How to Provide the Most Positive Digital Showroom Experience

Car buyers are spending more time online shopping for a car than ever before! According to a Polk Study, internet usage has increased significantly, with ¾ of buyers indicating they used the Internet in their car-shopping process--up from 71% in 2011.

Since your shoppers are spending more time online, why are you alienating them on your digital showroom with confusing banner ads, dreadful vehicle walk-arounds, and lousy emails?

You only have seconds, literally a blink of an eye, to impress your shoppers once they hit your site or check their email! That’s why we created this eBook, Auto Dealers Say the Darndest Things, to serve as a quick guide to  creating an always positive digital showroom experience.

You’ll learn valuable tips such as:

• How to film a proper video walk-around

• What makes your banner ads confusing

• How to create the perfect email headline

• and much, much more!

Don’t hesitate to download your COMPLIMENTARY eBook today and save yourself from saying the darndest things!

How to Provide the Most Positive Digital Showroom Experience

Car buyers are spending more time online shopping for a car than ever before! According to a Polk Study, internet usage has increased significantly, with ¾ of buyers indicating they used the Internet in their car-shopping process--up from 71% in 2011.

Since your shoppers are spending more time online, why are you alienating them on your digital showroom with confusing banner ads, dreadful vehicle walk-arounds, and lousy emails?

You only have seconds, literally a blink of an eye, to impress your shoppers once they hit your site or check their email! That’s why we created this eBook, Auto Dealers Say the Darndest Things, to serve as a quick guide to  creating an always positive digital showroom experience.

You’ll learn valuable tips such as:

• How to film a proper video walk-around

• What makes your banner ads confusing

• How to create the perfect email headline

• and much, much more!

Don’t hesitate to download your COMPLIMENTARY eBook today and save yourself from saying the darndest things!

ActivEngage, the most trusted brand in automotive live chat brings the top ten blogs and news stories right to you! We monitor industry trends, current events, and the auto dealer community every week to bring you the top ten blogs and stories from around the globe. In this weekly edition -- Shark Week, Ford CEO, and consumer science.

10. Shark Week’s Guerilla Marketing

It happens every year during August, no I’m not talking about back to school shopping. I’m talking about Shark Week!

9. Don’t Like Political Rumors in Thailand or You’ll Go to Jail!

The Washington Post reports that Thai police are investigating four people, including a public TV channel journalist, for “causing panic” by posting Facebook updates suggesting that people in capital city Bangkok should prepare for a military coup.

8. This Ad Exec Quit His Job in Disgust Over Oreo’s Super Bowl Tweet

All 13 Ad executives involved in the Oreo tweet won a Clio award for that tweet. That’s when Andre Teman, a VP of social media/digital strategy and then a VP of experience planning at Hill Holliday, tweeted that if Oreo's simple tweet won, he was quitting.

7. Customer Satisfaction is Dead.

Another word for satisfaction is: mediocre. How would you like to win an award for mediocrity? "We are the highest rated mediocre company in the universe!" What a joke - and not a funny one.

6. Customer Science in Motor Retail: 5 Actionable Insights that Every Dealer Should Have

This series of keynote articles explores how the coming together of mobile computing, innovations in customer science and advances in big data analysis are creating the perfect storm for marketers in motor retail.

5. The Discovery Channel is Really Upset about that Dead Shark on a NY Subway

When a dead shark was discovered in a New York City subway train Wednesday, some were quick to cry "marketing stunt."

4. Ford CEO Alan Mulally Explains Why Chinese Communism is ‘Fantastic’

In a Q&A with Keith Naughton and Craig Trudell for Bloomberg Businessweek's interview issue, Mulally is effusive in his praise for the party and the government in China, where Ford's sales are up massively.

3. Automakers Refuse to Give Up on Millennials Who Don’t Buy

Young people are buying cars at a slower rate than their parents, restrained by mounting student loan debt, the rising cost of driving and an increasing reliance on biking and public transportation.

2. Store’s Sales Pitch: ‘We Speak your Language’

The dealership group’s employees should reflect their communities.

1.Why Did the Chicken Cross the Kitchen?

You’ll have to watch this video to find out! TGIF!

_

Did we miss anything important? Like our top ten blogs this week? Leave us a comment below! Or if you really can’t wait for your automotive fix, follow @activengage and @kettyc on Twitter for daily updates on auto industry news!

ActivEngage, the most trusted brand in automotive live chat brings the top ten blogs and news stories right to you! We monitor industry trends, current events, and the auto dealer community every week to bring you the top ten blogs and stories from around the globe. In this weekly edition -- Shark Week, Ford CEO, and consumer science.

