As marketers we believe that most consumers feel personally connected to their favorite brands even amid a scandal or PR disaster (ex Chick-Fil-A’s scandal last year), but now there is new research to prove this.

Angela Y. Lee, a professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management, Monika Lisjak, a doctoral candidate at the Kellogg School, and Wendi L. Gardner, an associate professor of psychology at Northwestern University, examined the relationships people have with brands in a series of experiments.

"If you believe that a brand is part of you, and you read something negative about it, how are you going to react?" asked Lee. "Are you going to stop using it? Or do you use it even more? A brand is very intangible — in a way, the brand goes even beyond the product itself or the actual object. So from a psychological perspective, it's interesting to consider the dynamic relationship between a consumer and the brands that they consume.”

The study found that consumers are willing to sacrifice time, money, energy, and reputation to maintain attachment to their favorite brand. They basically see themselves as an extension of the brand and the stronger the attachment the more willing they are to sacrifice in order to maintain connected to that brand.

So how can you develop an authentic brand for your dealership?

1. Determine your vision and purpose
2. Determine your target market
3. Determine who your competition is
4. Remember the 3 C’s for branding: Clarity, Consistency, and Constancy
   1. Make sure your brand’s message is clear, consistent on all fronts, and making sure this message becomes ubiquitous with your brand.
5. Ask your customers to describe your brand in one word
   1. Ask this after they purchase a vehicle or after a service on their vehicle is complete
6. Understand your value
   1. What can you offer your customers?
7. Define your position strategy

As marketers we believe that most consumers feel personally connected to their favorite brands even amid a scandal or PR disaster (ex Chick-Fil-A’s scandal last year), but now there is new research to prove this.

Angela Y. Lee, a professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management, Monika Lisjak, a doctoral candidate at the Kellogg School, and Wendi L. Gardner, an associate professor of psychology at Northwestern University, examined the relationships people have with brands in a series of experiments.

"If you believe that a brand is part of you, and you read something negative about it, how are you going to react?" asked Lee. "Are you going to stop using it? Or do you use it even more? A brand is very intangible — in a way, the brand goes even beyond the product itself or the actual object. So from a psychological perspective, it's interesting to consider the dynamic relationship between a consumer and the brands that they consume.”

The study found that consumers are willing to sacrifice time, money, energy, and reputation to maintain attachment to their favorite brand. They basically see themselves as an extension of the brand and the stronger the attachment the more willing they are to sacrifice in order to maintain connected to that brand.

So how can you develop an authentic brand for your dealership?

1. Determine your vision and purpose
2. Determine your target market
3. Determine who your competition is
4. Remember the 3 C’s for branding: Clarity, Consistency, and Constancy
   1. Make sure your brand’s message is clear, consistent on all fronts, and making sure this message becomes ubiquitous with your brand.
5. Ask your customers to describe your brand in one word
   1. Ask this after they purchase a vehicle or after a service on their vehicle is complete
6. Understand your value
   1. What can you offer your customers?
7. Define your position strategy

At the 2013 New Media Expo in Las Vegas, Scott Monty shared Ford’s storytelling lessons. From Ford’s ups and downs Monty has solid advice, so I will get straight into them:

• Let fans tell your story. Ford initially created a website called “The Ford Story” to help communicate with the public during the auto bailout crisis and to help share the story of the brand. Gradually the site became more and more focused on customer stories until it was rebranded from The Ford Story to FordSocial in 2011. “If you have a good product, let go of your fear and let others tell your story,” he said. And if you don’t have the kind of product that compels fans to talk about you, then maybe you need to address that issue before you turn your focus to social media, he suggested.
• Rethink how you share news. When Ford decided to launch a revised Ford Explorer in 2011, the company decided not to go the traditional route of unveiling the model at a trade show. Instead, Ford launched the model in several U.S. cities and online with the help of its fans, allowing the brand to “own the day,” free of competing auto launches. Influential fans were engaged months before the big day and given special access, resulting in an avalanche of coverage. “When you treat amateurs like pros, they tend to act like pros,” Monty said.
• Share content everywhere you can. Ford created a Web series, “Escape My Life,” to help promote its Escape line, but it didn’t confine the content to YouTube. The company put the videos on Hulu and produced tie-in content on other platforms to help the series reach a wider audience. “Embrace the platforms your audience is using, not the ones you’re comfortable with,” he said.
• Be willing to experiment and learn from mistakes. Ford doesn’t have a perfect social media track record. Monty noted that Ford’s recent major campaign, “Random Acts of Fusion,” failed to generate mass awareness, despite having star power from the likes of Ryan Seacrest and Joel McHale. Monty says the experience reminded him of the importance of keeping campaigns simple and giving fans a venue for being part of something larger than themselves.

