College football season is about to begin in earnest this weekend, which wraps into Labor Day. Like a coach, Big Time Advertising founder and CEO Terry MacCauley offered dealerships a pep talk going into this stretch that also includes the close of August.

“Labor Day weekend is here. For decades, it has been promoted as one of the biggest sales weekends in the automotive industry,” MacCauley wrote in an industry message. “Some dealerships will see a surge of buyers ready to take advantage of promotions. Others may notice that customers hesitate, weighed down by back-to-school expenses, election-year uncertainty, or simply choosing to spend the holiday with family instead of shopping for a vehicle.

“This weekend highlights a truth that every dealer already knows,” he continued. “The retail automotive business moves in rhythms. There are times when momentum feels unstoppable, traffic is steady, and the lot buzzes with energy. And then there are the slower stretches, when hesitation replaces urgency and results feel harder to earn. The temptation is to treat these lulls as setbacks. In reality, they are powerful opportunities. A slowdown is not a loss. It is a chance to prepare, invest, and create momentum that pays off long after the quiet season ends.”

MacCauley also cautioned operators about a choice some dealerships make at this point on the calendar.

“Labor Day is often a test of who stays visible. When a weekend or a season feels slow, many dealerships respond by cutting advertising. It may feel like the practical choice, but it nearly guarantees invisibility when customers return to the market,” he wrote.

“Advertising during quiet periods is like planting seeds before winter. The results are not instant, but they are inevitable,” MacCauley continued.

To reinforce his suggestions, MacCauley recapped what one operator did a year ago.

“A dealership in the Midwest faced an unusually soft Labor Day weekend last year. While competitors pulled back on advertising for the rest of September, assuming demand had dried up, this dealer made a different choice. They ran a steady stream of awareness ads on Meta and YouTube Reels, highlighting not only deals but also their community involvement and easy financing options,” MacCauley wrote.

“By October, when customers began returning to the market, the dealership was at the top of their minds. Shoppers often remarked, ‘I kept seeing you everywhere.’ As a result, their October sales outpaced the previous year by double digits, while competing stores in the same market struggled to recover from a weak September,” he continued.

“The lesson was simple. By staying present when others pulled back, the dealership not only protected its brand but expanded it. Consistency turned a soft September into a launchpad for a record-setting October,” MacCauley went on to write.

For more ideas to keep your store in the black and other dealership strategies, visit Big Time Advertising online at https://www.gowithbigtime.com.