Satisfied customers
Numerous trade magazines and independent studies confirm the high quality of Porsche’s products and services and its above-average customer satisfaction levels, the latter being due among other things to its customer relationship management (CRM) programmes. The company systematically focuses on the customers’ wishes and requirements at all stages of the customer journey. Below are some examples of the awards and prizes received in various markets.
2021 accolades and awards
- The well-known US automotive advice magazine Kelley Blue Book awarded the sports car brand the accolade “Best Resale Value – Luxury Brand” for the fifth consecutive year in 2021. In addition, the Macan model won the prize for the highest resale value in the category Best Compact Luxury SUV.
- At the World Car Awards (WCA), the Porsche 911 was named World Performance Car of the Year 2021. More than 90 international automotive journalists act as WCA jurors.
- In the Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study (APEAL) conducted by renowned US market research company J. D. Power, Porsche once again clinched first place in the luxury segment, like last year. The APEAL study looks at the attractiveness of vehicles in the USA. This involves new car buyers being surveyed once a year.
- The sports car manufacturer also achieved first place as the best brand in the Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) for the USA. Porsche took first place in this rating in Canada too. This index is likewise compiled annually by J.D. Power and determines how satisfied those interested in buying a new car are with the authorised dealers during the purchasing process.
- The company also impressively clinched first place among the premium brands in J. D. Power’s Customer Service Index (CSI). The CSI indicates how satisfied the customers are with the authorised dealers’ servicing and repairs.
- In Germany, readers of the trade magazine auto, motor und sport ranked the 911 first in the Sports Car category. It was ranked first in the previous year too. In the Convertibles category, the 911 Cabriolet and 911 Targa triumphed. In addition, the Taycan took first place in the Executive Cars category for the first time.
- In the Golden Steering Wheel, Bild am Sonntag and Auto Bild named the Panamera the 2021 winner in the Mid-Range and Executive Cars category.
- For the 18th time, Auto Bild and Schwacke chose their “value champions”. The Porsche 911 Carrera 4S PDK clinched the 2021 title of Germany’s sports car with the most stable value, with value retention of 57.95 per cent. In the Auto Bild TÜV-Report 2021, the Porsche 911 was classified as a “best-seller that lasts”.
- At the Sport Auto Awards 2021 in Germany, Porsche was successful in a total of seven categories. The Porsche 911 took first place in no less than four categories. The Taycan Turbo S was named best electric car, while the Cayenne Turbo Coupé was named the sportiest SUV.
- The British magazine Top Gear awarded the Porsche 911 GT3 the title Chris Harris’ Car of the Year 2021 and classified the Porsche Mission R as Concept of the Year 2021.
- The British newspapers The Sunday Times and The Times additionally named the Taycan Cross Turismo Adventure Car of the Year 2021 and the 911 GT3 Sports Car of the Year 2021. The lifestyle magazine GQ recognised the 911 Turbo Cabriolet as Convertible of the Year in 2021.
“Porsche isn’t simply a product. Porsche is a promise – the promise of a special brand and product experience. Because this is precisely what makes us unique.” Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board – Sales and Marketing
The brand as a success factor
The brand is the number one reason why people buy a Porsche. And this trend is increasing. In a 2015 survey, 41 per cent of the German buyers of a new Porsche stated that they chose their vehicle based on the brand. By 2019, this had already risen to 48 per cent, in other words almost one in two buyers. The brand will be even more important as a differentiation factor in the future. It therefore has a key part to play in Porsche’s Strategy 2030.
The Porsche community is an important future factor. It consists of people who share a passion for Porsche. The company benefits from its unique history here – Porsche has been shaping the future of the sports car for more than 70 years. More than 230,000 fans of the brand come together in Porsche Clubs around the world. The Porsche community is unique in the automotive world. This special status needs to be exploited and expanded among other things to reach out to new target groups. These are both key brand management aims.