Hopefully you can implement some of these strategies at your dealership. If you have any other storytelling advice please feel free to share them in the comment section below!

At the 2013 New Media Expo in Las Vegas, Scott Monty shared Ford’s storytelling lessons. From Ford’s ups and downs Monty has solid advice, so I will get straight into them:

• Let fans tell your story. Ford initially created a website called “The Ford Story” to help communicate with the public during the auto bailout crisis and to help share the story of the brand. Gradually the site became more and more focused on customer stories until it was rebranded from The Ford Story to FordSocial in 2011. “If you have a good product, let go of your fear and let others tell your story,” he said. And if you don’t have the kind of product that compels fans to talk about you, then maybe you need to address that issue before you turn your focus to social media, he suggested.
• Rethink how you share news. When Ford decided to launch a revised Ford Explorer in 2011, the company decided not to go the traditional route of unveiling the model at a trade show. Instead, Ford launched the model in several U.S. cities and online with the help of its fans, allowing the brand to “own the day,” free of competing auto launches. Influential fans were engaged months before the big day and given special access, resulting in an avalanche of coverage. “When you treat amateurs like pros, they tend to act like pros,” Monty said.
• Share content everywhere you can. Ford created a Web series, “Escape My Life,” to help promote its Escape line, but it didn’t confine the content to YouTube. The company put the videos on Hulu and produced tie-in content on other platforms to help the series reach a wider audience. “Embrace the platforms your audience is using, not the ones you’re comfortable with,” he said.
• Be willing to experiment and learn from mistakes. Ford doesn’t have a perfect social media track record. Monty noted that Ford’s recent major campaign, “Random Acts of Fusion,” failed to generate mass awareness, despite having star power from the likes of Ryan Seacrest and Joel McHale. Monty says the experience reminded him of the importance of keeping campaigns simple and giving fans a venue for being part of something larger than themselves.

Hopefully you can implement some of these strategies at your dealership. If you have any other storytelling advice please feel free to share them in the comment section below!

My mother often tells me that you can trust no one, “You can’t even trust your right hand, because that one can chop your left hand off.” Thanks for the gruesome metaphoric advice, Mom. However, when it comes to advertising, it rings pretty true. Market research firm Lab42 just released a study that revealed that 76% of its respondents think advertisements contain exaggerated claims, and a mere 3% think ads are "very accurate."

According to Lab42's survey of 500 respondents, while 38% wish for more accuracy in advertising, only 17% would like to see more laws in the United States that regulate advertising. In the U.S., advertising is seen as free speech, but that's not the case in other countries such as the UK, where ads are routinely banned for being misleading or exaggerated.
A few years ago, Seth Godin wrote a book titled All Marketers Are Liars. His point? Marketers are storytellers, and over the years their stories have become unbelievable, very predictable, and no longer relevant.

How many times have you heard the vapid pitches "we care about you," "personal service," "ours is better," "lowest prices," or "100% guaranteed?" How many times have marketers claimed that their brand is "sportier," "sexier," "pure," "natural," "great tasting," or "good for you?"

Marketers used to use hype and exaggeration to get noticed and people would simply accept it. Not anymore. Today, if you want consumers to pay attention, you had better be truthful. And if you want them to fondly remember your brand, you'd better be emotional.
How do you become more truthful in your branding?

1. Take a step back and analyze your brand from an outsiders perspective

2. Take a look at your competitor

How are you the same? How are you different?
3. Identify your driving force

Which attributes do you need to do well just to be considered?

4. Get intimate with your customer

What interests them, makes them happy, and can improve their quality of life?

What do you think of these steps? Do you have any advice on telling a truthful brand story, if so, comment below!

