AC Motors recognizes increased opportunity with online commerce, extends partnership with AutoDeal

AC Motors, the automotive wing of Ayala Corporation, has renewed its partnership with AutoDeal.com.ph for another consecutive year as part of its plan to provide more customer-centric buying experiences online.

The company’s continued investment into digital commerce is part of a global trend following the halt of traditional automotive business operations which occurred during the lockdowns imposed by COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. The renewal of the partnership will enable consumers from across the Philippines to effortlessly connect with all Kia, Volkswagen, and Maxus dealerships as well as select Honda dealers via AutoDeal’s online marketplace.

When it comes to the topic of digital commerce, AC Motors are among the most bullish players in the market, not only seeking the opportunity to connect with a broad audience but to provide the appropriate level of service required to convert digital metrics into real-world sales.

“Online marketing is the great equalizer. In the past, only big brands with huge ATL media budgets could effectively communicate to the mass market. Digital media was then considered a niche with advertisers allocating only 10% of their budget. Covid-19 accelerated the Philippine market’s shift to digital media. The traditional purchase funnel can now be reshaped. We now find ourselves at equal footing with the other brands on a race to win in the digital space.” said AC Motors President Antonio Zara.

“Autodeal spearheaded the digital transformation of the industry well before players themselves realized the impending change. It is now by far the leading auto portal in the Philippines. They continue to reinvent themselves as new players start to emerge.” he added.

Kia began their first year of partnership with AutoDeal back in March of 2020, onboarding a total of 41 dealerships onto the platform in a few short weeks. Since then, the brand has seen exponential results over the last twelve months; with AutoDeal fulfilling a commitment to contribute to three hundred sales in its first term. Together with Maxus and Volkswagen, the trio of brands will be aiming for further success in 2021 through an enhanced commitment to consumers and brand new products to boot.

“We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Ayala’s automotive division ever since the formation of AutoDeal in 2014. Our latest partnership renewal is a natural progression that signifies how brands are becoming more attentive to the quality of the service that they provide online. We’re happy to be among the partners that AC Motors has chosen for this endeavor, and look forward to continuing to work actively with their teams to provide convenient and efficient online buying options for their consumers.” says AutoDeal co-founder and CEO Daniel Scott.

Through the partnership, all AC Motors brands get access to customers through the AutoDeal.com.ph platform—an online marketplace that enables consumers to find the best deal on their next vehicle from highly rated dealerships across the country. In addition, commercial partners are given access to a wide range of technology, including a comprehensive lead-management system with intuitive mobile applications for sales agents and managers.

The application of the technology enables brands like AC Motors to be attentive to the quality of service that their brands are providing online by keeping track of things like dealership response times and sales conversion rates.

“Our platform goes beyond lead-generation. We exhaust an enormous amount of resources to ensure that the experience given to car buyers across our platform is of the highest quality. This has led us to create an online experience that is equally as beneficial for the consumer as it is for the dealer. As a result, we’ve been able to evolve our business model to provide a committed sales output, which we believe offers our partners not only a guaranteed return on investment but also significant peace of mind.” added Scott.

AC Motors’ partnership with AutoDeal contributes to approximately seventeen percent of AutoDeal’s partner network, which grew by 72% in 2020. With more than 25,000 confirmed purchases via the platform last year, AutoDeal accounts for roughly 11% of the overall market – offering growing opportunities for partnered brands year on year. The company’s contribution to digital commerce goes even further when you take into consideration that their sister technology company, SirQo provides the inquiry management system for the website of several of the country’s leading automotive brands.

The AutoDeal partnership is just one of the many digital innovations that AC Motors are investing in. When asked about the future of automotive retail and the role that digital will play in serving customers anywhere, Mr. Zara stated that:

“It is more a question of how we can serve in “anyway” than “anywhere”. Beyond digital showrooms which have become common in the marketplace, we are now piloting live presentations in some of our brands. We are committed to ensuring our consumers online shopping experience and it is for this reason we are investing in new technologies to put the customer at the center of our communication mix. At the same time, we continue to expand our company-owned and independent franchise dealer network since traditional stores remain important to consummate a sale. While the market is ready for virtual dealer processes, it is not ready for a virtual dealer.”

With an ambition to reach a 10% industry market share by 2025, AC Motors looks to further embrace technology as an integral part of their customer’s journey. To find out more about AC Motors and AutoDeal visit www.acmotors.com.ph and www.autodeal.com.ph.