It is a question of creating unique experiences with Porsche. For example, the brand can be experienced live and up close at a Porsche Experience Centre (PEC). There are currently nine of these special experience centres around the world, including the centre opened in Kisarazu in the Tokyo metropolitan area on 1 October. The tenth PEC is currently under construction in Toronto, Canada. PECs are visited by around 150,000 customers and Porsche fans a year. This service further enhances the brand’s appeal.
Innovative brand appearances are also made in modern formats including urban events such SCOPES Driven by Porsche. These events were held in Singapore and Warsaw in 2021. With SCOPES, Porsche offers young, dynamic creators and artists and also innovative companies a platform where they can discuss the trends and future topics in their region. It is modern contact points like this that make the brand more attractive too.
Inspirational dreams: “Dreamers. On.”
The “Dreamers. On.” marketing campaign focuses on lifelong dreams and these dreams being realised. Its aim is to engage with new strategic target groups and inspire them to achieve their personal lifelong dreams. In addition, the brand purpose Driven by Dreams is to be firmly embedded in the minds of the existing and new target groups.
An interactive online mentoring programme called The Art of Drive was launched as part of “Dreamers. On.” at the end of July 2021. In short films, articles, interviews and digital events, famous faces such as the American musician Annie Clark reported on how they realised their dreams and inspired others in the process. The mentors encouraged the users to tackle ambitious projects. The Art of Drive came about in collaboration with the media partners Vogue and Wired.
The Global Gallery was a second project. Here, up-and-coming artists had the opportunity to showcase their digital works on displays in prominent places. The advertising space used for this was set up in five cities in North America, Europe and Asia. The Global Gallery was launched on 9 October and ran for eight weeks.
Close to the customers – urban retail formats
Porsche seeks to offer excellent service and an extra special brand experience across all of its sales channels, be it at physical dealerships or in the digital marketplace. An omnichannel approach means being accessible for the customers everywhere and at all times.
Porsche Sales is in a strong position overall – the network comprises around 900 strong and loyal sales partners in 128 markets around the world. The Destination Porsche retail concept serves as the umbrella for all the physical retail formats. The concept will be rolled out globally and has already been implemented at 10 Porsche Centres. Over 600 more are set to follow by the end of the decade. The company has so far invested more than 500 million euros in this. The Porsche dealers are likewise making large financial commitments in order to move away from the traditional car dealership and more in the direction of a brand experience venue.
Porsche additionally has a Future Retail strategy – the company wishes to engage not only with its existing customers, but also with new, younger target groups and increasingly also with women. New urban retail formats such as the Porsche Studios and the Porsche NOW sales pop-ups have a part to play here. The idea is that, with city centres becoming more and more important due to the trend of urbanisation, Porsche goes to where its target groups can be found.
The Porsche Studios are primarily found in heavily frequented city centre locations such as in shopping centres. The focus is on the brand experience. In addition to a showroom there is a fitting lounge where vehicles can be configured and ordered. Test drives can also be taken. Small-scale events are also frequently held there. The first two Porsche Studios were opened in Taiwan and Vietnam in spring 2021, followed by a studio in Oslo, Norway, on 1 July. By 2023, according to current planning, there will be more than 25 Porsche Studios worldwide.
While the Porsche Studios are permanent, the Porsche NOW sales pop-ups are used for a limited period only. In addition to the cars on display, visitors to the pop-up stores can sample the Porsche Drivers Selection, familiarise themselves with the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur services and make use of virtual reality applications and the private configuration lounge.
Porsche NOW locations opened on Jeju Island in South Korea and in Zurich, Switzerland, in summer 2021. So far, there have also been temporary Porsche stores in Brazil, Germany, Japan, Canada and Taiwan. Other new openings of these urban formats will follow.
Customers enjoy a digital premium service after buying a new or used Porsche too, with all the services being managed centrally via the My Porsche customer ecosystem.
