Title	AUDI UNITE
Brand	AUDI
Product/Service	COLLABORATIVE CAR INITIATIVE
Category	A01. Innovation
Entrant Company	AUDI BUSINESS INNOVATION München, GERMANY
Advertising Agency	AUDI BUSINESS INNOVATION München, GERMANY

The Brief

Audi unite: progressive micro-sharing initiative launched in Stockholm • Joint use of one exclusive Audi model by up to five people • Audi includes all car-related services, customers share monthly rate and fuel • In-car technology makes sharing easy and seamless • The micro-sharing program was created in collaboration with Stockholm-based designers Audi has just unveiled Audi unite, an innovative mobility initiative for progressive customers. Audi unite refashions premium mobility as a personalised micro-sharing experience. The customer chooses up to four friends, colleagues or neighbours to divide the use of the desired Audi. An interactive app ensures seamless car reservations and gives unprecedented insight into the car, while the personalised Audi unite beacon helps the vehicle recognise the different drivers for seamless processes and easy cost-sharing. Audi unite offers access to Audi’s entire product range from the A1 to the A8. The ultra-efficient A3 Sportback e-tron and g-tron, are also part of the Audi unite lineup. The service allows customers to choose the car that best suits them and their co-drivers. A 12- or 24-month contract includes an advanced in-car system for driver and vehicle identification, automated billing, monthly cleaning, full comprehensive insurance, service, and seasonal tire changes.

The customer and up to 4 co-drivers manage the use of the car with the Audi unite app. The Audi unite app allows to locate the car position and yourself, see fuel levels, check availabilities with your co-drivers. The user can reserve the car by using the app’s calendar. He easily can review the calendar by scrolling down the screen and for reservation he simply taps the hours he wants to use the car. A colour block will denote the reservation. If he will be sharing the drive with one of his circle members, he can easily add him or her by clicking on the reservation and choosing the co-driver. Additionally a dedicated unit of Audi agents has been trained to become go-to points for all things concerning Audi unite - including service, insurance and app support. Audi unite also offers a matching service for customers to find compatible candidates to build their circle. With the concept Audi underlines the progressive way of thinking. Audi unite is the first concept of its kind, supported by a leading edge technology for driver and passenger recognition and car location. Using the latest Bluetooth Low Energy wireless personal area network sensors, the Audi unite beacon is a transmitter, securely broadcasting the identity of the driver. The Audi unite car becomes a receiver that detects which unite members are in the car for each drive. If multiple passengers share an individual drive, the Audi unite beacon technology allows the co-drivers to automatically split the cost of a drive. This context-aware technology is the first of its kind deployed at the premium-vehicle scale.

Audi is defining an own approach to innovative mobility offers. We believe that “premium” will be defined even stronger by the people as more flexibility and freedom of choice in the future. At the same time the premium customer implies a special experience quality and the highest of comfort- standards. We are working on appropriate concepts, and new additional mobility services, which cope with the premium standard of our brand. It is possible to combine our complete product range in one micro-sharing concept. We address a new generation of customers that doesn´t set the priority on ownership, but having access to premium car without the hassle of caring and maintenance. No matter if the interest is in an A3 e-tron for urban usage or high performance cars such as the R8. We developed Audi unite because we believe that there are intelligent solutions, which fit better to the needs of our urban and progressive target group. Stockholm was chosen as the initial field of operations due to its position at the top of the EU innovation performance rankings. The cultural willingness and eagerness of people to share resources made Stockholm fertile ground for a new way of thinking mobility.