Car manufacturers’ apps that let you monitor your car’s technical condition, order various services, and communicate with the manufacturer are nothing new. The maker of exclusive Rolls-Royce cars has turned this into a multimillionaire social network.
This August in Riga was Rolls-Royce month – owners of the antique Phantom model stopped here as they set off on a European tour to mark its 100th anniversary. August also brought the opportunity to get acquainted with the brand’s new cars.
Every time I have the chance to drive a Rolls-Royce, it feels somewhat surreal: a lot of questions arise immediately, but the answers that appear make the issues I ponder seem light. For example, the model shown in the picture, Black Badge, is electric, while the car is long, wide, and heavy. Knowing that mass-market carmakers are struggling and thinking about how to make electric cars more desirable and extend their battery range, Rolls-Royce demonstrates that, for your money, any whim can be fulfilled. Their electric Rolls-Royce simply has two batteries.
This year’s discovery for me: Rolls-Royce has found a new selling point for its expensive cars, which start at half a million euros. For someone who can find half a million to buy a car, this innovation can open up new opportunities on a completely different scale.
Namely, Rolls-Royce has essentially turned its mobile app into an elite social network for its clients. It not only provides all the basic functions like others, but offers a range of services and options that can potentially influence the travel choices of the wealthiest people, their selection of lifestyle reading, and also open up new business opportunities. In the app you can not only find information about luxury resorts and leisure activities, use concierge services, and read about various exotic and unique destinations and the best restaurants, but also communicate with other Rolls-Royce owners around the world. There are not as many of them as there are Facebook users, but at the same time there are enough to call it a network – still tens of thousands of people.
It is well known that cars, just like hobbies, can become a unifying element for people – that’s why various fan clubs, gatherings, and other events emerge. It seems that Rolls-Royce has created one for itself as well. It works simply – a Rolls-Royce owner only has to give their consent for other similar car owners to be able to contact them. Although not everyone has given such permission, a Rolls-Royce representative says that the club has several thousand people who have agreed to talk among themselves. This means that, for example, if a Rolls-Royce owner finds themselves in some country or city and wants to spend the evening in equivalent company, they can use the app to find others like themselves – wealthy and with similar taste. It is not out of the question that new business partners, and perhaps even life partners, may also emerge this way. Or new designs, for example, dedicated to your beloved dog or something else: childhood dreams, parents, a loved one, or a favorite TV series. And no, this is not my flight of fancy, but that of Rolls-Royce clients who have ordered all these Bespoke, custom-made cars. For example, a car was recently created to order for its owner’s golden retriever.
This article was published in the first issue of Inc. magazine
Originally published at https://inc-baltics.com/rolls-royce-socialais-tikls/
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