Long gone are the days when rows of racks with glossy vehicle brochures filled dealerships' showrooms. Shoppers often find information via mobile devices or what’s being offered by companies such as RelayCars.
RelayCars, a company that provides the virtual reality automotive experience designed to put consumers in the driver’s seat of thousands of vehicles, recently announced the expansion of their VR suite of applications with the launch of the new RelayCars, now in roomscale.
The company explained roomscale can allow users to move freely and naturally around the virtual showroom while customizing car options and researching their next vehicle.
Furthering the future of vehicle research and shopping, this technology can give consumers a more efficient way to shop for cars that may not physically be on the dealer lot or even browse from the comfort of their homes.
Officials also emphasized dealers will now have the ability to instantaneously showcase a wider range of vehicles and help consumers to make informed purchasing decisions through the realistic environment.
RelayCars in roomscale is available via digital distribution platform, Steam.
While wearing a headset, shoppers and dealers are able to select vehicles from the expanding model selection and place them in one of three designated spaces on the showroom floor. Users can interact with the environment and the showcased vehicle models to view them from any angle, change the vehicle color, enter the interior, step back to check out the vehicle in full, or walk right up to the vehicle for a more in depth look at the design and detail.
“This is the first time we are offering our users the opportunity to walk around their customized virtual showroom to observe, compare and interact with the vehicles on another level,” RelayCars chief operating officer Gina Callari said in a news release.
“The technologies enabling virtual reality are evolving at such a pace that being able to provide more interactive and realistic experiences for our customers is of the utmost importance to us at RelayCars,” Callari continued.
RelayCars in roomscale is available on Steam supported VR headsets including Windows Mixed Reality, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.
For more information about RelayCars, visit www.relaycars.com.
CarLotz has been in full expansion mode as of late, with the recent opening of its San Antonio location marking a continuation of its 2018 growth pattern that also included new stores in Florida and Illinois. The used-vehicle consignment company now operates eight retail locations and three reconditioning centers in Virginia and North Carolina in addition to the Florida and Illinois sites.
Now, it’s starting its first major advertising launch in multiple U.S. markets. The campaign will launch in April with media buys in Chicago, Tampa and San Antonio.
For that launch, CarLotz is partnering with Richmond-based advertising agency Familiar Creatures, which has been working on the Devils Backbone Brewery’s 2019 advertising campaign. Familiar Creatures co-founder/creative director Dustin Artz said in a news release that his company looks forward to working with CarLotz, which he described as “a disruptive startup who just happens to be based right here in Richmond.”
CarLotz director of branding Elizabeth Maksim was also enthusiastic, describing Familiar Creatures in a news release as “small and nimble like CarLotz.”
For the CarLotz campaign, Familiar Creatures will work with Richmond-based Spurrier Group, which will handle media planning and buying.
CarLotz launched in 2011 in Virginia, eventually adding other locations in that state and North Carolina before continuing its expansion elsewhere.
Four companies collected honors for their presence in the exhibit halls at NADA Show 2019 this past January in San Francisco.
The National Automobile Dealers Association indicated booth awards went to the following participants:
— Inline booth: Rousseau Metal
— Small island booth: SiriusXM
— Medium island booth: CU Direct
— Large island booth: Market Scan
The convention’s annual Best in Show awards, given in four categories according to exhibit size, recognize companies for excellence in design, including the use of innovative materials and creativity in color, lighting and attractions. The exhibits were also evaluated on branding, company imagery and messaging associated with promotion of products and services.
Competition at this year’s convention included 538 exhibiting companies. According to NADA, there were more than 22,000 total attendees at the four-day show. Attendees included U.S. franchised dealers and commercial truck dealers and their managers, international dealers from 37 countries, automaker executives, exhibitor staff, allied industry professionals and media.
CU Direct explained its award-winning booth design focused on providing a unique environment where staff could easily connect and interact with dealers to discuss their evolving needs, from technology, to driving more sales and further advancing credit union relationships.
CU Direct’s marketing team partnered with well-known brand experience agency MC² to develop the booth’s overall look and theme.
