Mainer Ford Amplifys Sales Growth Through Dynamic Search Marketing |
The Challenge
Mainer Ford is family-owned rural auto group with two small-town locations along Route 66. Although well-established the founder retired a few years ago. Management had become complacent, staff turnover was high and the business was struggling.
Ownership brought in fresh management position the dealerships for sale. Traditional sales and advertising resources simply weren't working. Tier 1 and tier 2 Ford marketing was cannibalizing their traffic. New management reached out to our team for help.
Ownership brought in fresh management position the dealerships for sale. Traditional sales and advertising resources simply weren't working. Tier 1 and tier 2 Ford marketing was cannibalizing their traffic. New management reached out to our team for help.
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INDUSTRY: Automotive MARKET: Retail sales NEEDS: Branding and consistent lead generation |
OBJECTIVES
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The Solution
Preliminary research revealed that the Mainer brand was in a woeful state. Approximately 23% of respondents recognized the Mainer name but only 4% could recall that they were an auto dealer. Recognizing the challenges of competing against tier 1 and 2 Ford marketing, the Grey Partners team recommended 1) refreshing the Mainer Ford brand and 2) implementing dynamic search pricing to attract new business from outside Mainers rural location.
Branding
Both physical dealerships were housed in tired buildings in desperate need of a facelift. Logo, marketing and promotional tools lacked distinction and offered consumers no means of differentiating Mainer from competing dealers. With both dealerships located along Route 66, our team leaned into the power of associating with the iconic value of Route 66 to build brand recognition and recall.
Our team worked with management to develop the brand look and feel. They took it from there as they completely remodeled the landmark building taking from an uninspired storefront to a Route 66 icon. Marketing and promotional elements leveraged the new brand elements to unify brand strength.
Both physical dealerships were housed in tired buildings in desperate need of a facelift. Logo, marketing and promotional tools lacked distinction and offered consumers no means of differentiating Mainer from competing dealers. With both dealerships located along Route 66, our team leaned into the power of associating with the iconic value of Route 66 to build brand recognition and recall.
Our team worked with management to develop the brand look and feel. They took it from there as they completely remodeled the landmark building taking from an uninspired storefront to a Route 66 icon. Marketing and promotional elements leveraged the new brand elements to unify brand strength.
Dynamic Pricing
To combat attrition from area competitors and create a consistent flow of new leads, our team analyzed competitor pricing and consumer search patterns for Mainers most profitable line - Ford trucks. We quickly recognized that a large untapped audience existed if we marketed outside the local dealer footprint. And, analysis revealed that competitors were all advertising vehicles for approximately the same price and final discounts. Dynamic pricing isn't new. What made the difference in our approach, was combining dynamic pricing with the power of dynamic search advertising, then offering users greater price discounts based on their search proximity to the dealership. Auto sales is a volume business. Profit increases exponentially with volume. And profit margins on Ford trucks allowed significant room for discounting while still profiting on the sale.
To combat attrition from area competitors and create a consistent flow of new leads, our team analyzed competitor pricing and consumer search patterns for Mainers most profitable line - Ford trucks. We quickly recognized that a large untapped audience existed if we marketed outside the local dealer footprint. And, analysis revealed that competitors were all advertising vehicles for approximately the same price and final discounts. Dynamic pricing isn't new. What made the difference in our approach, was combining dynamic pricing with the power of dynamic search advertising, then offering users greater price discounts based on their search proximity to the dealership. Auto sales is a volume business. Profit increases exponentially with volume. And profit margins on Ford trucks allowed significant room for discounting while still profiting on the sale.
The Results
Results were astounding. The combination of brand building and dynamically integrated search marketing produced immediate sales volume growth. Local audiences were now not only aware of Mainer Ford, they were eager to shop the new showroom. And the dynamic marketing brought in buyers that lived hours away. Many of these buyers passed multiple competitors on their drive and would have never considered buying from Mainer Ford without dynamic marketing.
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36% decrease in cost-per-customer acquisition
398% increase in new vehicle sales inquiries.
14.6% click-thru rate - up from 1.2%
127% increase in local conversions |
212% Sales volume growthover the first 5 months of the campaign. |
"We were stuck with marketing tools that offered no separation. Grey Partners got us back on track. Our staff and customers are excited again."
- Doug Turner, CFO Mainer Ford
Conclusion
Mainer Ford's experience illuminates two critical insights. First, it demonstrates the indispensable role of brand awareness in converting local audiences from mere observers to engaged customers, enthusiastic about exploring what the new showroom has to offer. Secondly, it showcases the magnetic pull of dynamic marketing. This strategy didn't just resonate; it attracted a significantly larger audience that had previously ignored Mainer Ford and drew customers located hours away. These are individuals who, under ordinary circumstances, would have bypassed Mainer Ford in favor of closer competitors. The dynamic marketing strategies implemented not only placed Mainer Ford on their radar but also compellingly positioned the brand as their preferred choice, worth the additional travel.
Mainer Ford's success underscores the necessity of adopting dynamic marketing techniques to grow by transcending traditional constraints and conventional thinking. Having the courage to adopt such strategies can lead to remarkable outcomes, reshape a company's trajectory and set a new standard for competitive excellence.
Mainer Ford's success underscores the necessity of adopting dynamic marketing techniques to grow by transcending traditional constraints and conventional thinking. Having the courage to adopt such strategies can lead to remarkable outcomes, reshape a company's trajectory and set a new standard for competitive excellence.
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Grey Partners
1611 S. Utica Ave., Ste. 508 Tulsa, OK 74104 |
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