10. Shark Week’s Guerilla Marketing

It happens every year during August, no I’m not talking about back to school shopping. I’m talking about Shark Week!

9. Don’t Like Political Rumors in Thailand or You’ll Go to Jail!

The Washington Post reports that Thai police are investigating four people, including a public TV channel journalist, for “causing panic” by posting Facebook updates suggesting that people in capital city Bangkok should prepare for a military coup.

8. This Ad Exec Quit His Job in Disgust Over Oreo’s Super Bowl Tweet

All 13 Ad executives involved in the Oreo tweet won a Clio award for that tweet. That’s when Andre Teman, a VP of social media/digital strategy and then a VP of experience planning at Hill Holliday, tweeted that if Oreo's simple tweet won, he was quitting.

7. Customer Satisfaction is Dead.

Another word for satisfaction is: mediocre. How would you like to win an award for mediocrity? "We are the highest rated mediocre company in the universe!" What a joke - and not a funny one.

6. Customer Science in Motor Retail: 5 Actionable Insights that Every Dealer Should Have

This series of keynote articles explores how the coming together of mobile computing, innovations in customer science and advances in big data analysis are creating the perfect storm for marketers in motor retail.

5. The Discovery Channel is Really Upset about that Dead Shark on a NY Subway

When a dead shark was discovered in a New York City subway train Wednesday, some were quick to cry "marketing stunt."

4. Ford CEO Alan Mulally Explains Why Chinese Communism is ‘Fantastic’

In a Q&A with Keith Naughton and Craig Trudell for Bloomberg Businessweek's interview issue, Mulally is effusive in his praise for the party and the government in China, where Ford's sales are up massively.

3. Automakers Refuse to Give Up on Millennials Who Don’t Buy

Young people are buying cars at a slower rate than their parents, restrained by mounting student loan debt, the rising cost of driving and an increasing reliance on biking and public transportation.

2. Store’s Sales Pitch: ‘We Speak your Language’

The dealership group’s employees should reflect their communities.

1.Why Did the Chicken Cross the Kitchen?

You’ll have to watch this video to find out! TGIF!

_

Did we miss anything important? Like our top ten blogs this week? Leave us a comment below! Or if you really can’t wait for your automotive fix, follow @activengage and @kettyc on Twitter for daily updates on auto industry news!

It happens every year during August, no I’m not talking about back to school shopping. I’m talking about Shark Week! First conceived in 1987, this has been cable’s longest-running promotion and spurred comedic parodies of the like. While other networks have tried to replicate the success of Shark Week, none have been able to build the same buzz.

It’s hard to pinpoint on why sharks capture people’s fascination, but it might be because sharks inspire the right mix of awe and fear. The shark can been seen as a cultural metaphor for our fears and anxiety about what lurks below the dark surface of the ocean. Since 2003, Shark Week has consistently attracted more than 20 million viewers. This begs the question, how does the Discovery Channel do it?

Guerrilla Marketing (an unconventional way of performing marketing activities).

1. Get Visual

To promote Shark Week last year, Discovery Channel dressed isn’t entire Maryland headquarters as a shark. It doesn’t stop there either. In the past they have left shark bitten surfboards across Australia's most popular beaches.

2. Go Social

 

This year Discovery kicked off its Shark Week with its Snuffy the Seal campaign. This spot features Snuffy being released into the water in front of onlookers, only to be eaten by a shark. Snuffy became a trending topic on Twitter minutes after the spot aired. Since then, the video has been watched online more than 5 million times!

 

3. Go Where Your Customers Are

Shark Week draws a younger audience for the Discovery Channel than its normal programming. So it’s no wonder why the partnered with Coldstone Creamery for a themed ice cream sundae and cake (by the way I had this sundae and it was delicious) and with Toms Shoes for a limited-edition Shark Week Inspired Shoe.  In addition, this will be the second year in a row that Volkswagen will return as the presenting sponsor of Shark Week.

 

4. Do Something Unexpected

The VW Beetle Shark Cage was made into a convertible for this year’s Shark Week. If you remember last year this Beetle had a roof, so VW is definitely upping the ante so to speak. In addition to this “car” VW will also create a better social and mobile experience through theSubaquatic Road Trip, which will give viewers a 360-degree underwater look at what is surrounding the shark cage.

 

So you’re probably thinking to yourself, well damn Ketty, I don’t have the budget to do all those things! I say, you don’t have need a Megalodon sized budget to do this sort of marketing.

