Automotive & MobilityKia

Customer and Brand Digital Experience Innovation: Kia Global In-Store DCXJ (Digital Customer Experience Journey)

Consumer Research
Customer Journey
Omnichannel
Retail Experience

Pain Points

Stores outside Korea had no standardized digital customer experience.

Digital Innovation and the Evolution of the Car Buying Experience

In the past, buying a car was a process of seeking trust and emotional satisfaction through physical experiences such as face-to-face consultation, exploring the car in person and test drives. But the shift to the digital age has revolutionized consumer behavior, from how customers access information to their service expectations and demand for personalized experiences. As a result, an omnichannel strategy has emerged as essential in the automotive industry. Consumers now explore vehicle information online and make purchase decisions across many digital touchpoints. This change also affects the in-store experience, as consumers now expect the same personalization and convenience in store as online.

Against this background, Kia carried out the “Kia Global Instore DCXJ (Digital Customer Experience Journey)” project to break down the boundary between digital and physical experiences and provide customers with a seamless experience.

In this project, Saltcake and Kia analyzed and understood customer behavior data with the goal of offering personalized recommendations, tailored services and a differentiated customer experience in store, transforming some 200 Kia stores worldwide from mere showrooms into places where customers and the brand interact.

Strategic Lens

Four kinds of research, into trends, competitors, the global status and consumers, set the direction.

Initializing the Digital Customer Experience

Before designing the DCXJ in earnest, we carried out four important studies and surveys, through which we defined the roles and functions of the new DCXJ and digital tools.

Four areas of preliminary research, including digital customer experience trends and competitor best-practice stores

Four preliminary studies: digital customer experience trends / competitor and best-practice store analysis / global consumer insights / global DCX status analysis

2022 Digital Customer Experience Trends

In this project, Saltcake divided DCX (digital customer experience) into four trend themes and defined 12 global trends.

2022 digital customer experience trends

2022 digital customer experience trends: 01 Seamless Commerce Omnichannel · 02 Brand Experience Enforced Interactivity · 03 “Generation-less” Digital Channels · 04 Hyper-Personalization

01. Seamless Commerce Omnichannel

Connecting online and offline seamlessly to give customers a personalized, convenient experience.

Kia Global In-Store Digital CXJ — Three digital touchpoint icons

02. Brand Experience Enforced Interactivity

Providing a richer, customer-centered brand experience with a range of digital tools to raise conversion and purchase rates.

Kia Global In-Store Digital CXJ — Three in-store digital experience icons

03. “Generation-less” Digital Channels

Providing an integrated customer experience for all ages with diverse content and digital channels not limited to any one generation.

Kia Global In-Store Digital CXJ — Three customer journey stage icons

04. Hyper-Personalization

Providing experiences tailored to individual tastes based on AI and big data to build closer relationships with customers.

Kia Global In-Store Digital CXJ — Three operational task icons

Competitor and Best-Practice Store Analysis

To find concrete examples of DCX trends, we studied the store layouts, customer service and digital experiences of foreign automakers in Korea and brands in other services. For stores in Korea in particular, we experienced them firsthand through on-site visits and carried out detailed quantitative and qualitative evaluations.

Kia Global In-Store Digital CXJ — Strategic task summary table

Photo 1 — Polestar Space at Starfield Hanam; photo 2 — Audi Experience Ride

Photo 1: “Polestar Space,” Starfield Hanam (Polestar). Photo 2: “Audi Experience Ride” (source: https://www.audi.com)

Investigating Kia’s Current Global DCX

Kia’s digital customer experience journey (DCXJ) required different approaches for Korea and overseas markets. Kia’s stores in Korea have the potential to offer rich digital experiences, reflecting consumers’ high digital use and car purchase volume. Overseas, however, with no standardized DCX, the unique problems and improvement directions of each country’s stores had to be identified.

