Over the past five years, the majority of my advertising and marketing experience has come from working within the automotive industry with PCG. Paid search, organic search, social advertising, web design—I’ve done it all. My biggest takeaway is that the majority of dealers that I work with still have not adapted to the new digital marketing landscape, and some (most) almost refuse to. It’s mind blowing, and often proves not only the need for education, but explains why I push current and potential clients into unfamiliar areas—ones they are sometimes too stuck in their ways to understand. I don’t mind it though; dogs gotta eat.

Not adapting to the digital age also means not adapting to millennials. The market research is there, and it should be pretty well known at this point that millennials have the buying power. Currently, the buying power in the United States for millennials is estimated at over 1 trillion dollars. This is a combination of all 17-34 year olds in the country and what they will collectively spend over their lifetime. Globally, that number is closer to 10 trillion; wowza! You know what’s part of that buying equation? Cars. Multiple vehicles over their lifetime. Get with it.

Establish Brand Loyalty, Satisfaction, and Influence

Brand Loyalty

Over the course of my life, I’ve purchased more products from more brands than my bank account wants me to be proud of. Over that same purchasing period, I’ve also developed a loyalty to certain brands based on product quality, customer service, available information, and influence (connecting and understanding your customers). All four reasons are not industry specific; it works for everything, so mix ‘em up and make them work for your dealership.

Here are few of my experiences and what sold me.

Ride Snowboards

For more than 10 years, I was a very satisfied customer of Burton snowboards, but never had a good experience with products outside of the board, specifically the boot bindings. The bindings I did use were from Ride, a smaller company, but a great company. One day I had a problem with a pair of three-year-old bindings, well out of warranty. I reached out to them anyway with my issue, and they fixed it. For free. Within 5 days. I had a second issue a year later, and again, no questions asked, they replaced some parts for me at no charge.

Ride sold me on the pride they have in their products and how they handled my problems. This also solidified my decision to switch to a Ride board. Sorry Burton, your focus on sales over accessibility and culture pushed me out the door. How many dealers are doing this? You might be one of them…

Harley Davidson

Somewhere over the course of 100 years or so, Harley did something right. They created a culture that wasn’t based around their product. You will never hear someone say something like “my Harley is so reliable,” or, “I can’t wait to spend $200 at the dealership getting my oil changed.” It won’t happen, but it doesn’t matter. Regardless of product reliability or absorbent prices, the brand has survived for more than 100 years, many of which were criticized for multiple reasons we don’t need to get into. So what are they doing right? Culture and influence.

Harley Davidson

I’ve owned multiple brands of bikes over the last ten years but I was never “involved” like I am now that I own a Harley. Go out to any bike event, any forum, any parking lot, and you’ll potentially see a bunch of guys, talking and riding their Harleys, together, because of the “brotherhood” that the brand signifies. Again, the product is only as good as your abilities are to fix it. It’s not about the brand name, it’s about the culture and the lifestyle that the brand represents. I’m willing to bet that Harley is still a company because of their cultural influence—not because they’re jamming special offers down everyone’s throat.

Wrangler

No no, not the stylish jeans, but the iconic Jeep Wrangler. Jeep spent more than 50 years creating a strong culture with countless fanatics and loyal individuals, making the Wrangler the brand’s highest volume vehicle ever. I’m not doing the research, but I stand by my word. Wrangler aside, the Cherokee (the box, not that new thing) and the Grand Cherokee are both fan favorites.

Like Harley, this is regardless of product quality. Jeep has done an excellent job of creating brand loyalty by understanding their customers’ needs and lifestyles. Specifically with the Wrangler, Jeep has found a way to consistently embed itself into the life and culture of extreme sports. In 2015, Jeep was a key sponsor of the Aspen X Games and as of a few months ago, they went as far as releasing a limited edition Backcountry Wrangler, which was “inspired by winter athletes who battle the elements to go beyond the boundaries to make the unbelievable a realty.”

But enough about the Wrangler. Jeep keeps their message consistent across all their models. From the freedom chasing Renegade commercial to the powder chasing, luxurious, Grand Cherokee, they get it. Jeep’s not focused on “how many more cars will this sell me;” they’re focused on selling a lifestyle instead.

Stop Selling Your Product and Start Selling Your Brand

“SEO doesn’t work”

Wrong. What doesn’t work is thinking that writing an article about an APR special is going to drum up business. What does work is creating good, engaging content for searchers. There’s a better chance that someone will bookmark a sales associate’s blog about their favorite cookie recipe than a page with an APR special. That person might not be a buyer now, but they will be in the future.

“Paid Search isn’t effective”

Wrong. Do it with a company that’s going to be transparent with spend and results, and you’ll soon find out that your complaints aren’t justified. Traffic isn’t relevant, engagement is.

“Social Advertising is expensive”

Shut up and adapt. You know what’s more expensive than digital marketing? Losing business. Create a brand for your dealership through social media and SEO (good content) within the dealership. Don’t know how? Suck it up and pay someone. Social is one of the best ways to develop long-term customers.

Lastly, develop a sales team that knows what they’re talking about and treats every customer with respect and like a person, not a bag of money.

Feel like what you’re currently doing is ineffective? Give me a call, let’s shoot the shit and figure out how we can work together to get you in front of relevant shoppers.