 

A dealership that does guerrilla marketing tactics very well is Subaru of Wichita in part of their Social Media Manager Aaron Wirtz. From creating animated gifs to being really active on Instagram, this dealership is really creative with their marketing. They sponsor local charities which gives them visibility, they understand social media is a form of communication and where customers are, and they thought outside the box by creating animated gifs that are fun and easy to share.

The next time you’re watching Shark Week, just think to yourself, how can I take a bite out of my next marketing campaign?

It happens every year during August, no I’m not talking about back to school shopping. I’m talking about Shark Week! First conceived in 1987, this has been cable’s longest-running promotion and spurred comedic parodies of the like. While other networks have tried to replicate the success of Shark Week, none have been able to build the same buzz.

It’s hard to pinpoint on why sharks capture people’s fascination, but it might be because sharks inspire the right mix of awe and fear. The shark can been seen as a cultural metaphor for our fears and anxiety about what lurks below the dark surface of the ocean. Since 2003, Shark Week has consistently attracted more than 20 million viewers. This begs the question, how does the Discovery Channel do it?

Guerrilla Marketing (an unconventional way of performing marketing activities).

1. Get Visual

To promote Shark Week last year, Discovery Channel dressed isn’t entire Maryland headquarters as a shark. It doesn’t stop there either. In the past they have left shark bitten surfboards across Australia's most popular beaches.

2. Go Social

 

This year Discovery kicked off its Shark Week with its Snuffy the Seal campaign. This spot features Snuffy being released into the water in front of onlookers, only to be eaten by a shark. Snuffy became a trending topic on Twitter minutes after the spot aired. Since then, the video has been watched online more than 5 million times!

 

3. Go Where Your Customers Are

Shark Week draws a younger audience for the Discovery Channel than its normal programming. So it’s no wonder why the partnered with Coldstone Creamery for a themed ice cream sundae and cake (by the way I had this sundae and it was delicious) and with Toms Shoes for a limited-edition Shark Week Inspired Shoe.  In addition, this will be the second year in a row that Volkswagen will return as the presenting sponsor of Shark Week.

 

4. Do Something Unexpected

The VW Beetle Shark Cage was made into a convertible for this year’s Shark Week. If you remember last year this Beetle had a roof, so VW is definitely upping the ante so to speak. In addition to this “car” VW will also create a better social and mobile experience through theSubaquatic Road Trip, which will give viewers a 360-degree underwater look at what is surrounding the shark cage.

 

So you’re probably thinking to yourself, well damn Ketty, I don’t have the budget to do all those things! I say, you don’t have need a Megalodon sized budget to do this sort of marketing.

 

A dealership that does guerrilla marketing tactics very well is Subaru of Wichita in part of their Social Media Manager Aaron Wirtz. From creating animated gifs to being really active on Instagram, this dealership is really creative with their marketing. They sponsor local charities which gives them visibility, they understand social media is a form of communication and where customers are, and they thought outside the box by creating animated gifs that are fun and easy to share.

The next time you’re watching Shark Week, just think to yourself, how can I take a bite out of my next marketing campaign?

ActivEngage, the most trusted brand in automotive live chat brings the top ten blogs and news stories right to you! We monitor industry trends, current events, and the auto dealer community every week to bring you the top ten blogs and stories from around the globe. In this weekly edition-- Sharknado, Gmail, and a royal baby.

10. Royal Baby Named George Alexander Louis

The royal baby is named for his great-great-grandfather George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth II. Louis comes from Prince Philip's uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten, who also was close to grandfather Prince Charles.

9. The Five Things We Can Learn From Sharknado

According to The Independent, Sharknado saw 5,000 tweets per minute with 318,232 tweets by over 100,000 tweeters; and that’s just while it aired. There are now over 14 million results on Google for Sharknado. Celebrities were joining in and people who would’ve ignored this cut-rate gorefest were clamoring for a rerun.

8. Did Google Just Hide Your Dealership’s Emails?

As you may or may not know, Google introduced a new feature to their web-based Gmail interface. Tabs.

7. Are You Professional?

You want to build rapport with me? Take your tie off roll up your sleeves and show me your forearm tattoos that the GM has asked you to hide all these years.

6. Mapping Your Customers

Maps are a fantastic tool in customer science and these days they’re very accessible to all sizes of dealership.  Maps are useful because they provide ANOTHER perspective on the customer relationship.  It’s quite remarkable what new actionable insights are derived by looking at map data and this article examines some of the ways dealers can put maps to work.

5. Impala Tops Sedans in Consumer Reports

The first American sedan in 20 years to earn Consumer Reports' top score is the Chevrolet Impala.

4. Lincoln Memorial Vandalized

According to NBC Washington, green paint was splattered inside the chamber of the memorial, on Lincoln and on the floor around it.

