BCAA and Arcadier: Transforming the Used Car Market with a Secure, User-Friendly Marketplace

BCAA

24 Jul

About BCAA

In an ambitious endeavour to transform the used car buying experience for British Columbians, the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) launched BCAA Auto Marketplace. Partnering with Arcadier, BCAA aimed to address significant pain points in the used car market, enhance trust, and provide a seamless buyer/seller experience.

The Challenge

BCAA identified a critical need in the used car market. Consumers were often unsure about the reliability of the information provided and whom they were dealing with when buying used cars. As Kyla Way, senior marketing manager for strategic ventures at BCAA explained, “Our research showed that when people are engaging with marketplaces, they don't know who they're dealing with, they don't know if the vehicle information is accurate, and they don't know what to expect in the process.” BCAA sought to create a trustworthy and efficient platform to solve these issues.

Choosing Arcadier

In selecting a technology partner, BCAA needed a platform that was not only robust and reliable but also highly customisable to meet their specific requirements. “We found that the Arcadier product not only works for what we wanted to do with BCAA Auto Marketplace but also for future marketplaces that we want to build. We saw that flexibility with the product that we could use in multiple forms.”

Implementation and Customization

Throughout the customization process, the collaboration between BCAA and Arcadier was pivotal. The Arcadier team worked closely with BCAA, addressing their specific needs and ensuring the platform met requirements. This effective partnership enabled BCAA to launch a fully functional, customised marketplace.

ID Verification: Enhancing Trust and Security

A critical component for BCAA was ensuring a secure and trustworthy marketplace. To achieve this, they needed to integrate a robust ID verification system. Arcadier facilitated this by enabling seamless integration of ID validation features, allowing BCAA to verify users' identities and images. This integration was vital in creating a safe environment where buyers and sellers could interact with confidence.

"The Arcadier team was instrumental in helping us meet our specific customisation needs. Their ability to listen, ask the right questions, and provide tailored solutions made the integration process smooth and efficient.”

Dealer Inventory Integration: Streamlining Listings

Another customisation requirement was the integration of dealer inventory data. BCAA collaborated with a specific dealership partner to populate the marketplace with listings at launch. This involved integrating a data feed to pull in inventory information, ensuring the site was well-stocked and attractive to users from day one.

"Arcadier's platform allowed us to plug into a dealer’s inventory system to ensure we had accurate listings on the marketplace. This was quite technical, but the Arcadier team listened to our needs, asked the right questions, and provided effective solutions."

Marketing Strategy and Launch

BCAA employed a phased marketing strategy to ensure a successful launch. They first focused on engaging sellers, a crucial aspect of their marketplace. “We had a soft launch for one week to make sure everything was working technically, and then the next two weeks we focused on getting sellers onto the platform.”

BCAA used their large member base to launch targeted email campaigns and in-person activations to attract sellers. "As a member organisation, we have over a million members in British Columbia. We're actually in one in three households. That was our focus - our members, who are the most likely to try something new that we're putting out," she added.

Results and Impact

The results were impressive. Traffic to the marketplace exceeded BCAA’s goal four times over expectations, demonstrating the platform’s ability to handle high traffic volumes efficiently.

Furthermore, the number of account creations surpassed initial targets and is indicating strong user engagement and interest. BCAA successfully established a reliable, user-friendly marketplace, enhancing the overall buyer and seller experience for used cars in British Columbia.

“The thing we like about Arcadier is that currently we're only selling vehicles on the platform, but I believe there's the potential in the future to create other marketplaces for products beyond cars.”

BCAA’s collaboration with Arcadier has been a success, showcasing how a well-chosen technology partner can significantly impact a project’s outcome. By addressing key pain points in the used car market and leveraging a flexible, customisable platform, BCAA has set a new standard for online marketplaces.

“What we appreciated was the Arcadier team being able to listen to our needs, ask the right questions, and dive in and look for different options and solutions.”