By: Nick Yocono
You may have heard that you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. But that may not be true, at least when it comes to your new car’s engine.
With gas prices continuing to rise, manufacturers have shifted away from the big engines in favor of smaller engines that produce improved mileage. At the same time, consumers don’t want to lose the power they were accustomed to getting from previous models. So, how do manufacturers give consumers the best of both worlds?
Ford has responded to this new demand with “Ecoboost”. These new engines boast the same specs in horsepower and torque as their bigger displacement opponents, but with much improved mileage and emissions. Ford is not the only one doing this either, other companies have also started utilizing this engine setup, under different names, for their new models. So what is the secret?
The answer is quite simple: turbochargers. A Turbocharger uses exhaust gasses to spin its turbine and suck more air into the engine. That, along with more fuel, will create bigger explosions in the cylinder and therefore more power will be generated. A Ford F-150 equipped with an “Ecoboost” engine has a twin-turbocharged V6 instead of the traditional V8. What the turbocharger allows the engine to do is act like a V6 and get mileage similar to one while driving around. Most of the time you don’t need full power from the engine, such as when you’re maintaining your speed or during deceleration. When you actually do need some power, the turbocharger can spool up and provide that extra boost in power to make the engine perform similarly to a V8. This equates to a engine that will get better mileage and perform the same as a bigger, naturally aspirated, competitor.
Engines similar to Ford’s “Ecoboost” are being used in various new cars. Dodge recently released its new Dart, which on certain models, comes equipped with a 1.4L MultiAir Turbo engine option. The Chevrolet Cruze is equipped with a 1.4L Turbo “Ecotec” engine option. Even luxury manufacturer BMW has switched out the inline six in their 3 series base models for 2.0L Turbo engines. These cars all boast similar performance with much improved mileage to their predecessors.
Fuel mileage is the name of the game when it comes to selling cars in today’s market. Each year more and more small engine turbos show up on the market. If you’re in the market for a new vehicle that gets better mileage than the one you drive now, be on the lookout for setups like these.
By: Hayley Berger
When we think of intros we usually think of the song a baseball player walks out to, or a little :10 second clip before a TV show starts, but what about for car dealerships? What can an intro do for your dealership?
People buy cars from friends, not dealerships
You’ve heard this saying before, but think about it. Would you be more comfortable buying an ipod from your friend that works at The Apple Store, or through an online electronics store? Regardless of price, people like buying from someone they can trust. The product is the same, but we want to feel like we are getting taken care of, cared for, and of course “hooked up” with a deal. With any big investment, we want to feel like we’re getting a good deal, and that any future problems will be addressed. So why should our advertising be any different?
Center your advertising around “who” a customer is buying a car from, not about the product. They know your dealership, they know the cars. A car is a need. What a customer wants to know is who they are buying from. Rather than portraying your dealership as a big scary dealership that has no face, personalize your advertisements. All your advertisements, from TV commercials to print ads to internet ads should feature people – your sales staff or General Manager, for example. Have your BDC department send personalized emails with videos talking about why customers should schedule a test drive with them.
Don’t let technology fool you
In this day and age, most people find it much more convenience to send an email or text message rather than pick up the phone and dial. But when it comes to making a decision about buying a car, something that the average consumer researches more than a home loan, face time is essential. It’s crucial to realize how putting your face on digital and traditional advertising brands your dealership and can earn someone’s trust. Make the customer feel like a friend, show them your goofy side, your excitement to give them what they want and make them feel like they know you. It’s amazing to see the difference when someone walks in a dealership and feels like they know they guy in charge. Price no longer matters, they trust you and want to buy from you not another company.
Potratz is a pioneer in advertising strategy and has created countless success stories by personalizing our client’s ad campaigns. Need help with your strategy? Give us a call!
How have your dealership’s sales been this year? If you said “better than expected”, you’re in the same boat as many dealerships in the country.
Industry experts predict that U.S. auto sales per dealership may climb to a record in 2012. Annual sales per dealer will increase to an estimated 805 vehicles from a previous estimate of 785, with an annual sales estimate of 14.3 million vehicles. The previous record was 784 per dealer in 2005.
