Honda Analytics
Challenge: The data was, to put it kindly, a mess.
When RPA took on Honda’s web development business in 2018, our Analytics Audit uncovered a number of challenges. The noise in the framework masked the fact that the data wasn’t clean. It wasn’t laddering back to key objectives. And it wasn’t focused on the clear intent of customers using the site. It was a mess — but it didn’t need to be.
Insight: We needed a true “North Star.”
To make the data useful, we needed to clearly focus on what was most important when it came to generating insights that improve the customer experience and ultimately, sales. So we created our own most important metric: Qualified Shopping Visits, or QSVs, based on quantitative research that helped us tie specific online shopping actions to actual sales. These QSVs would become a “North Star” that helps Honda make smarter marketing decisions across the enterprise.
Solution: A data architecture that helps us see the future.
We built a revamped data architecture for Honda’s first party data — a way of governing our data so that it’s homogenized, easily shared across systems, and scalable. And we’ve applied this architecture to over 100 websites across the Honda digital ecosystem.
Our approach was grounded in simplicity and intent. Before, there was no clear structure to separate the signals from the noise, but now we are able to identify true user intent based on user engagement. And importantly, we never had to reinvent the wheel when tagging a new site — we simply followed the structure.
At the top of this data architecture were QSVs. These QSVs are a leading indicator of demand and sales. So, by tracking QSVs, we’re able to gauge the health of the business, down to individual models, in ways that are even more valuable than tracking sales — because they allow us to see dips and spikes coming in advance.
This demand forecasting allows us to implement “counter-measures,” and re-allocate the media budget as-needed whenever we see a dip coming.
Results: Smarter data insights helped drive stronger vehicle sales.
Today, Honda’s website data isn’t just clear and organized, it provides extra value throughout the organization.
It helped us create an optimal website experience for people, while also helping drive revenue for Honda. Our first-party data insights give us better fidelity on understanding the customer journey. And it’s empowered us to implement 43 countermeasures and counting — each time, helping boost sales that would otherwise have been lost.
