I’ve been driving my car for the last three years and the lease is up at the end of this month. I’m not interested in purchasing the car I currently have, so I’ll be shopping around for something new. I have to finalize the purchase by March 1st because that’s when the lease is up and I need something to get me around.
From a sales and marketing perspective, I’m the perfect prospect – qualified, with a sense of urgency. I just read that back and it sounded like – cloudy, with a chance of meatballs. Just me?
Anyway, I’ve started paying more attention to marketing messages coming from automobile manufacturers and all of the sudden the Ford sponsorship of American Idol means a little more to me. I can’t imagine how many times I’ve seen the Ford logo pop up on my TV over the last few years given my affinity for the show.
The Super Bowl was another great chance to see how the car companies are marketing themselves these days. I really enjoyed the Kia ad featuring characters from Yo Gabba Gabba and music by The Heavy.
I don’t read the physical paper very often so I haven’t seen too many local print ads for cars. I do see them in magazines but none really stand out in my mind. Perhaps it’s because I only visit certain Web sites, but I don’t recall seeing too many banner ads either. I’m guessing this will change as soon as I post this to Facebook. Their targeting has been impressive lately and I’m sure car companies are buying their fair share of ads on the site.
The real question I’m looking forward to answering is how social media will play into my decision (not counting the paid ads that might end up next to my Facebook wall). To start the experiment I’m going to send out a link to this blog post and then the following Tweet about ten minutes later:
“Lease is up, time for a new car. What should I test drive? Who has a great lease offer? #carshopping”
What do you think will happen? Will Scott Monty, the well-known head of social media at Ford, send me a message? Are local dealers “listening” by searching for keywords and reaching out through Twitter? What brands will I hear from? How will they follow up throughout the process if I Tweet something after a test drive?
I’ll provide updates along the way and would enjoy hearing your predictions. If you’ve had an experience with car shopping and social media I’d like to hear about that too.
B – I'd be shocked (pleasantly surprised, actually) if local dealers were monitoring social media for purchasers. my perception of the auto industry is they're all about passive marketing through “traditional” channels and letting the purchaser come to them – maybe things have changed since my last purchase in 2003!
On a slight tangent – I thought Toyota's ad responding to their recent prius problems/recalls was an interesting PR effort. The tone of it was on point.
Brady – I beleive that David Meerman Scott had a rant about car buying in his book. Essentially, every manufacturer site he went started shoving promotions down his throat, never giving him a chance to easily research & learn. Thankfully there are many sites that will help you answer your questions (e.g. Edmunds, Cars.com, etc.)
As a salesman myself, I love that you identify yourself as having a high BANT rating (Budget – Authority – Need – Timing). With that in mind, the best salesperson should “help you buy” instead of “selling you”.
I've had a couple of models on my radar recently: Audi A3 (TDI, if possible), the new Honda Crosstour (or Acura's version, the ZDX), or a Subaru WRX.
Good luck!
Adam – I have a feeling a few of them are listening and as soon as I call out specific manufacturers on Twitter I think I'll see a response. I noticed that my specific Acura dealer has their own local Twitter handle too. We'll see if they are on top of it later. Off to visit them now.
Sully – BANT – good call. Really need to pick up that DMS too. It keeps coming up.
Cool experiment to see if local car dealers are willing to 'help you sell' or 'sell you' as Sully puts it. With the industry as a whole on the decline, but slightly up in January, it's interesting to see what those top 20 cars sold actually were: http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-au…
I agree with Adam. In the email marketing business (which has matured to say the least), it's amazing how many big marketers at big brands still do it wrong, or not to its full potential. I think it is still a matter of time, resources, knowledge and someone to champion it. Not sure about you, but when I think of most local car dealers anyway, they tend to be old and tired and still pushing full page ads in the Sunday paper.
Скажите мне, пожалуйста – где я могу об этом прочитать?…
I’ve been driving my car for the last three years and the lease is up at the end of this month…..