An article by JKR’s own Jeff Johnson is featured in the August AutoSuccess magazine issue. It explains how many dealers can determine if their broadcast advertising is achieving results … using software they probably already have at their fingertips.
For many dealers, it is an educational, eye-opening read that will be extremely useful in the months and years to come.
If you would like a complimentary copy of the magazine, please give us a call at (321) 397-0777.
JKR Automotive Advertising: The auto dealer ad agency.
What’s next? That should always be the question you’re asking as you look for ways to make your employees, your facility and ultimately, your sales, better than ever. It’s really easy to sit back and enjoy your current situation – especially when your business is profitable. But if you aren’t looking for new and better ways to present your dealership to your community, your competitor might very well pass you by.
There should be nothing stopping you from constantly striving to make things better. We understand that it often requires leaving your comfort zone to do so, but fear of change or fear of taking a risk oftentimes are what holds dealers back from making a positive decision that could’ve taken their automobile dealerships to the next level.
Just imagine if Apple rolled out the original iPhone and never looked to improve upon it with future versions. What if the Coca-Cola Company never created new flavors or branched out into other beverage offerings besides soda? These corporate giants could easily have been content to rest on their past successes, but instead they sought out – and found – ways to remain in the forefront of their business segments.
You can continue wondering what would happen if you took a chance … or you could overcome your concerns and look forward to what’s next. It’s up to you.
What’s Next: The Answer
You can’t change your yesterdays … but you can change your tomorrows by doing something new today. The first positive step in answering “what’s next?” should be retaining JKR Advertising as your agency of record. You really should find out how we have become one of the top automotive advertising agencies in the country in a few short years. You need to learn about the strategies we use to save our clients big money in the way we buy media for them. It would also behoove you to know how we ensure each client gets what they ordered … every month.
Call Eric Tigner today at (321) 397-0777. In exchange for your time, he’ll provide you with a complimentary, no-strings-attached advertising review that will give you some eye-opening information about your market and your brand. It’s well worth the effort, so call today!
When advertising cars online, be sure to pay attention to the little details. Why? They can ultimately make the difference in a visit to your dealership to look at a car versus that visit being made at your competition’s store. So that brings us to the question: What are some of these little details?
Correctly Advertising Cars Online
First, resist the temptation to place too many photos of your vehicles in your ads. A recent CarStory study showed that more than nine pictures causes “image fatigue”; in other words, that’s when a prospective customer loses interest and begins to mentally tune out. According to their findings, postings with nine images generated 50% more leads than posts that had no images at all; and an astounding 71% more than those that had 30 or more photos.
While we are on the topic of images when it comes to advertising cars online, it’s a good idea to alternate interior and exterior photos of each vehicle. Most dealerships start out with numerous exterior photos, then after a while the interior pics finally emerge. As we mentioned in the last paragraph, image fatigue takes over – so the customer should be seeing both interior and exterior shots almost immediately to get a complete visual experience of the car.
It is also important to carefully choose the first-page photo visible to potential customers. Something like an angled, three-quarters shot of the vehicle with the grille pointing toward the price and information makes the car look much more attractive.
Finally, when you take your photos, be very aware of your surroundings. You don’t want anything in the background to distract from the picture itself. After all, the car is the star attraction … not your dealership facility or anything/anyone else that might find its way into the lens when a photo is taken.
None of these things will cost you anything other than perhaps a little time … but these ideas, while seemingly very subtle, will give you a little edge in the online marketplace.
Global market research company JD Power has made the jump into the automotive F&I realm. This comes on the heels of last September’s test launch into the market, during which they took on 10 stores. That pilot program ended in December.
While some might wonder why the firm would enter the F&I space, to JD Power it makes perfect sense. Chris Sutton, the company’s vice president of U.S. automotive retail practice was quoted as saying the following in an article that appeared in Auto Dealer Today: “The finance and insurance market is fragmented and is often perceived negatively by consumers. JD Power has an obligation to stand up for the consumer in everything we do. These products carry our name because the terms and conditions have been adjusted, as well as the selling process. Customer satisfaction, both immediate and long-term, is the goal.”
The program will be called JD Power Automotive Protection Products and the products are specifically for new-car buyers. They are already being sold at nearly 25 dealerships (nine different brands) and the company is licensed to offer them in all 50 states.
Among the products/services being offered are extended service contracts, tire and wheel protection, GAP insurance, key replacement, dent and ding protection, paint and fabric protection, high-tech coverage and windshield protection.
“The confidence inspired by our brand is something we believe will help lead new-car dealers to more sales of these important products and more satisfaction with the dealer-customer relationship in the long term,” Sutton explained. “This will result in a win-win for consumers buying new cars and for dealerships selling these products.”
A Crowded F&I Realm
In what is undoubtedly a market occupied by many different companies, JD Power is counting heavily upon its reputation as a company whose purpose is looking out for the best interests of the consumer to attract F&I business. The initial reaction of dealers participating in the pilot program seemed positive and they expect that momentum to continue.
Christy Roman, founder of Women in Automotive and president of NOW Digital, will speak at the inaugural Agent2021 Conference in Miami on January 24. Held at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, this first-of-its-kind conference brings together agents and business owners in four major industries – real estate, automotive, insurance and travel – showing them innovative ways to digitally drive their businesses.
The concept for the combined conference comes from digital-first marketer Gary Vaynerchuk. Experts from digital media’s most successful platforms and brands from around the country will discuss digital and social media-driven tactics and strategies that attendees can deploy immediately to grow their companies.
Roman, one of the country’s most respected female leaders in the automotive industry, headlines a panel titled, “Borrowing Equity: Influencer Marketing for the Auto Industry”.
“I’m thrilled to be part of a progressive conference that places such an emphasis on driving digital business,” said Roman. “Online advertising strategies are so unique and non-traditional that many businesses do not know they are missing out on big opportunities. This is a chance for major industry attendees to learn a lot in just one day.”
Roman is the founder of Women in Automotive. WIA is a well-respected collection of industry leaders focused on empowering and developing women in the automotive sector. Its mission is to assist the automotive community on recruiting, retaining, and developing female employees and leaders.
She also founded her own company in 2009. NOW Digital is a different kind of digital agency, covering all the basics and much more. In addition to online graphic design, Website updates, e-mail marketing, social media and reputation management, NOW Digital helps automobile dealers manage all their digital assets while ensuring advertising dollars are being spent wisely. Its unique “90 Days from NOW” program provides comprehensive digital marketing and best practice strategies.
NOW Digital became part of the JKR Advertising & Marketing family in November 2014.