Help me answer this question, and I’ll buy you lunch…

Earlier this month, my firm announced it would conduct a survey of franchise dealer advertising. We made our decision after hearing from many dealers that finding value in digital marketing is an increasingly difficult task. Unlike other surveys in the automotive marketing space, we are not looking to determine the best lead provider, the ideal medium mix, or the right time to run television ads. Instead, our approach is more economics-based. We’re looking to understand the ways in which dealers determine how and where to spend their advertising dollars and how this might change in the future.

We hope to reveal where dealers plan to spend their ad bucks in the next two years, as well as the reasons behind their choices. In one of our early findings, we found that many automakers cut back on their advertising spend per vehicle by as much as 20%. Automakers are placing more pressure on dealers to advertise both their dealerships and their franchise’s brand, yet many dealerships have seen their new car profit margins shrink while the probability of decreasing unit sales climbed. Will dealer advertising spend remain at today’s levels?

To help answer these questions and many others, I’m seeking dealers, general managers, and marketing/e-commerce directors, who can help provide simple and top-level insights into their store’s advertising operations. To participate, a dealer must complete a very simple 10-minute online survey.  Participants will receive a $25 American Express gift card (enough for a free lunch) and my firm’s findings on this topic.

If you are interested in participating, please e-mail your name, dealership name, and job title to adsurvey@maryannkeller.com. We will respond within 24 hours.