“Beyond promoting our CUDL lending platform and dealer services, it was important for us to create a space that would foster meaningful dialog between the dealer and credit union communities,” CU Direct chief marketing officer Brian Hendricks said.
“We greatly appreciate our long-standing relationship with NADA and are honored to be recognized for our efforts to connect with the dealer community during the convention,” Hendricks added.
Friday is the most popular day for buyers to visit a dealership, while 59 percent of car buyers spend time doing online research.
And six out of 10 shoppers are undecided on a specific vehicle when they enter a dealership.
If dealers want statistics like those on understanding their market and their core target audience, they can get a good amount of it from a new study from global data company, Freckle IoT.
The company released a new quarterly “footfall” report titled, “Freckle IoT Path to Purchase: U.S. Automotive Footfall Report,” which covers the fourth quarter of 2018 for the United States.
The company also released a report covering the Canadian market.
“Targeting the correct core audience has never been more important as market pressures weigh heavier on automotive dealers nationwide,” the report said. “Technology and specific shopping behaviors seem to be interjecting themselves more predominately than ever, making consumer data vital for success.”
The report delivers that data with several pages of stats showing tidbits such as:
—The average consumer is visiting more than five dealerships before buying.
—Consumers will spend an average of six months researching a vehicle they will potentially buy.
—Buyers like to stay close to home.
Seventy-one percent will travel less than 20 miles from their home when visiting a dealership, according to Freckle IoT, which stated that it specializes in determining the effectiveness of a brand’s media spend in driving a consumer to a desired location, known as “offline attribution.”
The study noted that some methods of media spend are not that effective. Only 18 percent of shoppers say promos drive them into a dealership.
But in measuring which advertising is most influential to car buyers, online ranks as the most persuasive method of influencing buyers. Thirty-eight percent said online advertising was most influential in their purchase, 15 percent said television, 4 percent said newspaper and 2 percent said radio.
Freckle IoT released the report in partnership with Killi, which is a consumer application available on iOS and Android that lets potential buyers control their identity and engage directly with companies that require data to operate their businesses. In conducting its survey over 30 days, Freckle IoT surveyed more than 8,000 of its customers using the Killi app to determine specific automotive shopping habits.
Some of the more obvious results of the report include the statement that price and reliability are the top priorities for car buyers. Another result that might not be surprising: Technology is extremely important in the buying process for millennials. Ninety-two percent of that group owns smartphones. But although those results might be obvious, they are still important.
“This is incredibly important to note because it modifies how, where, and why your marketing spends matter,” the report said.
Think back to Super Bowl LI in February 2017.
(Sorry, Falcons fans.)
Beyond New England’s whirlwind comeback to win after trailing Atlanta 28-3 in the third quarter, you might recall two of the advertisements that night that served as introductions for many to the Kia Niro model and Alfa Romeo brand.
Further, you may have been one of many fans who searched for these cars during the game after seeing these ads.
If so, you’re not alone.
According to data around the 2017 Super Bowl from (appropriately enough) Boston-based CarGurus, searches went through the roof for Alfa Romeo and the Niro that February night in 2017.
Based on model search data, searches for Alfa Romeo on CarGurus.com climbed 808 percent the night of Super Bowl LI, the company said. Meanwhile, based on make and model search, searches for the Niro were up 778 percent.
“The models that we do see the Super Bowl spike on have been models that are either debuting or that people don’t have that much awareness about,” CarGurus data analyst Lisa Rosenberg said in a January phone interview. “So, that sort of quick burst Super Bowl ad lets people know that these models exist, and it sparks some interest, and people look them up.”
And that they did, given what the data shows.
But you might not see the same spikes during longer events like the World Cup or the Olympics, where ads may be driven more for brand awareness or general branding rather than an immediate call-to-action.
And even during the Super Bowl, search activity may vary by region.
Another interesting finding from the data set is that in both 2016’s Super Bowl 50 (Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers) and 2017’s Super Bowl LI (Patriots-Falcons), the declines in search throughout the game were steeper in the region of the winning team than in the losing team’s region.
“I think the fans of the winning team are just continuing to watch the game and watching the after show,” Rosenberg said, adding with a laugh, “and maybe they’re going out in the streets and climbing light poles if they’re Philadelphia.