To this end, Kia carried out a two-stage strategic study. In the first stage, video meetings with managers in each major region built a deep understanding of each regional market and its customers, identifying how customers visit stores, the current state of digital customer service and the main problems. This information made an important contribution to setting the direction of the global DCXJ.

Kia's Global DCX Assessment across markets

Kia’s Global DCX Assessment: Korea, UK, Netherlands, US, Ecuador, Chile, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Australia

In the second stage, written interviews with managers in individual countries collected in-depth data on each country’s customer buying journey, the operation of in-store digital systems and the market environment for collecting customer information. This in-depth study of 15 countries was essential for Kia to design and implement the DCXJ more effectively in global markets.

Creative Approach

350 consumers in three countries and nine FGIs revealed how people visit stores.

Global Consumer Insights

For the global DCXJ project, Kia conducted an extensive consumer survey in Korea, the US and the Netherlands, run online and as focus group interviews (FGI) divided into nine groups. Its main purpose was to analyze three important factors.

Countries

350

Global Consumers

FGI

We looked closely at 1) what factors define how customers in each country visit stores, 2) at which touchpoints customers feel inconvenienced, and 3) what key issues must be considered in building a global DCX.

The survey confirmed that the purpose of store visits and consumer behavior differ greatly depending on customers’ digital engagement and reliance on dealers. This was a key factor in building Kia’s global DCXJ and had a major influence on each stage of the customer journey. The attitudes of each country and consumer group toward providing personal information also called for a more careful approach in designing the DCXJ.

“The Kia dealership near my home has kept the same interior for 30 years. If it changed to something this trendy, I think the brand’s image itself would become more positive.”

“It would feel ahead of other brands in technology and trends. It definitely feels more high-tech.”

Consumer voices from the FGI

A particularly important finding was that for most consumer groups, a rich digital customer experience contributes greatly to a positive brand image. In consumers’ own words, this clearly demonstrated the close connection between DCX and brand experience (BX).

Delivered Experience

We designed a three-stage global standard DCXJ that connects the time before and after a store visit.

Kia Global DCXJ

To understand the many challenges and opportunities in global markets, we carried out a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of market trends, on-site environments and customer behavior. On this basis, we designed a global standard DCXJ that seamlessly connects every stage customers experience before and after a store visit, focusing on providing the rich experience needed for purchase decisions with minimal dealer involvement.

We also defined DCXJs by store type, considering each country’s level of acceptance of digital experiences and local sales environments, so it could spread across countries and deliver strong results.

Kia Global New DCXJ Map, Saltcake

The Kia Global DCXJ is divided into three main stages, defining guides to improving existing digital tools and using new ones, as well as ways to collect and use customer data.

Phase 01. Start Experience

Looking around and collecting brand and store information. In the early stage of a store visit, customers explore cars with many kinds of curiosity. This stage provides a simple, clear entry process so customers can begin interacting with the brand in store.

Phase 02. Search & Engagement

Taking a deep look at the models and functions. While exploring cars, customers want to access content in a simple, intuitive way. This stage provides the right digital tools so customers can experience things on their own and explore products without complexity.

Phase 03. Decision Making

Experiencing customized support for the purchase. At the purchase decision stage, customers receive tailored support, with clear feedback so that everything they have experienced has a positive effect and is reflected in the actual contract.

Beyond Boundaries: Saltcake’s Global Customer Experience Innovation

The Kia Global Instore DCXJ project that Saltcake and Kia carried out together is an important case that reaffirms the importance of a “borderless digital customer experience.” Through this project, Saltcake contributed significantly to raising Kia’s customer satisfaction in global markets. By closely analyzing the characteristics and needs of customers in each country and providing tailored solutions, we added important value to Kia’s global strategy.

Saltcake will continue to strengthen its expertise to help Korean companies overcome the challenges they face in improving their brands and customer experiences in overseas markets.