Digital convenience in retail
The Sales department is digitalising the sales process at the dealerships with Porsche One Sales (POS). POS is an integrated, user-optimised IT system that brings all the relevant sales steps together in a single user interface. The new and used car salespeople at the Porsche Centres use POS on a variety of devices such as laptops and tablets, enabling them to focus entirely on the customer during consultations. As well as configuration, for example, equipment details can be demonstrated on display vehicles.
Following a trial period at select German Porsche Centres, POS was rolled out throughout Germany in January 2021, followed by Switzerland and France in July. Local teams in China and the USA are working on developing versions which are tailored to their regions. POS is now being used by 15 dealers in China and 31 in the USA. Its roll-out to other markets in Europe and overseas will begin in early 2022.
Customers enjoy a digital premium service after buying a new or used car too, with all the services being managed centrally via the My Porsche customer ecosystem. This can be used to arrange appointments, select the service consultant and digitally plan a vehicle drop-off. A video-based vehicle check is another of its features. Here, the service consultant records the condition of the vehicle and documents all the work needed by video. The customer can then view the recordings and approve the corresponding offer with just a few clicks in My Porsche.
Digital service booking has been available through all the dealers in Germany, China, North America, Norway, France and Singapore since autumn 2021. The video-based vehicle check is already available in a number of European markets including Spain, Portugal and Italy. The services will be rolled out in many more countries in the course of the year, focusing in particular on North America, Europe and Asia.
Digital sales channel boosts sales
Porsche and the Porsche dealer organisation have heavily expanded online sales since they were introduced in October 2019. In 2020, 1,700 new or used Porsche vehicles were sold on the digital platform around the world; by 2021, this had already risen to 5,800. The Porsche dealers’ sales in this area increased threefold in the year under review too – while sales of 160 million euros were achieved in 2020 as a whole, the half a billion euro mark was achieved in the first half of 2021 alone.
The vehicle finder function is now available in 101 markets around the world. Authorised Porsche dealers use this platform to offer their new and used cars which are available immediately online. These include basic models and also rarer versions. In addition, customers in 24 European markets and in the USA, Canada and China can order their dream vehicle online.
In China, used cars offered by Porsche dealers can even be found and reserved using the popular smartphone app WeChat. New vehicles are set to follow early next year. Certain Porsche Lifestyle products and driving experiences are also offered online through the Porsche flagship store on Tmall, China’s largest B2C online marketplace.
Dense charging infrastructure
The digital Porsche Charging Service makes it easier for Porsche drivers to charge their electric cars and pay for the electricity. All of the charging procedures here are balance-sheet CO₂-neutral. Porsche Charging Service offers a high-performance charging network with close to 200,000 AC and DC charging points in 20 European countries, including just under 6,500 charging points with DC charging capacity of more than 50 kW. These include the quick-charging stations belonging to the IONITY partner network. There are additional Porsche Charging Service solutions in the USA, Canada and China. In the USA and Canada, for example, there are the Electrify America and Electrify Canada networks.
The IONITY joint venture is currently rapidly accelerating the expansion of its quick-charging network in Europe – the number of locations is set to rise from currently just under 400 to more than 1,000 by 2025. At the same time, the number of charging points is set to increase to around 7,000 in total – more than four times as many as there are currently (approximately 1,500). Porsche and the other shareholders will invest 700 million euros for this up to 2025. Porsche is planning its own quick-charging stations along key European traffic routes and motorways to complement the IONITY network.
Porsche Destination Charging provides AC charging points at select hotels, restaurants, airports, shopping centres, sports clubs and marinas. There are currently around 3,300 of these charging points in more than 74 countries. The Porsche Turbo Charging stations are another practical 800-volt charging option and can be found at many dealerships in 54 markets.
The company offers various solutions for home garages too, such as the Porsche Mobile Charger Connect with charging power of up to 22 kW (or 9.6 kW in the case of the USA). The Porsche Charging Dock and Porsche Compact Charging Pedestal are also available upon request, for wall mounting or for free-standing installation.
