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The Car Dealer Ad Agency

Reach Them Before They Begin The Buying Process

Reach Them Before They Begin The Buying Process

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Research shows nearly nine out of every 10 car shoppers begin their buying process by conducting online research. Though most dealers are certainly aware of this, what are they doing – if anything – to make sure their dealership’s Website is top-of-mind with these potential customers?

 

Some decide to put all their efforts into making sure their Websites are as user-friendly as possible so customers will remain on the site and get the information they’re seeking. While this is certainly a good start, it is only a portion of what they should be doing.

 

It’s the most successful dealers who understand that the groundwork for a sale must be made prior to the point the Internet search process ever begins. By this time, you already need to be “in their heads”. Car shoppers need to know who you are before they decide to get into the market for a vehicle or there’s a very good chance they’ll never click through to your dealership’s Website at all.

 

The renowned Wizard of Ads Roy Williams put it this way: “The purpose of customer bonding is to become the business that people think of immediately and feel the best about when they – or any of their friends – need what you sell. You have to begin reaching them before they need you, and then wait until they do.”

 

That’s why, despite the inroads made by online advertising in recent years, it is still very difficult to build the identity of a dealership without advertising on radio or television. TV and radio ads work like megaphones to blast your message to the specific audience you’re looking to reach – and one of the residual benefits is driving people to your Website.

Assistance Is Available Now!

Can you say your dealership has attained the pinnacle of brand awareness through advertising creativity? If not, the folks at JKR Automotive Advertising can get you there. You’re just a phone call away from a level of success you’ve never experienced. Give Jenny Gray a call today at (225) 603-5915 and get the ball rolling.

 

JKR Automotive Advertising: The car dealer ad agency.

Is Your Dealership Reaching its Entire Addressable Audience?

Is Your Dealership Reaching its Entire Addressable Audience?

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Statistics show that during the time an average American spends consuming media each week, about 70% of it is still currently ad-supported. This is great news for those who remain committed to advertising on traditional radio and television.

 

But it should also make a dealer ask the following question: Where are these people going when they’re not listening to AM/FM radio or watching local or cable TV … and how can I reach them with my dealership’s message?

 

Some are watching subscription services like Netflix or Amazon Prime; and unfortunately, they cannot be reached because there are no advertising opportunities available there. But the good news is that there are plenty of ad-supported media outlets that do allow you to reach these individuals. Pandora, Spotify, Sirius XM, iHeart Media and SoundCloud are among these options.

 

The current catchphrase being used to describe how media consumers are reached is “Addressable Audience” and it is exactly what the term implies. It’s the subset of the number of users that advertisers – in this case, automobile dealers – are able to reach with their message. Recent research suggests that about 92% of the total audience is addressable in one form or another at various points in their days.

 

“Knowing your audience – who they are, what they like and how they spend their time – helps auto dealers make smarter advertising decisions,” says Josh Mustachi, Director of Sales at Pandora. “It is worth the extra effort to do research before committing your ad budget to make sure you’re getting your message to the right people at the right time.”

 

 

Important Factors to Consider

When your dealership is being “pitched” by an ad agency, be sure to ask if the statistics they’re showing you are based on Total Audience or Addressable Audience. There’s a marked difference between the two, as Total Audience includes the consumers who cannot be exposed to brand messages. So if they can’t answer that question with “Addressable Audience”, ask for a breakout of Addressable Audience only. If they can’t provide it, they aren’t capable of giving you the real numbers you need to make an informed decision.

 

 

Another important factor in choosing the right advertising is determining what’s known as “Share of Ear”. It’s not only about how many consumers there are; it’s also about the amount of time spent with each media source!

 

 

Help is Available

What options are right for your dealership? You won’t know without the data and research your advertising agency can give you. Lean on them heavily; they’re a great resource to help you determine not only what segment(s) of the Addressable Audience you should target – but also the most efficient way to reach them.

 

JKR Automotive Advertising: The car dealer ad agency.

Rolling Stone: Radio Still Matters … a LOT

Rolling Stone: Radio Still Matters … a LOT

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In a recent article found on Rolling Stone‘s Website entitled “Rap’s New Generation Took Over, Rock Ruled the Road and Radio Still Mattered”, the iconic publication discussed many of the current music trends of 2018.

 

In the section discussing radio, it says the following: 228.5 million Americans still turn on a radio each week, far more than the 68.5 million who use streaming audio, and 49 percent of respondents to a listener survey said they found new music on the radio, easily outpacing the 27 percent who found music through “online music services.”

 

For car dealers, this means radio is just as it’s always been … a cost-effective way to reach people of all ages with your dealership’s message. If you’d like to know more about how your dealership can benefit from automotive radio advertising, give Jenny Gray a call today at (225) 603-5915.

 

JKR Automotive Advertising: The car dealer ad agency.

