The art of buying (and selling) cars has drastically changed.
Gone are the days of heading to the dealership, test driving a car, and leaving the lot that same day. Instead, the industry has primarily changed due to the pandemic causing substantial inventory and supply chain challenges.
We sat down with Director of Sales, Steven Kern, to discuss best practices for advertising within the automotive space, the future of the industry, and the opportunities that are available.
Let’s start by addressing the trends. What shifts do you see within the automotive industry?
First, dealerships are facing an inventory shortage due to the pandemic and a slow supply chain. Typically, most won’t think twice about the lack of inventory. Still, it becomes tricky when the consumer is very particular about the make, model, color, and various features in the car they’re shopping for. There is a fundamental shift happening to focus on pushing used vehicles. And, dealers are getting a bit pickier if someone can’t meet their qualifications, then they are turning them away. There is no longer this “everything must go” mentality.
The second trend we’re seeing is the shift to remote servicing. Consumers are no longer buying cars off the lot. Instead, they’re heading to the dealership, test driving, and then going home to purchase the car online to have it delivered directly to them. This trend is happening among several dealerships to remain competitive with companies like Carvana, who offer this concierge car service delivery.
Lastly, focus on the seven major holidays to be active with your advertisements on Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas, and New Year.
What products are you recommending for automotive-specific clients?
Getting into the automotive industry is a competitive and intense environment. Usually, whomever the website provider is for the dealership will always be a competitor that you will face (e.g., Dealer.com). In addition, all the primary website providers have third-party marketing offerings at their disposal. Therefore, you will always be up against them, competing for business.
Products that AdCellerant can recommend best are our Programmatic offerings: Programmatic Display, Geo Fencing, Pre-Roll Video, Streaming TV, and Streaming Audio) – competitive advantage.
We believe this to be our competitive advantage because many competitors aren’t recommending or offering these products. Instead, they are using Google Display Networks (GDN), and the level of granularity and tracking is nowhere near what AdCellerant can provide to clients.
Here are five ways we maximize your exposure through our programmatic offerings:
- Inventory page views to drive and increase conversions.
- Vehicle description page views to show a consumer’s intent to buy the car.
- Content form fills.
- Aiming for longer phone calls.
- Service page views to gather information on when a consumer’s lease is ending or if someone was recently in for an oil change.
Aside from our product mix, we encourage the dealer to take advantage of the Co-op advertising program. The Co-op program is set up through the manufacturers for the local dealers to run local ads that include a specific mention of a brand (e.g., Ford, Chevy) and then reimburses the local dealership for all (or part) of the cost of advertisement.
While AdCellerant isn’t an approved vendor through the Co-op program, our reporting dashboard is transparent enough to grab the details out of our system and submit it through the portal for reimbursement documentation.
How would you take a new client through working with AdCellerant?
Easy. Working with us will be quicker than the competition. We offer easy order insertion and campaign turnaround time. Some companies can have you waiting for one week or more to build a campaign, whereas, with AdCellerant, we can get you up and running in three days.
We also recommend that if a client wants to take it a step further, AdCellerant Select is available. It provides select-level services for your most strategic advertisers. We also see that many of our automotive dealership clients have taken advantage of this service. In turn, they stay on longer and have a better relationship with the media companies.
What would you say sets AdCellerant apart from the competition?
It’s hard to pinpoint just one thing that separates us from the competition. The optimization reports we receive from the search team are incredible. And, our reporting dashboard gives so much information and transparency with no login necessary.
Our team has over 15 years of experience in the automotive industry – meaning we have the tools, resources, and expertise to get you the large dollar accounts. And while we may not be the preferred vendor to work with by Co-op, we provide a more customized, strategic approach for your dealership than the preferred vendors. We focus on the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. We can deliver on unique differentiators, results, and an actual return on investment.
Let’s work together
Have questions, or want to learn more about our product and offerings, but not a parter of AdCellerant? Book a demo with us today. We can’t wait to learn more about you and help you reach your goals.