My mother often tells me that you can trust no one, “You can’t even trust your right hand, because that one can chop your left hand off.” Thanks for the gruesome metaphoric advice, Mom. However, when it comes to advertising, it rings pretty true. Market research firm Lab42 just released a study that revealed that 76% of its respondents think advertisements contain exaggerated claims, and a mere 3% think ads are "very accurate."

According to Lab42's survey of 500 respondents, while 38% wish for more accuracy in advertising, only 17% would like to see more laws in the United States that regulate advertising. In the U.S., advertising is seen as free speech, but that's not the case in other countries such as the UK, where ads are routinely banned for being misleading or exaggerated.
A few years ago, Seth Godin wrote a book titled All Marketers Are Liars. His point? Marketers are storytellers, and over the years their stories have become unbelievable, very predictable, and no longer relevant.

How many times have you heard the vapid pitches "we care about you," "personal service," "ours is better," "lowest prices," or "100% guaranteed?" How many times have marketers claimed that their brand is "sportier," "sexier," "pure," "natural," "great tasting," or "good for you?"

Marketers used to use hype and exaggeration to get noticed and people would simply accept it. Not anymore. Today, if you want consumers to pay attention, you had better be truthful. And if you want them to fondly remember your brand, you'd better be emotional.
How do you become more truthful in your branding?

1. Take a step back and analyze your brand from an outsiders perspective

2. Take a look at your competitor

How are you the same? How are you different?
3. Identify your driving force

Which attributes do you need to do well just to be considered?

4. Get intimate with your customer

What interests them, makes them happy, and can improve their quality of life?

What do you think of these steps? Do you have any advice on telling a truthful brand story, if so, comment below!

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I feel that being imitated means the imitator lacks the creativity to come up with ideas on their own.

Virtual Sales Associates (VSA’s) has become a popular title in the chat industry lately. ActivEngage coined this term in 2007 and now other chat providers are using that same terminology to describe their chatting staff.

That’s okay though, because there’s something that ActivEngage’s Virtual Sales Associates have that no other chat provider can match - passion. Passion for the car industry, passion for the art of conversation, passion for creating that very special connection with YOUR customer. Passion that cannot be imitated no matter how hard others try.

Passion cannot be Imitated.
As many of you know, I was a VSA for six months before moving into our marketing department. I came here knowing not a single thing about cars, the automotive industry, or car lingo. I was hesitant in my first chat because everything was new to me. However, with training, encouragement, and a wonderful team structure that provided ongoing support, I made it through and I shined. I shined through the busiest chatting month of the year - December. In a single day, I took 70+ chats. I didn’t miss a detail and it was invigorating! During those days, I received recognition for taking on so many chats and having over 80% of my chats converting to leads for our dealers, over 75% phone numbers acquired, and over 10% appointments set. Passion.

Every Chat, Every Word, Every Time!
The environment I was in created passion. Our Virtual Sales Associates have a motto, Every Chat, Every Word...Every Time. It’s painted on a bright orange wall, to remind each and every VSA what we do and the passion with which we do it.

Although others are naming their chat staff VSA’s, we know who the real VSA’s are and you will too when you read our chats.

I’ll leave you all with a video to let this sink in just a little bit more:
Watch as our Virtual Sales Director, Carol Marshall, describe our Virtual Sales Associates, the training they receive, and what they provide YOUR dealership. No other chat provider does what our VSA’s can do.

What is your dealership passionate about? Let us know in the comments section below!

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I feel that being imitated means the imitator lacks the creativity to come up with ideas on their own.

Virtual Sales Associates (VSA’s) has become a popular title in the chat industry lately. ActivEngage coined this term in 2007 and now other chat providers are using that same terminology to describe their chatting staff.

That’s okay though, because there’s something that ActivEngage’s Virtual Sales Associates have that no other chat provider can match - passion. Passion for the car industry, passion for the art of conversation, passion for creating that very special connection with YOUR customer. Passion that cannot be imitated no matter how hard others try.

