Think about it: if you take all the dealership ads that run on a daily basis, and add in the nationwide automobile manufacturer ads, car advertising can start to seem ubiquitous. Everyone, it seems, is trying to tell viewers they have the lowest prices, that they’re the most trustworthy place to purchase a car.
TV ads are still the best, most efficient and most powerful way to reach the car-buying audience. They have the potential to draw in new customers and reinforce your place in the minds of longstanding clients, and they can even serve as an internal check on company values and goals.
In the best case scenario a TV ad does all of this by refining or even re-creating a company’s branding. From branding comes a theme that runs through individual TV (or radio or Internet, etc.) spots, regardless of the special or seasonal message. Seasonal advertising can be effective – end of model year sales, Presidents’ Day sales, etc. – but a bigger overall theme can lodge itself in the minds of the buying public, yielding more sales and more consistent traffic year-round.
Unfortunately, the worst case scenario prevails when dealerships fall into short-term thinking – and their ads fall into the auto advertising black hole. We have the lowest prices, these ads declare, but never give a reason why.
The same question could be asked of trust. Why should people trust you? You’ll want to show them that you’re part of their community, that you share their values – and this, again, is done through branding.
Branding, in turn, isn’t accomplished in a day, which is something that a good advertising agency recognizes. Whatever agency you choose should take time to collaborate with you – to listen to your goals and your story in order to create exciting themes and long-term marketing and advertising strategies. The goal is to establish lasting success and consistent growth.
The collaboration can even yield unexpected results. Clients can find themselves reassessing their values, or perhaps returning to some of the values that got them started in the first place. Thus energy, focus and performance improve throughout the dealership family.