The optional Home Energy Manager (HEM) allows for smooth and convenient charging at home. This smart control centre is integrated into your home mains by an electrician. The HEM optimises the charging process in terms of power, time and cost. It also offers protection against overloading the house’s mains network (blackout protection) by reducing the vehicle’s charging power in the event of an impending overload. Optimised for the use of self-generated power, the HEM allows for targeted charging with domestically produced solar power.
Together with an external partner, Porsche also offers related services – the Porsche Charging Pre-Check (online) and the Porsche Home Check. In the case of the latter, an electrician checks the conditions on-site and can then subsequently also install the char-ging equipment.
Flexible mobility services
The premium manufacturer offers a flexible mobility concept under the Porsche Drive umbrella brand. This allows sports cars to be rented for various periods such as three hours or at least six months. Depending on the offer, the vehicle can even be swapped within its model range at short notice every 48 hours. Starting in June 2021, the Mobility Services business division was gradually transferred to Porsche Financial Services GmbH.
With Porsche Drive Subscription, young used cars aged between six and 48 months can be rented, including the all-electric Taycan. Lasting at least six months, the contract term is shorter than that of a traditional lease agreement. The rental price includes everything except for refuelling and charging costs. The subscription can be terminated with a notice period of three months.
Porsche Drive Rental allows customers to rent their dream car for a matter of hours or days. With this premium short-term rental service, they can rent their dream car for anything from three hours to 28 days – an attractive offer in particular for weddings, anniversaries or short holidays. The chosen Porsche model can be collected from 19 sites throughout Germany. Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) offers similar car subscriptions in the USA. For a flat fee, customers in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Phoenix and San Diego can hire a single Porsche model for one or three months (Porsche Drive – Single-Vehicle Subscription). Anyone wishing to hire a sports car for just a few days can choose “Porsche Drive – Rental”. Last, but not least, “Porsche Drive – Multi-Vehicle Subscription” allows customers to make unlimited vehicle swaps. This monthly subscription programme is app-based. All three offers are available at Porsche Centres in 14 cities, with other sites already in the pipeline.
Faster configuration with AI
Since spring 2021, the Porsche Car Config-urator has been using artificial intelligence (AI) to offer personalised recommendations. The AI takes a fraction of a second to determine which vehicle options from among an almost unlimited number of possible combinations might suit a user and then suggests these to the user. On average, there is an accuracy rate of more than 90 per cent in terms of equipment details that match the customer’s interests. This “recommendation engine” optimises itself on the basis of the new data it collects, so this rate will improve further over time.
Sales personnel changes
Marco Schubert became Vice President Region Europe at Porsche on 1 July 2021. He was previously President of the Audi Sales Division China. Schubert follows in the footsteps of Barbara Frenkel, who moved to the Executive Board of Porsche AG.
Sarah Simpson became Chief Executive Officer of Porsche Cars Great Britain on 1 September, replacing Marcus Eckermann, who took on a new position at Porsche AG. Sarah Simpson has worked for the Volkswagen Group for more than 20 years and has spent the last 10 years at Bentley Motors.
Likewise on 1 September, Daniel Schmollinger assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer of Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) and the Porsche Retail Group Australia (PRGA). He succeeds Sam Curtis as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. He was most recently Vice President of Marketing at Porsche China.
Jacqueline Smith-Dubendorfer, most recently Global Vice President Digital Partner Commerce at adidas, was appointed Vice President Smart Mobility & Digital Sales on 1 October. As such, she is responsible among other things for the digital sales channel launched in 2019.
As a first step in the strategic brand partnership with TAG Heuer, a new watch was unveiled – the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph.
Partnership with TAG Heuer
Porsche and the Swiss luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer agreed on a strategic brand partnership in early 2021. The premium manufacturers intend to jointly develop products under this comprehensive and long-term alliance. As a first step, the partners unveiled a new watch – the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph. TAG Heuer has been the Porsche Formula E team’s title and timing partner since 2019.