Passion cannot be Imitated.
As many of you know, I was a VSA for six months before moving into our marketing department. I came here knowing not a single thing about cars, the automotive industry, or car lingo. I was hesitant in my first chat because everything was new to me. However, with training, encouragement, and a wonderful team structure that provided ongoing support, I made it through and I shined. I shined through the busiest chatting month of the year - December. In a single day, I took 70+ chats. I didn’t miss a detail and it was invigorating! During those days, I received recognition for taking on so many chats and having over 80% of my chats converting to leads for our dealers, over 75% phone numbers acquired, and over 10% appointments set. Passion.

Every Chat, Every Word, Every Time!
The environment I was in created passion. Our Virtual Sales Associates have a motto, Every Chat, Every Word...Every Time. It’s painted on a bright orange wall, to remind each and every VSA what we do and the passion with which we do it.

Although others are naming their chat staff VSA’s, we know who the real VSA’s are and you will too when you read our chats.

I’ll leave you all with a video to let this sink in just a little bit more:
Watch as our Virtual Sales Director, Carol Marshall, describe our Virtual Sales Associates, the training they receive, and what they provide YOUR dealership. No other chat provider does what our VSA’s can do.

What is your dealership passionate about? Let us know in the comments section below!

The SPCA has teamed up with Mini Cooper in New Zealand to teach three dogs how to drive. Why? The Auckland SPCA hopes to dispel the idea that abandoned pets are second-rate with the social campaign.The chosen doggies-- Porter, Monty, and Ginny -- are learning to drive in rigs with paw-activated accelerators and brakes.

"Obviously, we think dogs are pretty smart and amazing. And we reckon, if more people thought the same, more of our dogs would find happy homes," the official Facebook page states. The interactive marketing campaign lives on the Driving Dogs Facebook page where visitors can learn about adopting a smart dog and about the Mini Cooper.”

I’m not just sharing this with you because I think these dogs are adorable, there’s a lesson to be learned on social media engagement strategy. The Auckland SPCA used the “See it here first” strategy. The only way you’ll be able to see these dogs drive a Mini Cooper you must go to their Facebook page.

There are 4 different social media strategies you could also use for your dealership:

1. The 'One Thing' Strategy
One approach to developing an engagement strategy is to determine the one thing that's relevant to your brand that will resonate with your customers.

2. The Zealot Strategy
Another approach is to make your brand accessible to the crowd and solicit its input, ideas, trial, and feedback. For example, you can post FAQs on how to change a tire or some quick tips on features a certain vehicle has like bluetooth, OnStar...etc.

3. The Guru Strategy
Another approach is to position your brand as the industry leader or innovator. Find out the top questions your sales people are getting and answer them in a blog!

4. The Gaming Strategy
Play with your customers. Develop contests, promotions, loyalty programs, etc.

If you want see if these adorable dogs can drive you can watch them live next Monday at 7pm!

The SPCA has teamed up with Mini Cooper in New Zealand to teach three dogs how to drive. Why? The Auckland SPCA hopes to dispel the idea that abandoned pets are second-rate with the social campaign.The chosen doggies-- Porter, Monty, and Ginny -- are learning to drive in rigs with paw-activated accelerators and brakes.

"Obviously, we think dogs are pretty smart and amazing. And we reckon, if more people thought the same, more of our dogs would find happy homes," the official Facebook page states. The interactive marketing campaign lives on the Driving Dogs Facebook page where visitors can learn about adopting a smart dog and about the Mini Cooper.”

I’m not just sharing this with you because I think these dogs are adorable, there’s a lesson to be learned on social media engagement strategy. The Auckland SPCA used the “See it here first” strategy. The only way you’ll be able to see these dogs drive a Mini Cooper you must go to their Facebook page.

There are 4 different social media strategies you could also use for your dealership:

1. The 'One Thing' Strategy
One approach to developing an engagement strategy is to determine the one thing that's relevant to your brand that will resonate with your customers.

2. The Zealot Strategy
Another approach is to make your brand accessible to the crowd and solicit its input, ideas, trial, and feedback. For example, you can post FAQs on how to change a tire or some quick tips on features a certain vehicle has like bluetooth, OnStar...etc.

3. The Guru Strategy
Another approach is to position your brand as the industry leader or innovator. Find out the top questions your sales people are getting and answer them in a blog!

4. The Gaming Strategy
Play with your customers. Develop contests, promotions, loyalty programs, etc.

If you want see if these adorable dogs can drive you can watch them live next Monday at 7pm!