What is the reason behind the numbers? One is that automakers have kept their networks relatively flat, meaning that existing dealerships have the opportunity to take advantage of increased sales volumes. Dealers are making a profit for the first time in more than three years without having to rely on their service departments to do so.
Another element that’s fueling sales is an increase in pickup truck sales. Experts believe that people who are buying trucks need them, and have put off buying them for a long time.
NADA points to new-vehicle incentives and rebates as well as declining prices on used vehicles as a couple factors that will contribute to this increase as the summer comes to an end. Reports show that August sales thus far matched July’s pace and could go even higher.
To make sure that your dealership is cashing in on the uptick in sales as much as your competition probably is, use your advertising to push not only manufacturer incentives, but also your used car inventory.
Having trouble getting your message out there? Contact us – we know exactly how to get the numbers you’re looking for!
Pinterest has recently captured the attention of the masses, and the social media site is definitely gaining traction; it is now the seventh most popular social network, and keeps growing daily, so it’s vital to think about all that it has to offer in the means of social media. It’s important to consider the marketing potential Pinterest has. A popular image you post (which will link back to your business’s website) could theoretically get repinned on hundreds, or even thousands, of different users’ boards!
Using Pinterest For Your Business?
- Make sure your business makes sense with what Pinterest offers. You might be surprised at how many businesses can benefit from Pinterest.
- Use other social networks like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to direct more users to your Pinterest boards.
- Make sure you use Pinterest to feature all the different things your business can offer users.
- Follow popular names to build more awareness around your company.
- Spend a consistent amount of time on Pinterest so that stronger connections can be built.
- Keep your board clean, don’t pin too many different things onto it. Each board should have a clear theme.
- Users like to see boards that relay a lot of concise information, so promote your product as well as others.
What Not To Do On Pinterest?
- Don’t spam your product out.
- There is such a thing as too much promotion for your product. Keep it regular, but not constant.
- Don’t pin too much onto one board, make separate boards so you can keep them clean and easy to look at.
- Keep in mind Pinterest is all about images, so steer away from pinning too much text.
- Be consistent with the network.
The goal of Pinterest is to focus on consumer goods and products, which makes it an opportune social network for marketers to gain more clients and more attention, so don’t miss out! Not sure how to get started? Contact us now!
The secret to using Facebook to successfully promote your business is simple. Get your fans involved! One easy way to engage your followers is to run a contest. Experts agree contests are one of the best ways to increase fan engagement. The logic behind it is simple; people love free stuff.
There are many types of contests you can run on your Facebook page. One successful type of engagement practice is weekly trivia. Pose a question to your followers. It doesn’t even have to be car related. It’s actually important to occasionally provide content that doesn’t focus on cars so that your followers see you as more than just a dealership. Variety provides personality. The person with the correct answer to your questions receives a prize. As a dealership you can offer various types of redeemable gifts to potential winners, ranging from service offers to brand related merchandise. The benefit of weekly trivia is that your page becomes exposed to more people than just those who currently like your page. Friends of fans are able to see when one of your fans posts on your trivia question. This is true for most posts on your page. With trivia, however, the likelihood of receiving a response is greater.
Another way to increase engagement on your page is by running a promotion or sweepstakes. It is recommended that you provide a larger prize to fans in these promotions because it requires more for them to participate.
There are two different ways you can create a promotion:
- The person entering does simply fills out a short information form to enter and has a chance to win.
- The person entering has to provide some form of additional information in order to enter. There are many different avenues you can take for these promotions. Examples include caption this photo, the photo with the most amount of likes win, and more. Before launching the competition, you’ll need to decide which promotion you’ll run, and then develop a strategy as to how it will work. Next, create a Facebook app for your promotion and launch!
The benefit with the promotion is that not only can it help increase engagement on your page; it can also increase your likes (depending if you set the application up right or not). In a correctly designed app, a person must “Like” your page to be eligible to win.
