We’re bombarded by advertisements all day, every day. Whether it’s Pepsi or Coca-Cola, McDonalds or Burger King, Geico or Progressive, or any other major player in any industry, they all have something in common. The mention of their name invokes a specific image. It’s their brand.

Branding your individual dealership is something that hasn’t been a priority until recently. As a cog in a franchised machine, it has been typically left up to the manufacturer to do the branding. But business models have changed, and now more than ever, it’s critical to differentiate your store.

You need to answer a question BEFORE your customer asks it: why should they choose your dealership?

Can You Answer Why Customers Should Choose Your Brand?

We aren’t talking about the car brand you sell. What is it about your store that sets you apart from the rest? If you’re a Chevy dealer, why should your customers choose you over the Chevy store ten minutes away?

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE DIFFERENT

It’s an even playing field in so many ways, and most dealerships do the whole process extremely well. How do you set yourself apart by doing things better than the competition? You’ve been told for so long that the customers will come your way if you’re the best at what you do.

You don’t really have to be different - your message has to be.  That’s what branding is all about.

Think about the basis behind branding on a ranch. You look out over a field full of cows. They all look the same at first glance, don’t they? But even though they all have the same basic structure – a hide, hooves, udder, maybe horns – they’ve been physically branded differently to set them apart.

The same goes for your store’s brand. Without being recognizably different in composition, your customers need to know who you are immediately.

AN EXAMPLE FOR YOU…

Is Coca-Cola or Pepsi the best cola on the market? You have your reasons for your answer, but are either of them better than the rest of the competition? Is there a store-brand cola that tastes the same or even better? Is there a ‘boutique’ cola that outshines them all?

What we know is that Coca-Cola and Pepsi both have established their brand in the marketplace. And that’s the point of a brand – to be KNOWN above all the others, even if you aren’t necessarily better.

The Two Major Factors of YOUR Brand

It applies if you’re analyzing your brand or if you are establishing a brand for your dealership. Two important items absolutely must be addressed and checked off if you plan to have an efficient and established brand.

THE MESSAGE MUST BE CONSISTENT

Whatever you choose as your brand, it must permeate every facet of your business. It must be consistent throughout the sales department, the service department, the collision repair shop, and even your detail department.

Choose a message that is simple and effective:

• “Where customers come first”
• “The home of ...”
• “Ordinary people serving you extraordinarily well”

Okay, so those are pretty mundane and horrible. Whatever the message is, make it catchy and memorable. Use your slogan on every ad space you buy and integrate it into your dealership’s culture. It’s your long-term mission, and it’s summed up in a single phrase.  

THE MESSAGE MUST BE TRUE

Your message can’t contradict the customer’s experience. You can’t say you’re the only factory-authorized dealer in your city if it’s not true. You shouldn’t brand yourself as the ‘best’ of anything that can be statistically proven otherwise. And if you claim to excel in a specific area or offer a service that’s unique to your store, you better work hard to make your branding honest.

Your brand needs to be relatable, like “the only purple dealership on the strip” or “home of the free air filter”. And if you can establish your branding as timeless and evergreen, consistently and honestly, it will serve you well and pay you back with interest.