In its desire to be a popular brand, Citroën is surrounding itself with more and more customers who have become ambassadors, responsible for spreading the word to consumers, in particular by letting them try out their car. This is the case in France with Ami, with great success, and in Italy with the two programmes: My Ami Superfan and Citroën ë-lovers.
After last year's success, Citroën is therefore renewing the "MyAmi superfan" and "Citroën ë-Lovers" programs, with which it invites its electric car customers to become Brand Ambassadors, by becoming the spokesperson for sustainable and responsible mobility. It is an innovative business approach that aims to create a community aware and involved in the transition to electric, also through exclusive events and moments of discussion with the management of Citroën in Italy.
The two projects are based on the observation that people often express the need to be reassured before making a purchase, especially when they are interested in new 100% electric vehicles. For this reason, they seek reassurance from someone they trust, from opinions expressed online or even from direct confrontation with those who use a product every day and know all its aspects from their own experience. It is precisely on this last point that Citroën has been able to innovate by creating a new distribution channel to give some of its enthusiastic customers the opportunity to show their vehicle and have it tested by those who are interested and want to know more.
To become an Ambassador, you must first be a customer of one of the brand's AM or 100% electric cars and be willing to share your driving experience with anyone interested in learning more about the zero-emission vehicle before making a purchase. Potential customers will therefore be able to obtain information directly from an Ambassador in a friendly and transparent way by making an appointment online or in person, perhaps closest to them by geolocating them on the two programmes' websites. They can then order the car and become new customers and potential ambassadors. The "My Ami Superfan" and "Citroën ë-Lovers" digital platforms were created in partnership with Demooz, a start-up specialising in pre-purchase testing.
In particular, "MyAmi superfan" is a new way of discovering Ami, based on the direct and concrete testimonies of those customers who already use Ami on a daily basis and who live near the person interested in trying out the new, unconventional and revolutionary mobility solution. Last year alone, the programme registered more than 2,000 road tests and more than 300 sales, confirming the effectiveness of a project born from the testimonies of some customers who could not easily test the vehicle in certain areas, and other customers potentially interested in buying the Citroën Ami and wishing to contact the owners to share their experiences of using it.
"Becoming an Ami-100% ëelectric Ambassador was a great opportunity for me to express and share my passion for the automotive world. I immediately thought it was innovative to give certain customers, like me, who are "in love" with their Ami, the opportunity to become Ambassadors, to tell about their daily life with Citroën Ami, to show their vehicle to those who are interested and want to know more, and to let them test it. In addition, it is rewarding to be rewarded with gift vouchers for each sale and test drive that I help to carry out, as well as to be involved in the various national experiences that Citroën organises".
Once again this year, those who become AMI Ambassadors will benefit from a number of financial advantages, depending on the test drives they are able to carry out and the sales they make.
Last year, the "Citroën ë-Lovers" programme, originally reserved for Citroën ë-C4 customers, was also born from the recognition of the "Ami Superfan". This year, Citroën has decided to extend the initiative to all owners of the brand's 100% electric vehicles, in a concrete demonstration of how it wants to help make the transition to electric mobility an attractive and relaxing experience, removing any doubts or prejudices through the testimony of those who drive it every day. Each ambassador will be rewarded with vouchers that can be spent on a special platform for every sale and test drive they help to achieve.
Alessandro Musumeci, Marketing Manager, Citroën Italia: "In an all-electric market that is struggling to take off in Italy, we believe that word of mouth from those who have already made this choice can accelerate sales. With the "MyAmi superfan" and "Citroën ë-Lovers" programmes, we want to help change the public's perception of the electric transition, which is still fraught with uncertainty about the autonomy, charging times and purchase and maintenance costs of the BEV. The role of our ambassadors, who have already made this "leap", is therefore essential to convince the most sceptical with an authentic experience lived on board our 100% electric models, daring in style and innovative in technology. "
With these programmes, Citroën is relying on its customer community to spread its message and allow future customers to test the cars, which is essential. These two successful programmes have certainly inspired the brand, as Thierry Koskas has announced that he intends to rely more on the brand's customer community to test the cars, which bodes well for this type of operation to be rolled out in France or even across Europe.