing campaigns and overlook the implementation and content distribution through country specific sites. Content will be localized to suit each market. Accenture will overlook the deployment of the content to social media channels and mobile versions of the site.
The agreement covers training of BMW’s local market teams, content managers and agencies on the new platform, coordinating testing and providing support after go-live.
Accenture will also provide CRM campaign support, scope digital requirements and manage all the agencies involved. In addition, Accenture Interactive, Accenture’s digital marketing services arm will provide the global content, campaign management and e-commerce services that will help BMW deliver better service to its existing and prospective clients.
Anatoly Roytman, managing director of Accenture Interactive’s practice for EMEA revealed the findings of a recent survey of 13,000 drivers in 11 countries. Respondents believed that the process of buying a car could be made simple and quicker.
Over 80 percent of the respondents wanted more intuitive, customized content and 77 percent wanted car makers to give them a simpler way to configure a vehicle. The research revealed that automotive manufacturers need a stronger digital presence and better integration of digital marketing to address consumer demands better.