 

Your Customers are not Just Like You

Your Customers are not Just Like You

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Your customers are not necessarily just like you … but unfortunately, many dealers don’t think about that when they advertise. The truth is, quite often your customers are radically different from you in many ways. If this is the case, there’s a very good likelihood that they’ll have a much different wish list than you might have if you were in their position.

 

Understanding consumer behavior is a major asset to a car dealer (and to us at JKR). We know what makes your customers want to buy cars, even if you don’t. It is that expertise that often makes the difference between someone who looks for a car at your dealership or Website – or those of your competitors.

 

In the case of the car shopper, consumer behavior is motivated by their need for better – or different – transportation. This creates a sort of “problem” in their minds. It’s up to you, the dealer, to solve it. Your employees can do that by being great listeners. When you find out what motivates the customer (think of the “hierarchy of needs” … what are they looking for and what’s most important to them), you will know which of your vehicles takes care of those needs. This, in turn, results in a satisfied customer who has had all their basic needs and wants fulfilled – which will mean repeat business going forward.

 

All this can be summed up in one sentence: What’s best for you may not be what’s best for your customer, because not every customer is like you!

 

We Understand Customer Behavior

Automotive dealers nationwide count on JKR Automotive Advertising for memorable advertisements that are ideal for their dealerships, their markets and their bottom lines. Each car shopper is different and has his own likes and dislikes, and fortunately, our creative team is always there with the best ads that motivate customers to buy. Give Richard Brauns a call today at (321) 397-0777 to learn about what we can do for your store!

 

JKR Automotive Advertising: The car dealer ad agency.

Eliminating Co-Op Horror Stories

Eliminating Co-Op Horror Stories

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In honor of Halloween, we bring you Co-Op Horror Stories – and discuss how to get rid of them forever!

 

Brand compliance is of utmost importance in the world of automotive advertising – specifically, the monthly co-op process involving an auto dealer and its corporate entity. Even in the best of circumstances it’s an arduous process but it’s also a very necessary one, because the dealer depends on these dollars for day-to-day operations and future advertising.

 

How Co-Op Horror Stories Happen

At JKR, we hear no shortage of co-op horror stories from clients who have been burned by the process because they either attempted to handle co-op themselves or let an unqualified agency “handle” it for them. Some recent ones that come to mind include a dealer literally coming up $100 short on submitted co-op-able advertisements to get their quarterly funds; and another who got no co-op money because he was unaware how much he had to spend each quarter … and ended up short as a result.

 

Why is the co-op process so confusing? While a small handful of automotive brands don’t offer co-op funds, the vast majority do – and each has its own set of rules to be followed before they will disseminate any advertising dollars to the dealer. Some offer 100% reimbursement; some a 100%-50% split; and some exclusively 50%. Some require different terminology in ads depending upon model year. Some have brand-specific language that must be included in every ad. Some need third-party pre-approval in addition to corporate pre-approval. Most won’t allow “distress” language, except during certain holidays when it’s OK.

 

Get the picture? We could go on and on with the regulations!

 

For those not as familiar with co-op, here’s how it works in generalities: Before anything else, a script is sent to corporate for pre-approval. Why? Because if it’s rejected by corporate, it’s too late to make any changes after the fact … and a simple error like that could cost a dealer a significant amount of money!

 

After the pre-approval is obtained and the advertisement runs for the entire month on radio or TV – that’s when the real legwork begins. This includes acquiring every invoice from the selected radio and/or television stations … making sure the dates are correct … ensuring the dollar figures are correct … getting every script with the proper station stamps … making pdfs of video productions … and then sending all this to the corporate entity for reimbursement. If there are discrepancies, it requires phone calls and e-mails to station reps to find out why they occurred. There will also be times when numbers are over budget or significantly short, which requires additional investigation.

 

Every once in a while, the corporate entity will even approve an ad, only to change their minds later on after it’s been submitted.

 

As you can imagine, the co-op process takes a great deal of time and attention to detail … but our clients are worth it.

 

JKR’s account executives and billing experts make it their business to stay up-to-date on the latest co-op details for each client’s brand(s) – and we have clients in nearly all of them! We take the time necessary to make sure our clients understand what’s happening with their co-op funds and receive every penny they should.

 

Better still, even though we work within co-op guidelines, it doesn’t destroy our creativity! Despite these stringent rules and restrictions put in place by the corporate entities, JKR still produces topical, attention-getting advertisements featuring all the hooks that make people buy cars.

 

So if you want co-op treats without the corporate tricks, you owe it to yourself to take a close look at JKR. We’ll handle all the dirty work and let you focus on what you do best – sell cars! Give us a call today at (321) 397-0777 and find out how to make Co-Op Horror Stories a thing of the past.

 

JKR Automotive Advertising: The Car Dealer Ad Agency.