Consumer Reports Cars

Challenge

Long a driver of the Consumer Reports brand, CR Cars had been a go-to bible for generations of new and used car buyers. Online, it became a major conduit for new paid subscriptions, offering a wealth of solid content as well as freestanding premium buying guides. From a reputational standpoint, no one could match CR’s independence and rigor, but in a crowded online marketplace the franchise was losing ground. Many competitors offered free content, and some, like Edmonds and Kelly Blue Book, offered richer experiences. What, then, could CR do to regain the momentum? How could it improve the user experience, kick-start subscriptions, and increase retention?

Solution

Under Sequel’s direction, a new, much stronger online destination emerged, one that communicates CR’s independence and rigor, clarifies the benefits of subscribing, and guides users through the often-challenging process of buying a car. The site also provides an array of decision-making tools and calculators, and access, where relevant, to valuable premium content. The result is an experience that boosts up-selling and cross-selling opportunities, but without sacrificing CR’s vital reputation as trusted consumer ally.  Today, the Cars franchise continues to evolve, rolling out new premium content and increasing levels of personalization.

Results

Pre-launch testing and focus groups told us we were on the right track, and tracking behavior on the live site validated our decisions. Almost immediately, the site saw a rise in traffic, conversion rates and user satisfaction. This helped the organization maintain an impressive base of loyal subscribers in a challenging time for content publishers.