Client needs are met by digital services and service packages that consider emotions, making car leasing a genuine alternative.

Crasman conducted two automotive industry studies during 2020 and 2021, which surveyed consumers' attitudes towards subscription-based car usage. Additionally, thoughts regarding car purchasing and ownership were examined.

We compiled a comprehensive information package from the responses of over 2,000 participants, helping car dealerships attract new users to their services.

The first qualitative study was conducted in collaboration with Beely. The second internet panel study was carried out in cooperation with the Automotive Information Centre. These studies explore the future of the still small but growing private leasing market in Finland and also assist car dealerships in making strategic decisions.

The emergence of the ownership feeling and the importance of seamless transactions

Two major psychological challenges lie behind the decisions of those considering leasing services, both of which are age-old mechanisms. They slow decision-making and result in customers more frequently saying no.

• The desire to own things, a loan is not one's own

• The potential for risks and losses, exacerbated by a perceived difficult acquisition phase
  
  
  

However, the research results reveal solutions to better guide customers towards car leasing.

Car leasing interests consumers. The challenge is the desire to own things, which makes a borrowed item feel like a poor option. The study showed that this feeling can be overcome, and an important sense of ownership can also be created for car lessees. For example, trial periods and flexible mileage can be as crucial a step leading to the signing of a leasing agreement as a test drive is to a purchase decision.

The second challenge pertains to transactions. If the acquisition phase is perceived as complex, the sense of risks and losses increases. Consumers want a lot of information behind their decisions, and easily accessible information and hassle-free transactions are already expectations. Car dealerships can meet this by investing in digital channels.

As a third observation from the study, ecological values emerged, highlighting the importance of incorporating these into leasing agreement packages.

Leasing can ease the contradiction between responsible consumption and everyday choices

Making ecological choices has become a significant topic in conversations and decisions. We recycle, avoid food waste, feel pangs of conscience over air miles, and turn off the lights in March along with the rest of the world. However, we must live our lives, and often a car is a necessity. Many recognize the contradiction between responsible consumption and practical actions.

As there are still few electric cars in the used car market and their purchase prices remain high despite subsidies, a plug-in vehicle is not yet a realistic option for many households. Nevertheless, there is interest in new power sources, as 75% of respondents in the study expressed interest in trying them.

Based on the study, it can be said that car dealerships should turn their attention to a previously overlooked target group—those without cars who make ecological choices.

An ecological service package, offering a car with a new power source, appeals to those for whom a car is a necessity in everyday life and who experience moral conflict with using a traditional combustion engine vehicle.

We discuss the study and its results in greater depth in the automotive industry Crasman Insight publication.

Interested? Contact us to discuss further!