ADVERTISING CASE STUDY:
BMW Dealer Franchise Stores
About this client.
This family-founded, owned, and operated BMW dealership is dedicated to providing its customers with the ultimate motorsport experience. Their unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction has recently led to the expansion of a second dealership location.
Their family brand for BMW has become one of the largest pre-owned centers in their local designated market area and earned BMW’s highest customer satisfaction ratings.
The local franchise has continued to expand its market footprint by introducing the latest BMW models, adding a MINI franchise, and opening a new location within 20 miles of its founding store. They are on the leading edge of Electric Vehicle Sales and the Hybrid model lifestyle revolution.
The owner honors his father’s commitment to customers and the local community – and views each client as part of their founding family. He likes to say, “We are your BMW center.”
Results
CONSISTENCY OF MESSAGE
CAMPAIGN ATTENTION
6 MILLION
EMAILS SENT
50,000 PER MONTH, EVERY MONTH
FOR 10 YEARS
1.08 MILLION
EMAILS OPENED AND READ
RETURN ON AD SPEND
70 VEHICLE SALE MATCHBACKS
PER MONTH
FROM EMAILS SENT
GROWN OVER TIME
USED TO BE 25
PER MONTH
Services used:
Permission-Based Email Marketing,
Retargeting Display Ads,
Vehicle Sales Email Matchbacks.
Client: BMW Franchise Dealer Stores.
Location: Northeast, United States.
Industry: Automotive.
Time Frame: Annual Campaign.
We want to dominate and own our local franchise market; how do we get there?
Like every dealership, we are looking to gain an edge over our closest local competition. We actively market in all the typical places and channels that our competition uses each month.
But here is where we are different; we look for unconventional places we can dominate with our brand message that our competition for luxury vehicles are not active in.
Execution, stamina and long-term commitment to a solid strategy is key here. If the right vendor has that solution then we are all-in.
We recommended a non-obvious tactical channel that the dealer had to warm up to.
Having purchase intent data is a strong advantage over standard age, income, and education typical demographics. "Auto-Intenders' are ideal for a store to reach in that they are in a buying research process that they are most apt to be influenced with the right messages.
They are in mid-funnel stage and can be nudged over time to the next step.
We were able to isolate these auto intender prospects by geo to the two top counties this dealership identified as their core market.
1
Dealers value most Auto Intenders, those open to influence now.
2
This seems obvious, but it cannot be underestimated: It is the reason this dealership's campaigns work. Many companies are too quick to call off the hunt, which impacts effectiveness over time. Not this dealer; they work it to perfection.
-
On Thursdays at 8 a.m., the third week of every month, we send out 50,000 broadcast emails to luxury auto intenders in two counties in their trade area. It's always the same two counties, always the same count.
-
Each month, they inform this audience of prospects about the new and pre-owned vehicle specials they have for that week. The email always has the same creative brand look, but the vehicles change.
-
This audience, conditioned to see their specials every month, clicks on ads like this one over 1,000 times per month.
-
Each vehicle listed in the email has its own page on their website. Their email effectively turns a stranger into an engaged prospect deep into their site.
Time, frequency, and consistency win the day!
3
Then change the channel and remarket the same audience with display banners.
When people talk about "The Power of Three" in brand positioning, this is the definition.
The same audience already saw the dealer's message and offers in the email blast. Next we remarket to that audience of "Auto Intenders" via display ads, on websites they like and spend time reading content stories.
Not only does it extend the brand voice of the current campaign it drives additional engaged new visitors to their website and more vehicle sales.
So given what you have just read, do you feel that your current marketing team and resources are fully aligned with your business objectives? Where do you see disconnects or areas for improvement?
Results that help the dealership group sell more luxury vehicles.
A ten - year marketing campaign.
1.08 Million
EMAILS OPENED AND READ.
Average open
rate of
18-20%
120,000
clicks
New and Returning visitors to their website.
70 VEHICLE SALE MATCH
BACKS
EVERY MONTH.
Return on ad spend each month. Vehicle sales that were matched back to our email audience.
Low Email Unsubscribe
rate.
An important indicator of both audience appetite for the dealer's message and that time and consistency wins the day, this dealer never misses a month.
Mike, I just saw that report for the dealership campaign, WOW we are killing it!! These results reports are dynamite; thanks for your help!
-Agency Principal
Marketing agency of record for this dealer.
Are your vehicle sales down and your inventory holding costs growing?
We know we can help.
If the next step is a discussion,
then choose your preferred means.