Facebook engagement is important because social media is important. It’s a huge part of an individual’s life and it is a main avenue to reach potential customers. Additionally, people who win something from a dealership are much more likely to visit them the next time they need their vehicle serviced or are in the market for a new one. Not sure how to increase your Facebook engagement? Contact us now because, we CAN help!
By: Kimberly Roselle
I don’t usually think of myself as a trendsetter, but a recent survey has convinced me otherwise. Recent numbers show that I am part of a growing number of people that no longer subscribe to traditional cable or satellite television. Almost two years ago, I cancelled my cable package and bought a digital TV antenna. Now, instead of having hundreds of stations to choose from, I have the four major networks, PBS, and a few local station. I have never seen Mad Man. Now, according to this survey, I am known as a cord-cutter.
According to an April 2012 report by The Convergence Consulting Group, 2.65 million people left behind their cable subscriptions in favor of alternative methods between the years of 2008 and 2011. This number continues to steadily grow. A Nielsen report shows that 4.5 percent of television-owning homes choose to stream entertainment via Netflix, Hulu, or some other internet service rather than through cable. This is in addition to people who view television entirely through the Internet and don’t own televisions. That same report noted a 22.8 percent increase in cord-cutters over the past year.
As the number of cord-cutters rise and alternative means of television viewing become more popular, the question arises – is your business reaching this growing number of consumers? Digital advertising is more than just Google AdWords. As an advertiser, it is important to know and understand where your audience is interacting with your message. Then, you must make sure you deliver that message consistently and meaningfully to that audience.
Are your commercials on YouTube? Are your commercials being shown when people stream a TV show over a local network’s website? If all of this research seems overwhelming, look to your advertising agency to help guide you in the right direction as these trends change and grow.
“Branding” is a term heard all over the advertising industry, but what does it mean? Simply put, it’s the way you want others to view your dealership. It’s providing potential customers with the understanding of what you represent. Branding is important because it’s an opportunity to provide an image of your dealership; it’s what can help make you recognizable.
This sounds simple enough right? Not exactly. It’s not just enough to come up with an idea of what your brand means, it’s developing a complete campaign that resonates this brand image to viewers throughout everything you do. You must ensure that the image you provide remains a constant through all forms of media – traditional, digital, social, and so on.
Websites, especially social media sites, provide a great opportunity to tell your customers who you are. Provide these details in web panels, status updates, tweets, blogs, etc, keeping in mind that each of these elements should reflect your dealership’s “personality”. You might think that this is distracting from your efforts to sell cars, but in fact this a tried and true way to increase sales. It’s important to showcase more than just current vehicle specials. Show visitors how you helped the local school raise money in a food drive, or how you volunteered at the local humane society. This helps make you more than just another dealership to potential customers, and therefore makes you have a deeming quality that makes you more memorable. Why would you want to be memorable? I think the answer is obvious, don’t you? If you’re memorable, when someone thinks ‘I need to buy a new car’, they’ll think of your dealership, and possibly buy their next vehicle from you. If you don’t stand out, they might not remember you and might not go to your dealership for their next car.
Are you ready to stand out in your local community as more than just a dealership? Contact us now, to get the ball rolling on branding your dealership!
How have your dealership’s sales been this year? If you said “better than expected”, you’re in the same boat as many dealerships in the country.
Industry experts predict that U.S. auto sales per dealership may climb to a record in 2012. Annual sales per dealer will increase to an estimated 805 vehicles from a previous estimate of 785, with an annual sales estimate of 14.3 million vehicles. The previous record was 784 per dealer in 2005.
What is the reason behind the numbers? One is that automakers have kept their networks relatively flat, meaning that existing dealerships have the opportunity to take advantage of increased sales volumes. Dealers are making a profit for the first time in more than three years without having to rely on their service departments to do so.
Another element that’s fueling sales is an increase in pickup truck sales. Experts believe that people who are buying trucks need them, and have put off buying them for a long time.
NADA points to new-vehicle incentives and rebates as well as declining prices on used vehicles as a couple factors that will contribute to this increase as the summer comes to an end. Reports show that August sales thus far matched July’s pace and could go even higher.