Cooperation with fashion designer
Porsche collaborated with Olivier Rousteing on its communication of the Panamera models. A video series available in social media tells the extraordinary personal story of the current Creative Director of the Paris fashion label Balmain. Olivier Rousteing was born in 1985 and was later adopted from an orphanage. He attended the fashion school École supérieure des arts et techniques de la mode (ESMOD) in Paris, then became Creative Director of Balmain in 2011, aged just 25 – making him the youngest creative director of a Paris fashion house since Yves Saint Laurent.
Taycan Artcar by Richard Phillips
The auction house RM Sotheby’s auc-tioned off the Porsche Taycan Artcar created by New York artist Richard Phillips for 200,000 US dollars. More than 50 bids were submitted for the work of art on wheels. Porsche Schweiz AG donated the entire proceeds to the Swiss non-profit organisation Suisseculture Sociale. In this way, Porsche and its project partners are supporting Swiss creative artists, a sector which has been especially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. To create the Taycan Artcar, the artist applied his large painting “Queen of the Night” to the body of a Porsche Taycan 4S. The Artcar was also further customised by the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur.
Porsche and the fashion label Aimé Leon Dore refashioned a vehicle together once again. The 911 Super Carrera celebrated its live premiere at the flagship store in New York City.
The 911 between heritage and fashion
Porsche and the fashion label Aimé Leon Dore (ALD) refashioned a vehicle together once again. The restored 911 Super Carrera celebrated its live premiere at the brand’s flagship store in New York City from 21 to 23 May. This 911 is characterised by olive paintwork, additional headlights on the bonnet, Fuchs wheels and a roof rack. To tie in with this, ALD released a capsule collection. The 911 SC is the second vehicle to be created in the course of the partnership. Their first joint project in 2020 was a restored 911 Carrera 4 (type 964).
Porsche Deutschland’s first NFT auction
An exclusive design sketch by Exterior Design Director Peter Varga was auctioned off as a non-fungible token (NFT) in August. The work of art features two milestones in Porsche’s history combined – the Taycan Cross Turismo and the 911. Collectors and Porsche fans had the opportunity to buy the design sketch via the US platform SuperRare. The proceeds at the end of the auction came to 30.25 ether (ETH), which equates to around 80,000 euros. The physical original was auctioned off too. All the proceeds were donated to the non-profit organisation Viva con Agua.
Artistic consideration of dreams
The Art of Dreams was conceived as a series of interactive pop-up installations. The designs and works of art consider dreams as their motif from a variety of angles. The French artist Cyril Lancelin kicked off the series with his work “Remember your dreams”. The large inflatable installation could be experienced at the Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, from 15 to 24 October. The series of interactive pop-up installations will continue in cities of culture. The next planned stop for The Art of Dreams is an exhibition in Milan in summer 2022.
The agencies Gravity and Peak are supporting Porsche with this project.
Young film-makers recognised
Exactly 178 entries were submitted to the “Porsche Awards 2021 – For Young Talents in Advertising”. The jury selected the winners in mid-July. The winner of the Short Advertising Content category was the Polish entry Tight Frame directed by Katarzyna Jarecka and Jakub Skitek. The Long Advertising Content category was won by the team responsible for Get married again, directed by Eugen Merher. The Driven by Dreams category is based on Porsche’s eponymous brand purpose and features films that encourage us to believe in our dreams. The winner here was the English film Absent directed by Libby Burke Wilde.
Open stage at the IAA
An open-space appearance instead of a traditional trade show stand – in keeping with the new concept of IAA Mobility in Munich, Porsche received fans and visitors interested in innovative mobility in exhibition space which was open to the public, on Wittelsbacher Platz square. Numerous star guests came to the stage to present the Porsche product range and the latest developments from Weissach, including Hollywood actor Michael Fassbender (“X-Men”). The German-Irish hobby racing driving has been competing for the past two years, including in the European Le Mans Series in a Porsche 911 RSR. Another highlight was the “Dreamers. On.” live talk. Sara Nuru, Tim Bengel, Patrick Dempsey and Alvaro Soler talked to moderator Steven Gätjen about their journeys through life and their dreams and about how they made their dreams come true.