“I think it’s just that fans of the winning team are staying engaged to the end of the game and after the game in a way that disappointed fans maybe aren’t,” she said.
Getting into the commercials themselves, we asked CarGurus what role the ad creative and appeal of a commercial plays in driving interest during sporting events like these.
Don Mason, who is the head of U.S. display advertising at CarGurus, regularly works with automakers and offered his take on ad strategy.
“The commercial creative plays a very important role as it relates to these large sporting events. In most cases, brands develop new, specific creative to be unveiled during the sporting events, and they typically use these events as opportunities to broadly establish a new product or brand direction,” Mason said in comments provided by email.
“This often includes highlighting redesigned vehicles and/or new brand themes or taglines,” he said. “The brand may even go so far as to align the creative with the sport or the consumer affinities associated with the sport to drive more engagement and appeal.“
In general, automakers tend to put a lot of emphasis on these mass sporting events, Mason said: “It ultimately comes down to these events being a great way to engage large consumer audiences both to re-connect with loyalists and to bring new consumers into the brand through smart creative messaging.
“These large sporting events typically have massive audiences allowing brands to achieve multiple objectives.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is part of Auto Remarketing's “DRIVING FORCE: The Business Intersection of Sports & Automotive” series, which will discuss the car industry's involvement in sports business — be it through marketing partnerships, ownership stakes, working as sister companies under the same corporate umbrella or other business ventures. Stay tuned for the print edition of this series in the Feb. 1 edition of the Auto Remarketing magazine.
About one year after Hyundai rolled out its Hyundai Shopper Assurance program to Hyundai dealers nationwide, the automaker is starting national advertising for the program on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 3).
And it's turning to actor Jason Bateman to spread its message.
Hyundai’s 60-second first-quarter Super Bowl ad will star Bateman and show what the automaker says is a better car buying experience with Shopper Assurance.
Hyundai says its Shopper Assurance program has provided customers with an efficient and transparent car-buying experience.
As for Bateman, Hyundai says he will bring his comedic savvy to the ad.
“Jason Bateman is the perfect person to infuse humor into this year’s Super Bowl ad and help us communicate the universal truth that people want a better way to shop for and buy a new car,” said Dean Evans, chief marketing officer, Hyundai Motor America, in a news release. “Hyundai has an answer with Shopper Assurance, a program that, together with our dealer partners, modernizes the car buying experience by making it more digital and convenient."
Evans added that the company expects the national advertising “to continue to drive traffic to our dealers and improve the perception of our brand.”
Hyundai’s new flagship premium three-row SUV, the 2020 Palisade, will be the featured vehicle in Hyundai’s in-game Super Bowl ad, along with the Shopper Assurance program. The Palisade will be available at dealerships in the summer of 2019.
Palisade will make its TV advertising debut the week before in a new 30-second spot that will air during the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
The new ad will continue Hyundai’s SUV quality time theme, but instead of families getting outside together, they will make an exception and gather around the TV to watch the most important NFL games of the season. In addition to the AFC Championship Game appearance, the new ad will also run during the Super Bowl pregame show.
Shopper Assurance consists of four elements that the automaker says make the process of purchasing a car easier. Since the start of its national availability in February, 632 of Hyundai’s dealers now offer the voluntary program, representing more than 77 percent of Hyundai’s sales volume.
Shopper Assurance's four features include, as listed by the automaker:
- Transparent Pricing: Participating dealers post the market pricing (MSRP minus incentives and any dealer-offered discounts) on the dealer websites, so customers know exactly what the market price is for the vehicle. This can reduce the time it takes to negotiate a price and can eliminate the frustration of widely advertised incentives not being displayed on dealer websites.
- Flexible Test Drive: Customers are given the option to conduct a test drive for any new vehicle on their own terms through Hyundai Drive, a platform that allows the test drive to be scheduled by contacting the dealer on its website, by phone or by using a custom-built app (in available markets). The selected test-drive vehicle can be delivered to a location of the customer’s choosing, such as their home, their office or a coffee shop.
