Event Marketing is a strategy used by car dealerships to promote their vehicles, services, and overall brand through organized events. These events can range from new car inventory, exclusive test drives, and service workshops to participation in larger auto shows and community events.
These events serve as platforms for direct customer interaction, offering them a hands-on experience with the vehicles and fostering a deeper connection with the dealership’s brand. The ultimate goal is to increase customer engagement, boost sales, enhance brand loyalty, and strengthen the dealership’s community presence.
With that being said, running successful event marketing at a dealership involves careful planning, execution, and follow-ups. Following are seven tips for dealerships to consider when they want to run an event.
1. Define Clear Objectives
Before planning the event, define what you want to achieve—is it increasing sales, launching a new model, building brand awareness, or enhancing customer loyalty? Clear objectives guide your planning and help measure success.
For example, objectives for the New Model Launch Event can be as follows:
- Attract 500+ visitors to the event.
- Conduct 50+ test drives of the new model.
- Generate 25 new potential buyer leads.
- Achieve 15 sales of the new model within two weeks post-event.
2. Understand Your Audience
Know who your target customers are. Tailor the event to their interests, needs, and preferences. For instance, planning an event to promote a new electric vehicle may be as follows:
- Target Group: environmentally conscious, tech-savvy consumers aged 30-50.
- Focus: Highlight EV’s environmental benefits and advanced tech features.
- Special Attraction: Invite a local environmental activist for a keynote speech.
3. Engage Through Interactive Activities
Plan fun and engaging activities, like test drives, contests, drawings, live demonstrations, or interactive games. This not only entertains guests but also keeps them engaged with your brand. For example, car dealers can run a social media contest, asking attendees to post videos or images from the event using a specific hashtag to be considered for a giveaway drawing.
4. Offer Special Promotions
Provide special offers that are exclusive to event attendees. These incentives can make the event more enticing and drive more sales. For the launch of a new EV, car dealers can give discounts, special financing rates, or added perks with a purchase limited to the event attendees.
5. Collaborate with Local Businesses or Influencers
Collaborating with local businesses or influencers can enhance the reach and impact of a dealership’s event. It conveys a sense of community. For instance, a dealership could partner with a popular local coffee shop for a “Cars and Coffee” event. The coffee shop provides complimentary coffee and pastries, attracting their regular customers to the event. In return, the dealership offers the coffee shop exposure through event marketing materials and social media shoutouts.
Additionally, the dealership might collaborate with a local automotive influencer or blogger to attend and promote the event, leveraging their follower base for wider event publicity and credibility. This collaboration increases foot traffic, strengthens community ties, and broadens the dealership’s network.
6. Data Capturing and Personalized Follow-Ups
Capturing attendee data during an event and effectively following up afterward are key steps in maximizing the impact of dealership event marketing. For instance, a dealership might host a test drive event and use a sign-up form to collect contact information from participants. This data is crucial for personalized post-event communication.
After the event, the dealership sends a follow-up email to all attendees, thanking them for their participation, offering exclusive deals or incentives for further engagement, and including a survey to gather feedback on the event.
For those who took a test drive, the follow-up might include specific information about the models they showed interest in and tailored purchase or lease offers. This approach keeps the dealership at the forefront of attendees’ minds and helps build lasting relationships by showing attentiveness to their interests and feedback.
Additionally, analyzing responses from the follow-up survey provides valuable insights for improving future events and tailoring marketing strategies to meet customer needs better.
7. Document the Event
Documenting an event is crucial for capturing its essence and leveraging it for future marketing efforts. For example, high-quality images and footage are captured during a dealership’s annual summer sales event. Key moments like customer interactions, test drives, and special presentations are focused. Additionally, short interviews with attendees are recorded, gathering testimonials about their experience.
This rich media content is then used for post-event marketing, shared on social media, and included in email newsletters, effectively showcasing the event’s success and the dealership’s vibrant community involvement to those who couldn’t attend and building anticipation for future events.
Conclusion
Successful dealership event marketing hinges on careful planning, understanding the audience, engaging interactions, and strategic partnerships. By setting clear goals, tailoring events to customer interests, offering exclusive promotions, and effectively leveraging collaborations, dealerships can significantly enhance their market presence. Post-event follow-ups and thorough documentation further solidify customer relationships and provide insights for future strategies. This approach not only drives sales but strengthens the dealership’s brand and community ties, making it an essential element of their marketing repertoire.