How to Drive Auto Sales Without Sacrificing Branding

For today’s auto marketers, there’s often a disconnect between the brand-focused messaging of Tier 1 and the timely, regional communication of Tier 2.

Both are influential messages in the buying journey, but most brands struggle to bridge the gap and actually direct people into dealerships, encourage test drives and drive sales.

That disconnect has become more evident in today’s digital age – though the opportunity to connect the tiers never has been more realistic due to all the data that’s available online.

Metal ultimately moves at the dealership, but because so much of the purchase cycle now takes place on the web, the auto industry will spend $7.3 billion on digital advertising in 2015 alone. In an industry where TV commercials have long dominated, digital video is coming in hot on its tail.

To truly understand where auto marketing traditionally falls short in bridging the gap between tiers and how digital video can help, marketers need to look into the modern purchase journey, explore ways to connect with consumers emotionally, and uncover how to drive local sales with powerful branding. Let’s explore some good places to start.

Understand Root of Gap

We all know the purpose of Tier 1 advertising is brand awareness. It’s a TV ad that runs nationally and highlights the reasons a majority of people might like a car.

Tier 2 focuses on the more-specific information needed to influence audiences to step into a dealership. With all the money spent on advertising each year, marketers need to figure out a way to amplify national branding to drive purchases at a local level, but how?

The answer is digital video. Bridging the gap between tiers relies on the ability for marketers to show these emotional, powerful ads while also calling out specific features of a car and connecting with multiple types of consumers.

Know Your Audience (Better)

After consumers spot a car they are interested in, whether on the road, in a magazine or on TV, they typically start their research online, comparing cars and features at home and at their leisure. Everything they need to know about a car is right at their fingertips.

Because they can build a potential car online to get a feel for the look and price, most consumers already have a set idea of what they want when they reach the dealership. Thus, digital platforms and the data that comes with them are an increasingly valuable part of the purchase funnel.

For marketers, understanding a consumer’s demographic or life stage is critical toward creating a cohesive message across tiers and channels. People want cars for many different reasons, and the data available online can shed light into what and why, unlocking motivation and influence and enabling a one-on-one message through advertising.

For example, an 18-year-old new driver will look for different features than a growing family, perhaps searching for performance features versus safety ratings or size. Video advertising can reflect that.

Tell Audiences What They Want to Know, When They Want to Know It

It is also important for a marketer to know where consumers are in their purchase journey. For example, consumers who “think they might want a new car” and consumers who “need a new car right now” will react to different messages.

There’s no point in showing someone an advertisement that highlights APR financing when they are just beginning research. They would be more likely to respond to an advertisement offering a test drive reward or different lease options.

The best companies embrace online and offline data and technology to connect with consumers at each point of their purchase journey from the research phase until a deal is closed with a handshake at the dealership. Data enables the “right message, right place, right time,” because advertisements and technology allow those messages to be served on a personalized level.

Serve Branding, Messaging for Multiple Audiences

It used to be that an automobile commercial highlighted the features (such as a powerful engine) to appeal to the broadest possible audience, determined by extensive market research.

Brands are now realizing that certain cars, colors, features and messages resonate with different people for different reasons, ultimately driving action. Thus, we’re starting to see more commercials highlight a variety of makes, models and colors in a single advertisement.

Digital technology and data only can make those messages even more granular and targeted.

Digital video truly enables the maintenance of an emotional connection and relevancy across the board, and it’s becoming a powerful tool for marketers looking to bridge the gap between Tier 1 and Tier 2.

It’s an exciting time for the auto industry. The digital landscape finally allows marketers to deliver the right branding and messaging to the right audiences, at scale.

Erik Schear is an advertising veteran with more than 20 years of sales experience. As vice president of Auto at Eyeview, he manages the company’s automotive sales team nationwide.