- Streamlined Purchase: This allows car buyers to complete most of the paperwork online prior to visiting the dealership for a vehicle in the dealer’s inventory, reducing the total transaction time. This includes applying for financing, obtaining credit approvals, calculating payment estimates and valuing trade-ins.
- Three-Day Worry-Free Exchange: Any customer who is not satisfied with his or her purchase is given a three-day period to return the car in exchange for another new Hyundai vehicle, contingent upon a dealer inspection and the vehicle having fewer than 300 miles since the purchase/lease date.
According to a HomeNet Automotive research study, 83 percent of dealers believe they can increase turns if they improve online merchandising, but only 10 percent thought their online presence was highly differentiated.
In response, the newest inventory merchandising tool from HomeNet is designed to respond to how much dealerships — and their potential customers — spend on their mobile devices.
The company highlighted four major components of SnapLot 360, a 360-degree capture solution that is geared to drive increased visibility to dealers’ online sales platforms through an iOS and Android compatible application.
HomeNet explained SnapLot 360 technology can provide dealers the ability to manage the following through the app:
—Exterior 360 Capture: Walk around the vehicle and capture a high-resolution exterior 360 degrees photo in seconds using image stabilization to drive efficiency and optimal viewing by vehicle shoppers.
—Interior 360 Capture: Leverage SnapLot 360 to capture a compelling interior 360 degree panoramic to fully immerse car shoppers in the experience.
—Hot Spot Tagging: Tag specific features as hot spots that will call out to online car shoppers, driving engagement and a deeper understanding about the vehicle.
—360 Syndication: Syndicate interior and exterior 360 degrees photos to the top website and listings providers in the industry, including Dealer.com and Autotrader.
“SnapLot 360 is an evolution of the digital showroom, delivering a three-dimensional view of a vehicle's interior and exterior that separates dealers from the competition, while empowering customers to explore dealership inventory from any device,” said John Hensman, vice president and general manager of HomeNet Automotive.
“A more immersive experience than traditional video, SnapLot 360 provides a higher level of engagement and transparency that customers need to make more informed — and faster — buying decisions,” Hensman continued
“This new technology furthers our proven philosophy that transparency builds trust, which results in more sales for dealers,” he went on to say.
HomeNet emphasized that vehicle merchandising that included photos and videos were the first stops in differentiating dealerships online. As the industry has evolved, the company pointed out technology advanced, and shoppers continue to become savvier as customers demand a more dynamic online shopping experience.
Market research indicated that a personalized online shopping experience can help dealerships drive sales and increase margin.
Hensman noted that the previously mentioned HomeNet research study insights are supported by a Cox Automotive report, “Working Deals in a Digital World,” which identifies “dealers who infuse a customer-centric approach to their sales process, allows them to protect margins, improve workflow and increase customer satisfaction.”
Hensman said, “Customers have become more educated; they know their options and how to find the inventory they're interested in. We also know that they seek out a heightened online user experience that's personalized and easy to engage with.
“With SnapLot 360, dealers can serve their customer dynamic content with ease,” he went on to say.
HomeNet launched a pilot program with customers to test the SnapLot 360 technology, and the company said the initial results have exceeded expectations.
“We’re a dealership group that wants to stay ahead of the curve and SnapLot 360 helped us differentiate ourselves online from the start,” said David Simches, used car group director for the Crown Auto Group. “It’s easy to use and adds a lot of value to our online listings.
“If you have a product that improves the customer experience while making you more efficient, it’s a win/win for the dealership,” Simches continued. “The bottom line is we're selling more cars since we've started using SnapLot 360,”
To see SnapLot 360 in action, dealers can go to this website.
Dealer Specialties is rolling out a tool aimed at going beyond traditional vehicle history report information such as accidents; looking to provide dealers and consumers with details that can make the difference between that used vehicle rolling over the curb or being passed over for another model — at another store.
The division of Dominion Dealer Solutions on Thursday announced the national launch of C.A.R.Score, a service offering consumer-facing vehicle condition reports to dealers that are geared to bring significant enhancements and transparency to a dealer’s digital merchandising strategy.
C.A.R.Score has been tested in seven major markets and will be available nationwide this summer.
