Roughly a decade ago, there were four mediums we relied on to market our dealerships and vehicles – TV, radio, print, and outdoor. While we still utilize these mediums today, we have witnessed dramatic changes in the auto shopping experience as customers continue to rely on the Internet throughout the shopping process (Zero Moment of Truth).
Today, 90 percent of auto shoppers start their research online. Auto shoppers are using multiple devices (desktop, tablet, smartphones), consulting diverse information sources online (dealer sites, OEM sites, third-party sites, etc.), and doing so across multiple platforms (search, mobile, social, video, display) as they move from consideration to their purchase decision.
Though auto shoppers have shifted dramatically online, few dealerships have consequently shifted the time and resources to capture these potential customers. As a result, dealer digital marketers are stretched thin trying to get auto shoppers to choose their dealership over others. Moreover, marketing at dealerships can become fragmented if digital strategies diverge from traditional marketing. Google experts Marianna Kerppola and Peter Leto are sharing their expertise with you.
What will you learn and what action items will you take back to the dealership?
- Learn how you can start to streamline your marketing and advertising in order to win more customers online.
- Learn about changes in auto shopping behavior and what this means for your digital marketing strategy
- Learn how to marry your traditional and digital marketing strategies in an effort to create consistent messaging for your customers.
Marianna Kerppola is an industry strategist on Google’s Dealer Jumpstart Team, which helps car dealers embrace digital solutions. The team collaborates with auto groups, individual dealers, and OEMs to generate business with Google tools in an age where smartphones rule and ‘everything’ is on YouTube. Kerppola has worked at Google’s Ann Arbor, Michigan office since 2011, all the while working directly with dealers on their digital marketing strategies. Prior to Google, she worked in corporate finance and investments for Nationwide Insurance.
Peter Leto is an industry strategist on Google’s Dealer Jumpstart Team. He is responsible for providing automotive partners with scalable business solutions to further develop their regional and local advertising strategies. Growing up in the Motor City, Leto started his career in TV ad sales with Turner Broadcasting assisting the Detroit Three with national advertising programs. In 2008, he joined Google as an account manager in the Chicago B2B vertical, working with Fortune 500 companies primarily across the manufacturing and energy sectors. After three years he returned to Detroit in his current role in automotive. Leto graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in political science and communications. He currently resides in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
13th Digital Dealer® Conference & Exposition Featured Speakers: Marianna Kerppola and Peter Leto present: Google – Fine-tuning your Online Marketing: A holistic approach for winning customers online.
We’re building out the agenda, selecting speakers and topics for more than 100 sessions that are laser-focused on all things digital.
The Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition is the premier educational conference and expo dedicated to Internet and technology solutions for automotive professionals. Digital Dealer events deliver the largest array of speakers, peer to peer opportunities, and exhibit hall offerings – all carefully designed to impart cutting edge business strategies. With an audience of the industry’s most progressive dealers and managers and the most innovative conference format, Digital Dealer provides the ultimate learning and networking environment. For more information, visit: www.DigitalDealerConference.com
