How to Build a Better Automotive Marketing Campaign

Auto advertising is unlike any other kind of marketing. Think about this: What other industry in the world that has manufacturers advertising one price but telling you it will vary, dealers advertising another price while expecting you to pay more and consumers responding to advertised prices but expecting to pay less?

The end result is that most consumers feel abused no matter what price they pay, and this marketing strategy fosters mistrust in the brand itself. Recent studies show only 16% of the people who go to a dealership to buy a car actually drive out with one. That means 84% of the consumers who intended to make a purchase walk away.

So, if you want to help an auto brand become more successful, you better look beyond just creating awareness and even shopping intention among your customers.

Consumers shopping for cars have a long list of concerns that are too rarely considered when devising the marketing for those cars. They fear they're making the wrong decision. They fear the car they're considering may not be good enough. They fear their vehicle will end up being worth too little. They fear they're paying too much. They fear their friends will not like their choice. They fear they could do better elsewhere; the list keeps going on and on.

Many blame the dealership experience alone for creating this fear, but many manufacturers and their agencies actually propagate these fears by promoting their franchises with ineffective brand messaging that doesn't do anything to instill consumer confidence.

Below are four pivotal points of improvement that can help agencies and their car clients achieve more-effective car advertising.

1) Find the 'EST' factor.

Locate the most important attribute of the car brand and make that the cornerstone of your marketing campaign. So many marketers treat a car like a diamond that just sits there, reflecting light and looking pretty. A car has to do many things. It has to start. It has to withstand the elements. It has to keep its value. It has to accommodate your entire family. On occasion, it has to go off-road. On top of all that, it has to say something about the driver. Automotive branding must effectively communicate all those attributes. Every automotive brand has a "best at" advantage. You can call it the "EST Factor". You just have to work hard to find it. Is your brand the fastEST, the toughEST, the sturdiEST, the strongEST, the safeEST, the prettiEST or, in the middle of a fuel crisis, the smartEST ?

2) Establish your position.

Find a sound position. Are you strongly aligned with quality like Toyota, or with design like Nissan? Or are you aligned with irrelevance? Let's face it, it's extremely challenging to associate an ownable attribute with any of the domestic brands. The population has shifted and new generations have become disenchanted with the establishment, the ability to build a brand on a patriotic platform alone has become virtually impossible.

3) Drive the manufacturer to the bank.

It's not enough to know how to make a cool new interactive banner. As an agency, you need to understand the goals of the franchise you are representing. It's your responsibility to understand opportunities within the sector, and help your client achieve them. The growing list of car campaigns that have failed are all void of integrating relevant content and meaningful brand perceptions.

For example, it's no wonder recent work for Volkswagen would fail to significantly increase VW's market share. While Crispin's campaigns such as "Pimp My Ride" and "Find Your Fast" were creative and entertaining, they lack the content that would give Volkswagen mass appeal. At the end of the day, the GTI that was positioned as a cool, little niche product still costs $25,000. Before a consumer invests $25,000 in a car, he needs to have his fear eradicated and confidence level boosted. Auto advertising has to advance the brand through aspiration and attributes, or the market share will not advance at all. Manufacturers don't want to fire agencies that understand their brand, and are helping them to grow it.

4) The brand is as strong as its weakest link.

Consistency is key in messaging, but it's something that's rarely there when it comes to automotive advertising. While grocery stores can't tarnish the image of the products they carry, car dealers can in a nanosecond. Rather than being viewed as an independent distributor of the products they carry, dealers are viewed by consumers as an extension of the brand itself. So when the Chevy dealers hold a tent sale, it's the same as the factory holding a tent sale. Too many "events" and your core brand attributes begin to disappear. Every ad, every sales window -- from online to in-store -- and every sales associate represents the brand.