The company explained C.A.R.Score is a report that can provide shoppers with the ability to see the current condition of a vehicle — shortening the decision-making path and ultimately the time to purchase. These condition reports show specific details that shoppers are looking for, yet, until now, were not available online.
C.A.R.Score reports can assess the condition of all areas of the vehicle including instrument and control panels, interior odors, mirrors, upholstery, even the tire tread depth. Dealer Specialties insisted that other reports only provide a look at a vehicle’s history without providing any actual condition information.
By sharing this type of detail about their vehicles, Dealer Specialties thinks stores can instill a heightened level of buyer confidence.
“Transparency is very important to our dealership. I believe we need to be completely up front with our customers and allow the customer to come to their own conclusions in regards to the vehicles’ condition,” said one beta dealer.
C.A.R.Score offers the only full-service vehicle condition report in the market, according to the company. The reports are facilitated through Dealer Specialties, a Dominion Dealer Solutions company. Dealer Specialties currently serves more than 3,000 rooftops and processes more than 50,000 vehicles on a weekly basis.
Dealer Specialties lot representatives have already developed more than 500 C.A.R.Score reports in beta markets.
“C.A.R.Score reports offer full transparency to the consumer,” said Shane Marcum, vice president of Dealer Specialties, “Photos or other industry reports are insufficient to determine the exact condition and value of the car. Car shoppers do more of their research online and visit fewer dealerships in person. This type of report helps them scrutinize what they really want in a vehicle and maximizes their time spent traveling to dealer lots.”
To validate the initiative with the consumer base, Dealer Specialities surveyed 243 recent car buyers to gauge their reaction to C.A.R.Score. The company reported significant numbers of positive responses.
“I love that it tells you exactly what is wrong, and what is right, with the vehicle you are looking to purchase,” said Ashley from Holden Heights, Fla., a participant in the study. “This is an excellent tool to have because the consumer would be more willing to come and look at, test drive or purchase the vehicle if they know all the info on the car upfront.”
The C.A.R.Score conditioning platform is now available in several major markets and will be available nationwide in the summer.
For more information on C.A.R.Score, or to obtain a sample copy of a C.A.R.Score Report, call (888) 905-9128 or email dealersuccess@drivedominion.com.
Dealership technology providers are continuing to modify their offerings so stores can take advantage of what can be done via Facebook.
This week, Facebook Marketing Partner, Dealers United, announced a move to help dealers list their vehicles in Facebook Marketplace for Autos without monthly fees.
Meanwhile, Carsforsale.com also announced the latest expansion in its growing suite of solutions with a new opportunity for dealers to increase their social reach, influence and sales with Carsforsale.com via an integration with Facebook Marketplace.
This actions came on the heels of AutoManager making a similar announcement.
Through this offer, Dealers United is aiming to provide a “no-catch” Facebook Marketplace solution with the goal to give dealers more exposure through the Facebook platform without requiring any additional product purchases.
Similar to third-party classifieds like Craigslist and eBay, Facebook Marketplace carries for-sale listings for local shoppers, such as real estate, automobile and furniture to help people buy and sell items within their communities.
Since its launch in 2016, Facebook Marketplace has quickly attracted shopper attention, specifically from in-market auto shoppers. A recent status update from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated, “Marketplace is now used by 800 million people — and is emerging as one of the most popular places to buy vehicles online.”
However, in order to post multiple vehicles into Facebook Marketplace automatically, dealers are required to work with one of Facebook’s approved Inventory Partners.
While Facebook doesn’t allow its Marketplace Inventory Partners to charge per post or per lead, Dealers United explained that the site’s help page asks for dealers to “keep in mind that there may be fees to work with our partners.” Commonly, Dealers United said some inventory partners package the listing service with other mandatory monthly fees, product bundles, upsell or commitments.
“We were seeing a lot of unnecessary markups from other vendors in the space,” said Pete Petersen, chief executive officer of Dealers United. “While there are certainly costs associated with syncing inventory feeds to Facebook, we’ve automated the process to give every dealer the chance to post on this powerful platform for free each month. With us, there aren't any recurring fees.”
Dealers United does require a small, one-time activation fee to get started, which covers pulling the inventory feed from the dealership’s website or feed provider and setting up the 24-hour vehicle sync to Facebook’s API.