To make sure that your dealership is cashing in on the uptick in sales as much as your competition probably is, use your advertising to push not only manufacturer incentives, but also your used car inventory.
Having trouble getting your message out there? Contact us – we know exactly how to get the numbers you’re looking for!
By: Hayley Berger
When we think of intros we usually think of the song a baseball player walks out to, or a little :10 second clip before a TV show starts, but what about for car dealerships? What can an intro do for your dealership?
People buy cars from friends, not dealerships
You’ve heard this saying before, but think about it. Would you be more comfortable buying an ipod from your friend that works at The Apple Store, or through an online electronics store? Regardless of price, people like buying from someone they can trust. The product is the same, but we want to feel like we are getting taken care of, cared for, and of course “hooked up” with a deal. With any big investment, we want to feel like we’re getting a good deal, and that any future problems will be addressed. So why should our advertising be any different?
Center your advertising around “who” a customer is buying a car from, not about the product. They know your dealership, they know the cars. A car is a need. What a customer wants to know is who they are buying from. Rather than portraying your dealership as a big scary dealership that has no face, personalize your advertisements. All your advertisements, from TV commercials to print ads to internet ads should feature people – your sales staff or General Manager, for example. Have your BDC department send personalized emails with videos talking about why customers should schedule a test drive with them.
Don’t let technology fool you
In this day and age, most people find it much more convenience to send an email or text message rather than pick up the phone and dial. But when it comes to making a decision about buying a car, something that the average consumer researches more than a home loan, face time is essential. It’s crucial to realize how putting your face on digital and traditional advertising brands your dealership and can earn someone’s trust. Make the customer feel like a friend, show them your goofy side, your excitement to give them what they want and make them feel like they know you. It’s amazing to see the difference when someone walks in a dealership and feels like they know they guy in charge. Price no longer matters, they trust you and want to buy from you not another company.
Potratz is a pioneer in advertising strategy and has created countless success stories by personalizing our client’s ad campaigns. Need help with your strategy? Give us a call!
By: Nick Yocono
You may have heard that you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. But that may not be true, at least when it comes to your new car’s engine.
With gas prices continuing to rise, manufacturers have shifted away from the big engines in favor of smaller engines that produce improved mileage. At the same time, consumers don’t want to lose the power they were accustomed to getting from previous models. So, how do manufacturers give consumers the best of both worlds?
Ford has responded to this new demand with “Ecoboost”. These new engines boast the same specs in horsepower and torque as their bigger displacement opponents, but with much improved mileage and emissions. Ford is not the only one doing this either, other companies have also started utilizing this engine setup, under different names, for their new models. So what is the secret?
The answer is quite simple: turbochargers. A Turbocharger uses exhaust gasses to spin its turbine and suck more air into the engine. That, along with more fuel, will create bigger explosions in the cylinder and therefore more power will be generated. A Ford F-150 equipped with an “Ecoboost” engine has a twin-turbocharged V6 instead of the traditional V8. What the turbocharger allows the engine to do is act like a V6 and get mileage similar to one while driving around. Most of the time you don’t need full power from the engine, such as when you’re maintaining your speed or during deceleration. When you actually do need some power, the turbocharger can spool up and provide that extra boost in power to make the engine perform similarly to a V8. This equates to a engine that will get better mileage and perform the same as a bigger, naturally aspirated, competitor.
Engines similar to Ford’s “Ecoboost” are being used in various new cars. Dodge recently released its new Dart, which on certain models, comes equipped with a 1.4L MultiAir Turbo engine option. The Chevrolet Cruze is equipped with a 1.4L Turbo “Ecotec” engine option. Even luxury manufacturer BMW has switched out the inline six in their 3 series base models for 2.0L Turbo engines. These cars all boast similar performance with much improved mileage to their predecessors.
Fuel mileage is the name of the game when it comes to selling cars in today’s market. Each year more and more small engine turbos show up on the market. If you’re in the market for a new vehicle that gets better mileage than the one you drive now, be on the lookout for setups like these.
