Leveraging Integrated Marketing to Reach Digital Dealership Customers

In the last decade, the vehicle purchasing journey has evolved tremendously and dealerships have been hard at work developing strategies to enhance their online presence. A 2015 survey of 10,000 consumers by Accenture revealed that:

• 80% of drivers seeking to purchase a new vehicle use digital technology in their search
• 62% initiate their vehicle buying process online

Many dealerships utilize SEO (search engine optimization), paid digital advertising and social media strategies to connect with both existing and potential customers. However, when using traditional methods, such as direct mail, to reach out to the consumer they miss an opportunity to combine the two facets of vehicle purchasing into one harmonious experience.

Integrated Marketing utilizes tools such as QR codes or Augmented Reality to direct your customer to your online platforms. For example, a dealership sending out a direct mail piece highlighting deep discounts on current inventory may include a QR code that, when scanned, brings the customer directly to the inventory page of the dealership’s website. This not only conveniently completes the first few steps of the online car buying journey for the consumer, it also helps to ensure that the dealership is the first (and possibly the only) site visited.

Integrated marketing can also be used for advertising Service and Parts specials. A direct mail piece containing oil change, seasonal preparedness or tire specials could include a call-to-action trigger that brings the consumer straight to the online service appointment scheduler. Of course, direct mail is not the only medium in which Integrated Marketing can be delivered. Promotional items, print advertising, and daily stock items such as dispatch hang tags can also be used to increase the likelihood that your online presence will be top of mind.

For more information on integrated marketing and other techniques to boost your online presence, contact your ASB representative. To find your local representative click here!