Porsche Asia Pacific growth
Porsche is expanding its presence in South East Asia’s emerging markets with a number of projects. For example, Porsche Asia Pacific and Shell are installing the first cross-border charging network in South East Asia comprising 12 charging points at six Shell filling stations. And together with its partner of many years Sime Darby Berhad, the sports car manufacturer is developing a local vehicle assembly line in Malaysia.
At the beginning of August, the first South East Asian edition of the event format SCOPES Driven by Porsche celebrated its premiere. The exchange of ideas was held virtually this time. In the course of two months, visionaries, artists and young entrepreneurs told inspirational stories in documentaries, workshops, podcast series, interactive live panels and talks. Three new PECs around the world Porsche opened its eighth and ninth Porsche Experience Centres (PEC) in northern Italy and Tokyo respectively in autumn. The new brand experience venue in Franciacorta, Italy, is approximately 60 hectares in size and includes a handling circuit with three different training areas. The customer centre is futuristic in design. The drivers’ paddock featuring 29 garages is for motorsport events such as the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia.
The new PEC Tokyo is 43 hectares in size. Its 2.1-kilometre track recreates famous corners such as the Nürburgring’s Carousel. The PEC also offers six driver training modules, including a demanding off-road course.
The tenth PEC is under construction in Toronto, Canada, and is scheduled to open in 2024.
First Sonderwunsch vehicle completed
Paolo Barilla became the first customer to realise a vehicle project together with Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur as part of the Sonderwunsch programme. The Italian businessman was the overall winner of Le Mans in 1985. On the occasion of his 60th birthday, he helped design a highly individual Porsche 911 GT3 (992) and was heavily involved in its creation. This special vehicle is based on his Le Mans winning car – in addition to the characteristic racing look in Summer Yellow, white and black, the Porsche sports the winning start number 7 on its bonnet and doors. Other details such as the rear wing and gearshift lever were likewise reinterpreted and in part developed independently. Under the new Sonderwunsch programme, the customer took on the role of project manager. Barilla worked directly on realising his dream car as a member of the project team comprising Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur experts and the Style Porsche design division. The process took a total of three years, from the first design ideas to technical feasibility checks and construction.
Porsche supports kitesurfing
Since November 2021, Porsche has been sponsoring the renowned Red Bull King of the Air competition in Cape Town, in which the world’s best kitesurfers compete to perform extreme jumps. The sports car manufacturer is additionally cooperating with the kitesurfing brand Duotone. The company has also signed two professional athletes, Liam Whaley and Rita Arnaus, as kitesurfing representatives. “Kitesurfing is all about athleticism, precision and pushing boundaries – which is why this sport is a perfect fit for Porsche,” says Robert Ader, Vice President Marketing at Porsche AG. “We see great potential in kitesurfing as a way to work with attractive brands and to appeal to new target groups.” This engagement complements Porsche’s long-standing sponsorship of tennis and golf.
Version 2.0 of the Duotone Academy App is the first result of the cooperation with Duotone and has been available from Google Play and the App Store since 14 December 2021.
First study specifically for a video game
One of the automotive stars of Gran Turismo 7 is the new Porsche Vision Gran Turismo. This virtual racing car was jointly developed by Porsche and the video game development studio Polyphony Digital Inc., a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment. The four-wheel drive vehicle’s technical attributes include a high-performance electric powertrain with up to 950 kW of overboost power together with launch control.
Gran Turismo 7 is the latest version of the popular driving and racing simulation. The game developed for the PlayStation 4 and the new PlayStation 5 will be released on 4 March 2022. Porsche sports cars have featured in the software since 2017, the most recent vehicle being the Taycan Turbo S.
The Vision Gran Turismo is Porsche’s first concept study specially developed for use in a computer game. Exhibiting the brand’s typical proportions, the study takes familiar Porsche design elements into the future.
