This paper presents an investigation on the current market conditions in sales based in the automotive industry and a new approache triggered by the digitization in this industry. Various studies prove that the behavior of the customers has changed drastically. By this customer experience, management becomes a central strategy in the digital age to reach long-term customer loyalty and enterprise growth. It is therefore necessary to adapt the function of the car dealers and, in general, innovative sales formats and technologies for communication with the customer. This paper describes how Daimler AG is reacting to these market changes with the concept of “Mercedes Me”.

Introduction

In the past few years, digitalization has changed our everyday lives enormously. It affects the way we communicate, our leisure time, our buying habits, the way we acquire information and many other issues. Various industries are also being revolutionized by this current trend. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes‑Benz Cars states: “We are transitioning from car manufacturer to networked mobility provider, whereby the focus is always on the individual – as customer and employee.” (Daimler AG 2016) The sales department plays a significant role in this turnaround as this area is closely linked to the customer. It is no longer sufficient to stand out from the competition through innovative technologies, the product quality, the price or the quality of the service. The attention is more and more paid on the customer. The aim of the present work is to investigate the current market conditions in sales based on the digitalization and, in the next step, to examine whether and how these aspects are practically applied at one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers, Daimler AG. In the following chapter, the current management approach ‘customer experience management’ is picked up and the present changes in customer behaviour triggered by the digitalization are revealed. Chapter three then analyses the practical application at Daimler AG. The elaboration is concluded with a summary and an outlook.