As the automotive industry battles lockdowns in different parts of India, Hero MotoCorp has deployed the digital-first mantra to tide over troubled times.

While the passenger vehicle world has seen OEMs make the shift to digital showrooms with aplomb, it is only now that two-wheeler manufacturers are plugging in and deploying new digital-driven strategies to drive sales and connect with the customer, who is loathe to visit showrooms.

Hero MotoCorp, the two-wheeler market leader, is revving up its digital strategy to reach out to customers in the comfort of their homes. The company has launched a virtual showroom feature to provide what it calls “an immersive digital buying experience” to customers. It’s a strategy a number of carmakers have adopted.

According to Hero, the virtual showroom facilitates a 360-degree view of both the space and he product, allows customers to easily browse and explore the design, features, and technical details of each model.

At present, the virtual showroom showcases nine products, which can be purchased through Hero’s e-commerce portal – eShop. While the Hero Product Configurator (HPC) provides a 3D product experience with all product features, colours and variants, the Accessory Configurator enables adding of accessories of choice. Vehicle pricing is dynamically updated as per the variant and location chosen.

The Augmented Reality (AR) experience is generated within HPC or directly from VS, to enable customers and page visitors to enhance their product experience and understanding instantly by visualising the vehicle in an environment of their choice. The AR feature can be experiencedon supported iOS and Android devices without the need to download any app, says Hero MotoCorp.

The virtual showroom can be accessed through the company website –https://virtualshowroom.heromotocorp.com/ – and Hero claims the experience “is identical to a physical showroom visit.” Users can easily navigate to the ‘Request a call back’ to enquire about the vehicle of their choice, while an option of direct purchase is also available.

Commenting on the digital initiative, Naveen Chauhan, Head – Sales and Aftersales, Hero MotoCorp, said, “Considering the need for social distancing, it is imperative for our services to be present at the customers’ fingertips while providing a holistic experience right from the beginning of their purchase journey. This feature is in line with our commitment to build value-led initiatives. Soon after launching our messaging app-based chatbot services, we are now bringing a Hero showroom straight to the customer's room.”