CX/UX/UX/Design Methodologies, Saltcake

CX/UX/Design methodologies, Saltcake

Showroom lounge with a wide “Inspiring Universe” media wall

Client

Redesigning the in-store journey of Kia showrooms worldwide around digital experience.

Project Information

Industry: Automotive & Mobility
Project Type: Optimization
Role: Research, CX Strategy, Customer Journey Design

Client: Kia
Client Introduction: Kia is a global brand leading the popularization of eco-friendly mobility centered on innovative electric vehicles. It provides sustainable solutions by expanding Purpose Built Vehicles (PBV) and a range of mobility services, and its distinctive design, advanced autonomous driving technology and connectivity services offer customers new experiences.

Today’s car buyers want a unique experience that goes beyond a simple transaction. The buying process has evolved into a journey in which customers connect with the brand, experience technology and innovation, and choose a car that fits their lifestyle. Because customers gather information and form expectations online before visiting a store, harmonizing online and offline experiences has become essential, not optional.

The “Kia Global In-Store Digital CXJ” project designed an integrated digital experience in the store based on the recently changed car buying journey, reflecting a shift in the automotive industry where digital interactions now shape the whole customer experience.

Case Intelligence Summary

Pain Points

Stores outside Korea had no standardized digital customer experience.

Buying a car used to be about building trust through physical experiences — face-to-face consultation, seeing the car and test drives — but the digital shift changed how people access information, what they expect and how personal they want it to be. Customers now research cars online and decide through many digital touchpoints, and they expect the same personalization and convenience in the showroom. Korean stores, with high digital adoption, had the potential for rich experiences, but overseas stores had no standardized digital customer experience. We first had to find each country's store-specific problems and directions for improvement. The goal was to turn Kia's 200-plus showrooms worldwide from car displays into places where customers and the brand truly interact.

Strategic Lens

Four kinds of research, into trends, competitors, the global status and consumers, set the direction.

Before designing the DCXJ, four strands of research defined the new journey and the role of digital tools. We organized digital customer experience into 12 global trends under four themes: Seamless Commerce Omnichannel, Brand Experience Enforced Interactivity, Generation-less Digital Channels and Hyper-Personalization. We then visited stores of foreign automakers and other service brands in Korea, experiencing their layout, service and digital experiences firsthand and evaluating them quantitatively and qualitatively. Kia's global situation was surveyed in two steps. Video calls with regional managers built an understanding of markets and customers, and written interviews with managers in 15 countries went deep into purchase journeys, in-store digital systems and the environment for collecting customer data.

Creative Approach

350 consumers in three countries and nine FGIs revealed how people visit stores.

We surveyed 350 consumers in Korea, the US and the Netherlands online and ran FGIs with nine groups. We analyzed what shapes store-visit behavior in each country, where customers feel friction, and which issues matter in building a global DCX. Visit purposes and behavior differed greatly with digital engagement and reliance on dealers, affecting every stage of the journey. Attitudes toward sharing personal data by country and group also demanded a more careful design. Above all, rich digital experiences built a positive brand image across most consumer groups, and voices like “If it changed to feel this trendy, I think my image of the brand would get better too” proved the link between DCX and brand experience.

Delivered Experience

We designed a three-stage global standard DCXJ that connects the time before and after a store visit.

Based on analysis of market trends, store environments and customer behavior, we designed a global standard DCXJ that connects every stage before and after the showroom visit without breaks. The focus was to give customers the rich experience they need to decide, even with minimal dealer involvement. The journey has three phases: Start Experience for looking around the brand and store, Search & Engagement for exploring models and features in depth, and Decision Making for tailored support through to the contract. For each phase we defined improvements to existing digital tools, guides for new ones, and ways to collect and use customer data. We also defined DCXJs by store type based on each country's digital readiness and local sales environment, supporting rollout and results country by country.

Looking to redesign the in-store customer journey for the digital era? Saltcake connects strategy to the experience on the floor

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