The feed then runs daily, posting unlimited vehicles with live inventory updating automatically.
“When we first launched the campaign, we had hundreds of dealers calling in saying that it seemed ‘too good to be true,’ or wondering what the catch was,” said Brooke Jensen, chief marketing officer at Dealers United. “There is no catch. Once you pay the activation fee, you’ll have unlimited Marketplace posts.”
The announcement arrives soon after Dealer United’s recent rebrand as “the Facebook and Instagram advertising solution for the auto industry.” Originally focused on bringing digital solutions to dealerships nationwide, Dealers United now is making a bold statement to purely align with Facebook’s mission in automotive.
“Many dealers aren’t yet taking advantage of the power of Facebook,” Petersen said. “We view this as an opportunity to show dealers how Facebook’s platform can increase their exposure and help them drive more sales conversations. Marketplace is a great starting point.”
To learn more about posting into Facebook Marketplace, visit this website.
More details from Carsforsale.com
Leadership at Carsforsale.com explained how it can enable dealerships to list their used-vehicle inventory on Facebook Marketplace, where millions of people are already looking at used vehicles.
“It’s all about relevancy and exposure,” Carsforsale.com chief executive officer Sean Coffman said. “Automotive buying looks different today. Dealers need to be everywhere. We’re always looking for new, innovative and seamless solutions to drive relevant exposure and create new selling opportunities for our dealers.
“What better way to deliver this, than to grow our dealer’s reach and influence on platforms that are already present in auto buyer’s lives like Facebook Marketplace
This new solution leverages Carsforsale.com’s inventory distribution system, inventory analytics and audience insights to select and instantly share top-performing vehicles across the digital realm. Integrating with Facebook Marketplace can help further enhance dealer’s social reach on a platform where communication can begin in real-time.
This is one of many new offerings Carsforsale.com has recently launched and builds upon the success of other social marketing and real-time connection tools.
Powerful tools like Content Manager, Social Inventory, RapidReply Instant Messenger and a Phone Lead Solution can help enable in-the-moment buyer and seller connections and transactions.
This integration can be activated in minutes and builds on other proven social offerings — at no additional charge. This no-fee, seamless integration instantly delivers used vehicle inventory to Facebook Marketplace, along with dozens of vehicle data points and curated images, to build synergy within a Dealer’s social footprint to drive social sales.
Carsforsale.com reaches nearly 10 million monthly shoppers. Powerful dealer solutions like Carsforsale.com Dealer Inventory Pages, Custom Responsive Dealer Websites and Social Inventory drive cross-channel reach.
The Carsforsale.com all-in-one digital marketing solution is $99 a month.
“It’s value we believe in,” Coffman said, “We always keep our dealer’s best interest in mind by offering the best products at the lowest prices in the industry. This integration with Facebook Marketplace provides another step forward to deliver on that commitment to our dealers.”
Carsforsale.com encouraged interested dealers to sign up for service by calling (866) 401-9778 or visiting this website.
Franchised dealerships with Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac stores in their groups now can leverage help from a pair of advertising agencies.
Both Naked Lime and Dominion Dealer Solutions recently announced they have completed all requirements to participate in the digital advertising program under the GM Dealer Digital Solution.
This program allows dealers the opportunity to leverage in-market retail (iMR) funds to reimburse themselves for the cost of their digital advertising services. Managers and dealer principals can refer to the iMR dealer program guidelines located at www.gmlam.com for further information.
Naked Lime and Dominion Dealer Solutions highlighted participants in this digital advertising program can provide advertising solutions that can include:
— Improved efficiency, coordinated spend and strategy across all tiers of advertising
— Streamlined packages each offering full service solutions for sales and fixed ops
— A single, managed monthly fee with cap
— Performance accountability
— Day one go-to-market readiness
— Strategic and tactical advertising coordination with brands and local marketing associations
— Dashboard for visibility into performance
Dealers who have any questions about the benefits of a digital advertising program can contact Naked Lime by calling (855) NKD-LIME or via email at info@nakedlime.com or Dominion Dealer Solutions at (757) 351-7598 or via email at dealersuccess@drivedominion.com.