3. Spain Train Crash Kills at least 80

A train derailed in Northwest Spain on Wednesday, killing at least 80 people and injured over 100 more. The crash was said to be one of Europe's worst train accidents.

2. 20 Ridiculous Questions Regular People Ask Google

When we have questions — from daily curiosities to deepest doubts — Google has answers.

1. TGIF: Funny Facts about the Owl

Through brilliant and insightful narration, we learn a couple of things about the owl.

_

Did we miss anything important? Like our top ten blogs this week? Leave us a comment below! Or if you really can’t wait for your automotive fix, follow @activengage on Twitter for daily updates on auto industry news!

ActivEngage, the most trusted brand in automotive live chat brings the top ten blogs and news stories right to you! We monitor industry trends, current events, and the auto dealer community every week to bring you the top ten blogs and stories from around the globe. In this weekly edition-- Sharknado, Gmail, and a royal baby.

10. Royal Baby Named George Alexander Louis

The royal baby is named for his great-great-grandfather George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth II. Louis comes from Prince Philip's uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten, who also was close to grandfather Prince Charles.

9. The Five Things We Can Learn From Sharknado

According to The Independent, Sharknado saw 5,000 tweets per minute with 318,232 tweets by over 100,000 tweeters; and that’s just while it aired. There are now over 14 million results on Google for Sharknado. Celebrities were joining in and people who would’ve ignored this cut-rate gorefest were clamoring for a rerun.

8. Did Google Just Hide Your Dealership’s Emails?

As you may or may not know, Google introduced a new feature to their web-based Gmail interface. Tabs.

7. Are You Professional?

You want to build rapport with me? Take your tie off roll up your sleeves and show me your forearm tattoos that the GM has asked you to hide all these years.

6. Mapping Your Customers

Maps are a fantastic tool in customer science and these days they’re very accessible to all sizes of dealership.  Maps are useful because they provide ANOTHER perspective on the customer relationship.  It’s quite remarkable what new actionable insights are derived by looking at map data and this article examines some of the ways dealers can put maps to work.

5. Impala Tops Sedans in Consumer Reports

The first American sedan in 20 years to earn Consumer Reports' top score is the Chevrolet Impala.

4. Lincoln Memorial Vandalized

According to NBC Washington, green paint was splattered inside the chamber of the memorial, on Lincoln and on the floor around it.

3. Spain Train Crash Kills at least 80

A train derailed in Northwest Spain on Wednesday, killing at least 80 people and injured over 100 more. The crash was said to be one of Europe's worst train accidents.

2. 20 Ridiculous Questions Regular People Ask Google

When we have questions — from daily curiosities to deepest doubts — Google has answers.

1. TGIF: Funny Facts about the Owl

Through brilliant and insightful narration, we learn a couple of things about the owl.

_

Did we miss anything important? Like our top ten blogs this week? Leave us a comment below! Or if you really can’t wait for your automotive fix, follow @activengage on Twitter for daily updates on auto industry news!

I’ve written many blogs on the topic of mobile friendly websites, emails, and all around marketing, yet I’ve noticed that most dealerships are not mobile ready. Smartphone usage has surged past 50% while Tablet ownership hit 25% just in the past year. This trend is not slowing down anytime soon either, it’s quickly accelerating.

Customers can access your website from anywhere—they might visit at home, at work, at a store, or anywhere in between. Knowing your audience is crucial and to help determine the best strategy for your dealership, I’ve created this eBook.

You’ll learn:

• How to properly set up a website tt-friendly

• The best methods for sending emails to mobile and tablet users

• And much more!

  Don't get left behind! Make your digital showroom standout on the mobile screen! Download your complimentary eBook now!   

---

For more automotive industry updates and live chat tips, follow @activengage on Twitter! 

I’ve written many blogs on the topic of mobile friendly websites, emails, and all around marketing, yet I’ve noticed that most dealerships are not mobile ready. Smartphone usage has surged past 50% while Tablet ownership hit 25% just in the past year. This trend is not slowing down anytime soon either, it’s quickly accelerating.

Customers can access your website from anywhere—they might visit at home, at work, at a store, or anywhere in between. Knowing your audience is crucial and to help determine the best strategy for your dealership, I’ve created this eBook.

You’ll learn:

• How to properly set up a website tt-friendly

• The best methods for sending emails to mobile and tablet users

• And much more!

  Don't get left behind! Make your digital showroom standout on the mobile screen! Download your complimentary eBook now!   

---

For more automotive industry updates and live chat tips, follow @activengage on Twitter!