Insight & strategy Aston Martin has encouraged fans to interact with its cars behind the scenes Audiences are forever changing. I wouldnt say it is a revolution, but I think the audience is evolving, says Hardaker. What we see as a business is that it is not just a generational shift it is a mindset that spreads across generations. People from the age of 20 up to 80 buy our cars, and they all have a shared set of values, attitudes and behaviours, no matter what their age or demographic. Our customers want access what they want is behind-the-scenes, sustainability, shared sets of values. They want time and freedom. As a company, it is really important to stay close to our customers. After all, the purchase of an Aston Martin is a very emotional decision there are elements of rationality in it, but it is an emotional purchase. If we are tapping into the emotions of our customers, it is important to understand who those drivers are, A customer doesnt always know what they want until they see it and how we position ourselves as a brand to be relevant to new customers coming through. This also means investing in the digital experience both in terms of existing channels like the website and social media, and also considering emerging spaces like the metaverse. It is important to have digital tools to take away the mundane and make it simple and convenient, and add the level of immersion new customers are looking for, Hardaker explains, but adds: It still remains vital to have the physical experience, as well as that digital experience. To address this and build a rapport with customers and gather insight, Hardakers team has run experiential events to introduce select groups of customers to new products, giving them a behind-the-scenes experience with as-yet-unreleased cars or prototypes, and then collecting feedback. This is done mostly through qualitative research, but with a dollop of quantitative for good measure. The team has spent a lot of time talking to the people who attend these events and use a customer satisfaction programme to understand every stage of the customer journey, says Hardaker. This programme uses a range of data sources, including the business customer relationship management database, information from its dealer network, and social media, with help from artificial intelligence and data tools. While the customer is at the heart of the business, Hardaker says the company has focused on letting technical experts innovate in ways that could appeal to future consumers, taking a similar approach to creativity as the likes of Apple. A customer doesnt always know what they want until they see it, particularly with luxury products some of the inspiration comes from within, she explains. It is not necessarily about testing things with our customers to see if theyll like it or asking them what they want, but using our customers as inspiration for what we develop by getting to know them in a more emotional way. Then we let the designers and engineers create. While all Aston Martins are produced at the companys headquarters in Warwickshire, it is important to ensure it has a more global, rather than UK-focused, vision in terms of who our customers are, the products we make and how we take those products to market. The insights team at Aston Martin sits within the marketing and commercial function, incorporating customer insights and experience strategy, data science and analytics, and regional product planners and insight specialists focused on getting information about competitors, markets 32 Impact ISSUE 43 2023_pp30-33 I&S Aston Martin.indd 32 18/09/2023 18:44