High-Tech Entertainment E-Space for a Luxury Car Brand
Media & Entertainment
Jakob Vollenstein
Product manager
"Andersen won for its ability to create unique digital products"
Read more
About the client
Mercedes-Benz is a globally known and popular manufacturer of high-end cars. As such, it runs a chain of showrooms for their potential clients.
Location:Germany
Project overview
The local authorities in the customer's city made a decision of importance for car dealerships. Сar showrooms had to be removed from the downtown area. The showrooms of Mercedes-Benz had to comply. Thus, an innovative and digitized way had to be found and implemented in technical terms. As a result, the Mercedes Me Café concept was created. These Cafés constitute a chain of cafés as spaces where the brand can reach its potential clients.
This concept emphasizes a range of interactive elements to draw the guests’ attention to the Mercedes-Benz brand. These interactive user capabilities are delivered via touchscreen displays.
The marketing agency chosen and contracted by Mercedes-Benz created the concept of Mercedes Me Café. This concept presupposed several sophisticated and challenging tech tasks. They were as follows:
Building the programmed component for the Mercedes Me Café infrastructure;
Delivering the software that would serve as a base for the required touchscreens;
Generating a convenient, reliable, and intuitive system to visually select car configuration;
Seamlessly integrating between ordering food, car configurations, and games.
Andersen’s experts won the bid to develop software for Mercedes Me Café. This choice was determined by our broad IT experience and deep tech expertise in everything related to interactive and engaging solutions for the entertainment and media industry. Another important factor was our advanced UI skills needed to ensure unique and pleasant user experiences.
duration5 months
technologies
С#
ASP.NET
XAML
WinRT
LINQ, XML
Unity3D
The platform's welcome screen
Solution
The software was supposed to be built as an isolated Microsoft Windows app. Thus, Andersen’s engineers needed to develop a program capable of functioning in full-screen mode and excluding user access to other apps and OS services.
Some difficulties were caused by the need to launch various apps inside the software shell. To overcome and resolve those difficulties, our developers built a sort of individual sub-OS to be launched inside Windows. This sub-OS runs its own web browser, social networks, email clients, and other apps. On top of that, the shell has an original UI with perfectly optimized controls for screens of various sizes. Thus, the maximum level of convenience is ensured for all the visitors and guests of Mercedes Me Café.
The games had been developed by third-party developers and delivered before the Mercedes Me Café project started. As a result, they needed to be running within the entertainment solution without any visible involvement of Microsoft Windows. That situation caused another tech problem - by default, once the end-user exits the game, they inevitably return to the Windows interface, not the Café. This potential issue was effectively dealt with by Andersen’s team. Our specialists tailored the written code and integrated it into the interactive program shell. This made it possible to launch the games directly from the Mercedes Me Café software framework and return right to it after sessions end.
App functionality
The solution makes it possible to order meals and drinks from the menu. These orders are then uploaded to the Café’s functional terminals to be processed by the Café’s staff. What is important is that users interact with multimedia marketing content when using the menu.
The Café’s touchscreens are interconnected within a single network that has access to the Internet. Via them, users can surf the web and social networks, use apps, pay their bills, interact with other screens, and view multimedia content.
Another challenge that Andersen resolved has become a source of pride for us. We developed a visual selection system for various car configurations. The system uses a camera to analyze clients’ appearance, including their age, gender, clothing styles, hair, and other details. With this data, the system generates configuration suggestions.
To further engage the guests of Mercedes Me Café, the possibility to create dynamic videos was added. It is based on the choices end-users make and is intended to motivate them to sign-up for a test-drive of a Mercedes vehicle similar to a previously suggested configuration.
The five preinstalled games are a key attractive capability offered by the touchscreens. They are all designed in conformity with the Mercedes-Benz style and act as a user engagement factor.
Project results
The solution delivered by Andersen was a crucial part of the Mercedes Me Café project. As user reviews indicate, the target audience likes the touchscreens. They also appreciate such opportunities as multimedia marketing materials, games, and the ability to select a car configuration.
The Mercedes Me Café project became effective leverage, attracting new local clients to Mercedes-Benz. It succeeded in directing potential clients to the dealerships’ showrooms, although there were no physical cars available.
Later, this successful project turned out to be an extra competitive advantage under the conditions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. With the need for greater social distancing, Mercedes Me Cafés can serve as a point for contactless purchases. On top of that, they can, in a digitized fashion, provide potential buyers with highly personalized and luxurious client experiences.
The number of users increased thanks to the attractive appearance and gamification of the interface;
The clear and intuitive interface saved employees' time;
More people test drove the cars;
The newly-created tool led to a large number of successful car sales.
We selected software developers based on a competition that Andersen won for its ability to create unique digital products. Our Mercedes Cafe app had to serve customers on-demand and handle multimedia marketing materials. The developers completed the task on time, and the app functionality is beyond doubt thanks to the QA team and analysts' work.
Website design & development
Andersen’s experts won the bid to build entertainment software for Mercedes Me Café. Their choice was based on our extensive IT experience and impressive track record covering interactive and engaging IT tools used in high-profile projects. Another important factor was the advanced UI skills required to ensure best-in-class user experiences for a demanding target audience.
About
The two crucial requirements for the software were a possibility to order meals and drinks from the e-menu and a convenient way to interact with multimedia marketing materials. Every order placed in the system is then uploaded to the Café’s functional terminals where staff can start processing it.
Process
Andersen’s experts divide each creative process into stages to take all the important details into account. Considering the peculiarities of the UCD approach, we decided to resort to flexible analysis. In this fashion, we were able to examine users' actions and behavior at different stages.
Analysis
Personas played an important part in determining the ultimate success of the projects. To ensure the effectiveness of these personas, we conducted a thorough investigation focused on the potential Café visitors, their main goals, and concerns. In fact, we paid even more attention to personas than usual, and this allowed us to ensure an excellent user experience.
Andrew is the CEO of a large marketing company. He resides downtown with his wife and child, in his own apartment. Andrew drives a Mercedes CLS-Class Coupé. He values his time and is looking for a café offering delicious food where he can have a snack during his breaks. An opportunity to check the condition of his car and book car services would be the cherry on the cake.
Anna is a blogger and extrovert. She resides in a downtown apartment with her husband and child. Anna drives a Mercedes GLA-Class. She does household chores and drives her child to school. In her free time, she likes to meet with her friends or go to the gym.
User Flow
To analyze user actions and perform further user flow tests, we prioritized a project map. That map was later transformed into a user flow. This approach made it possible to track users' locations and their activities taking place at one or another interaction level. As a result, we were ready to run tests and, owing to analytics, didn’t miss a single click.
Let's talk about your IT needs
What happens next?
An expert contacts you after having analyzed your requirements;
If needed, we sign an NDA to ensure the highest privacy level;
We submit a comprehensive project proposal with estimates, timelines, CVs, etc.
Germany
![[object Object] on the map](https://static.andersenlab.com/andersenlab/new-andersensite/bg-for-blocks/about-the-client/germany-tablet-2x.png)
