As you enter the mainly glass structure, the huge and impressive foyer opens up to reveal an amazing multi-level showroom, where escalators and elevators lead to three floors of Mercedes-Benz attractions, including their Gullwing Restaurant where you can sit on the outdoor patio and enjoy the action on the tracks.
Visitors are free to roam around at their leisure and enjoy numerous displays which outline the history of the famous three-pointed star brand. They can also view and closely examine all the current models, and there are even company representatives on hand to answer any questions they may have.
Now that might start to sound like a typical new-car dealership, where high-pressure sales staff are waiting to pounce the moment you show interest in a particular vehicle, but oh no, this is Mercedes-Benz after all. These pleasant, and mostly female, representatives are purely there to answer your questions, whether those involve the latest Benz model, or a particular classic which caught the eye.
Naturally, a company like Mercedes-Benz is not foolish, and of course there are salespeople housed within the building, but they tend to stay hidden in their offices and are only available at the actual request of an interested party.
In my opinion, that in itself is a refreshing approach to marketing, and an idea which a number of us would, no doubt, like to see introduced on this side of the pond.
Perhaps that is the real idea of Mercedes-Benz World. After all, the Europeans have always had a much more relaxed approach to vehicle sales than we have in North America. Brand loyalty still plays a major factor over there and the idea of having a facility like this, where loyal MB fans can come and simply enjoy being part of the brand for a day, is important to them.
Of course, it also allows for other non-MB owners to view and compare the vehicles without the irritation of high-pressure salespeople hanging on their every word.
In my mind, Mercedes-Benz has really hit on a winning formula with this whole concept. I personally feel that many automobile manufacturers are being slightly shortsighted nowadays and have been neglecting their existing loyal customers in favor of winning new ones.
This is not something which is solely the domain of car manufacturers. I'm sure many of us have experienced the wonderful new "signup deals" offered by the cell phone companies, which always seem to be "unavailable" to existing long-term customers!!!
This appears to be an annoying trend nowadays, and I'm therefore extremely glad to see that there is one company who has found the perfect way to give back to their loyal customers, whilst still attracting new ones. My hat is off to Mercedes-Benz on this one. Well done! Now, when are we going to see a Mercedes World Canada???
photo:Kevin Corrigan
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Visitors are free to roam around at their leisure and enjoy numerous displays which outline the history of the famous three-pointed star brand. They can also view and closely examine all the current models, and there are even company representatives on hand to answer any questions they may have.
Now that might start to sound like a typical new-car dealership, where high-pressure sales staff are waiting to pounce the moment you show interest in a particular vehicle, but oh no, this is Mercedes-Benz after all. These pleasant, and mostly female, representatives are purely there to answer your questions, whether those involve the latest Benz model, or a particular classic which caught the eye.
Naturally, a company like Mercedes-Benz is not foolish, and of course there are salespeople housed within the building, but they tend to stay hidden in their offices and are only available at the actual request of an interested party.
In my opinion, that in itself is a refreshing approach to marketing, and an idea which a number of us would, no doubt, like to see introduced on this side of the pond.
Perhaps that is the real idea of Mercedes-Benz World. After all, the Europeans have always had a much more relaxed approach to vehicle sales than we have in North America. Brand loyalty still plays a major factor over there and the idea of having a facility like this, where loyal MB fans can come and simply enjoy being part of the brand for a day, is important to them.
Of course, it also allows for other non-MB owners to view and compare the vehicles without the irritation of high-pressure salespeople hanging on their every word.
In my mind, Mercedes-Benz has really hit on a winning formula with this whole concept. I personally feel that many automobile manufacturers are being slightly shortsighted nowadays and have been neglecting their existing loyal customers in favor of winning new ones.
This is not something which is solely the domain of car manufacturers. I'm sure many of us have experienced the wonderful new "signup deals" offered by the cell phone companies, which always seem to be "unavailable" to existing long-term customers!!!
This appears to be an annoying trend nowadays, and I'm therefore extremely glad to see that there is one company who has found the perfect way to give back to their loyal customers, whilst still attracting new ones. My hat is off to Mercedes-Benz on this one. Well done! Now, when are we going to see a Mercedes World Canada???
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photo:Kevin Corrigan
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