Will insurance and protection products become a seamless part of the digital vehicle-buying journey — or continue to sit adjacent to it? As vehicle manufacturers increase direct digital engagement, a central strategic question emerges: how to keep dealers meaningfully involved in ways that reinforce customer experience and long-term service value.
Across global markets, many OEMs — often guided by their financial services entities — are exploring more integrated protection ecosystems. The intent is consistent: offer customers a unified experience across sales, ownership and servicing; improve attachment rates; and strengthen long-term brand engagement and aftersales loyalty. Insurers remain essential partners, but increasingly within OEM-designed, collaborative models.
This brief highlights six areas shaping the transition:
- The structural shifts in OEM–dealer–insurer collaboration
- Key operational and regulatory considerations that influence what can be offered and where
- How shared data, used responsibly, can support personalisation and operational efficiency
- The evolution of commercial approaches
- What differentiates ecosystem leaders
- Opportunities expected between 2026 and 2028 as digital ownership models mature
What structural changes are you seeing in the relationship between OEMs, dealers and insurers that are accelerating the creation of more integrated ecosystems?
Across global markets, OEMs are increasingly adopting OEM-led ecosystem models in which the OEM defines the experience and partners plug into a defined architecture. In these models:
- OEMs design the digital and physical customer journey, supported by insurers as product, servicing and risk partners.
- Digital channels (web, app, connected services) allow OEMs to present protection products in more integrated ways — while still considering how dealers participate in customer engagement, education and aftersales support.
- Dealers, often independent franchisees, remain critical in the service lifecycle. Even where protection products are introduced digitally, OEMs generally seek to direct customers to authorized repairers to reinforce quality, consistency and brand loyalty.
This has prompted OEMs to develop platforms that bring together multiple partners through a single digital ecosystem — supporting quote, policy fulfilment and aftersales servicing in a coordinated, brand-consistent experience.
From your perspective, what are the main gaps or friction points today that prevent OEMs, distributors and insurers from working more seamlessly on joint propositions for the end customer?
While ambitions are clear, practical challenges persist. Globally, the main frictions tend to fall into six categories:
- Diverse regulatory and licensing frameworks
Rules vary by jurisdiction regarding who may present, discuss, or sell specific insurance products. This means the customer journey must adapt country-by-country and may require alternative channels (OEM digital, call centers, licensed intermediaries) where dealership participation is limited - Technology and data fragmentation
OEM, dealer and insurer platforms often operate on different standards, slowing quote-to-policy processes and creating inconsistent experiences - Multi-market compliance complexity
Product governance, disclosure expectations, data-privacy requirements and marketing rules differ by region, limiting the feasibility of a fully uniform global design - Ambiguity around customer relationship ownership
Multiple stakeholders (OEM, dealer, insurer) interact with the customer, making clarity essential to ensure a consistent experience - Incentive alignment across the network
Dealers need a clear understanding of their role and expected actions in any digital-plus-physical model — especially in independent franchise structures - Channel strategy tension
Digital channels can expand customer choice but also raise questions about the roles of physical points of sale. Without clarity, this can hinder adoption
Across all markets, successful models clearly define the operating responsibilities, handoffs and customer-experience expectations in a way that meets local regulatory requirements while supporting global scalability.
What role should shared data (vehicle data, driving behavior, claims, servicing) play in enabling smarter and more personalized experiences throughout the vehicle lifecycle?
Shared data can significantly enhance safety, personalization and operational efficiency across the ownership lifecycle — provided it is handled responsibly, with robust governance and in accordance with applicable privacy laws.
Key value areas include:
- Vehicle and driving data
May support more tailored propositions or proactive services, though operational and privacy considerations often mean programs start with a limited set of data and expand progressively - Claims data
Helps improve customer experience (faster processes, clear routing) and supports more effective performance management across partners - Servicing and repair data
Strengthens preventive maintenance capabilities and reinforces brand loyalty through consistent aftersales engagement
Ultimately, shared data — used lawfully and transparently — reduces friction in the customer journey and enables more coordinated lifecycle experiences.
How are commercial models between these players evolving? For example: revenue-sharing, embedded insurance, digital after-sales, omnichannel delivery, etc.
Global trends indicate a shift toward OEM-orchestrated, partner-enabled structures with aligned incentives:
- Embedded experiences across digital and physical channels
- Revenue-sharing and participation models where appropriate
- Omnichannel journeys with consistent experience regardless of where the customer starts
- Integration with aftersales and connected-services offerings
A key determinant of success is how clearly roles, expectations and incentives are defined for dealers and other ecosystem partners.
What strategies or capabilities differentiate the companies already operating as ecosystems from those that still work in silos?
Organizations that operate as cohesive ecosystems tend to share five attributes:
- A clear OEM-led platform vision and governance framework
- Interoperable technology that supports open integrations across markets
- Explicit channel and dealer-role design
- Lifecycle-driven customer experience, not one-off product touchpoints
- Data and analytics maturity to support continuous improvement
Companies that operate in silos typically face longer integration cycles, inconsistent customer journeys and slower speed-to-market.
Looking ahead to 2026–2028, what opportunities do you see for OEMs, dealers and insurers to build joint propositions that create real value for customers and sustainable competitive advantages?
The next phase is likely to be characterized by broader mobility ecosystems in which protection products are one part of a connected, service-driven value proposition.
Opportunities include:
- Subscription and bundled models that combine vehicle access, servicing, digital features and protection products
- Personalized digital experiences enabled by AI and connected-vehicle data
- Deliberate dealer engagement strategies integrated with digital channels
- Aftersales retention as a central design principle, supporting customer satisfaction and long-term brand value
The organizations that align strategy, technology, compliance and partner governance will be best placed to capture these opportunities.
Conclusion
The shift toward more integrated ecosystems in automotive insurance and protection is accelerating worldwide — but it is unfolding differently in each market due to varying regulatory, technological and commercial realities. OEMs, dealers and insurers that succeed in this transition will be those that take a coordinated, lifecycle-driven view of the customer experience while respecting local requirements, strengthening partner collaboration and building scalable platforms that can evolve over time.
As digital channels expand and connected-vehicle capabilities mature, the opportunity is not simply to sell protection products more efficiently, but to create ownership experiences that feel consistent, transparent and easy for customers — whether they interact online, in-dealer, or through service channels. Achieving this requires clarity of roles, responsible use of data and adaptable operating models that can function across diverse regulatory environments.
Looking ahead to 2026–2028, the most resilient and customer-centric ecosystems will likely be those that balance three elements:
- A clear OEM-led vision
- A strong and aligned partner network
- An operating model designed for long-term trust, service quality and economic sustainability.
This creates a foundation for more seamless protection experiences, stronger brand loyalty and a more connected lifecycle for customers — while supporting the evolving needs of the global automotive and mobility landscape.
