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!

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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?

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.

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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!   

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

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-- a DoS attack, checklist for closing, and myths about self driving cars.

10. A Checklist for Closing

Remember your first days in a dealership and the fundamentals the sales manager drilled into your head? That was good advice. We tend to forget a lot of it over time and as experience adds up.

9. Google+ Ditches Zagat Ratings

In May of 2012, Google implemented their Zagat rating system which was confusing for both businesses and consumers. Now you can see they changed back to the 5-star rating system.

8. The Three Stages of Social Media--Part 1

This is part 1 in a 4 part series about automotive social media strategies that are emerging to help car dealers get true benefit. It’s not just about branding. It’s not about auto-feeding marketing content. With the right strategies in place, dealers can drive foot traffic and website visitors in a way that can help them sell more vehicles and drive more service customers.

7. Is Your Dealership on a Treadmill?

The dealership sales process has the ability to evolve into a more sophisticated, frictionless business if only it weren’t for our collective hesitation. One theme I see playing over and over at dealerships is the constant impasses that occur from one owner or manager being unwilling to make a decision.

6. Cobalt Hit with DoS Attack

Cobalt suffered a DoS attack yesterday morning that was the result of a massive surge in external traffic to the network. This affected both the main Cobalt company website and their network of dealer websites - including the US network of 4,400 General Motors websites.

5. What Does it Mean to Reboot Your Life?

Scott Monty sits down with Mitch Joel, author of  Ctrl Alt Delete: Reboot Your Business. Reboot Your Life. Your Future Depends On It. This new book is not your standard marketing book. It's certainly not a social media book. It's a book about life and practical matters with respect to business, marketing and how we all fit into the picture.

4. 3 Myths about Self-Driving Cars

There’s a lot of hype surrounding them. But where are they?

3. A Dead Man Wins Mexico Mayor Race

It's been said that to get elected to public office all you need is a pulse, but prosecutors Mexico are investigating how a man certified as dead got elected mayor of a village in southern Mexico.

2. Pig Beach, Bahamas.

On the Bahamian archipelago of Exuma sits Big Major Cay (also known as Pig Island and Major Cay). Legend has it that sailors dropped the pigs off on the island with the intention of coming back to eat them, but never returned. Now the pigs rule the island. Locals and tourists alike feed the pigs who have been known to swim up to incoming boats.

1. Helmet-Wearing Fool Challenges a Ram.

This epic video was originally posted last fall, but it's trending again because watching a ram show this kid who's boss is too good to pass up.

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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!

There has been a lot of posts online and in forums on the best practices of car dealer livechat. While those best practices are legit, there is one thing that some chatters lack: common customer service skills.

I give you this chat for example:

Dealership: Thank you for choosing [dealership name]

System: We have alerted the online representatives that you are waiting. Someone should be with you momentarily.

System: A representative has joined the conversation. Compose your message below and then press Enter to send.

Leticia Geer: Hello, How may I help you?

You: Español? [Right after this she should have said something to me, like one moment please, while she was finding someone that spoke Spanish.]

You: ?

You: no spanish??????  [waited for 3 minutes for someone to respond to me]

Leticia Geer: Hola

You: Hola! Me puedes decir mas sobre el Malibu? --Los especiales   [Hi! Can you tell me more about the Malibu, the specials?]

Leticia Geer: Si, con quien hablo? [Yes, whom am I speaking with?]

You: Veronica

Leticia Geer: Veronica, 2013 CHEVROLET Malibu $2,500 Consumer Cash -OR- 0% APR for 60 months for qualified buyers [THEY COPIED AND PASTED IN ENGLISH]

You: 2,500 discuento y que?  [2,500 discount and what?]

Leticia Geer: como y que? Los $2,500 descuento, si no, 0% hasta 60 meses [What do you mean, what?  it’s ,$2,500 off or 0% apr for 60 months]

You: como y que? tu me dijiste en ingles [What do you mean? You told me in English]

I ended the chat after that. Frankly, I was a bit disturbed that someone questioned why I didn’t understand what they were saying when I had been speaking in Spanish the entire time and they responded in English. It was rude and off putting. The best part is that this dealership is located in Los Angeles, California, where there is a huge hispanic population.

This chat could have ended differently if the dealership’s chat software had the means to translate into Spanish. I also would not have waited 3 minutes for someone to answer my question.

Bilingual chat matters, whether its Spanish, French, or Russian. Get to know your demographics. You wouldn’t refuse to hire a salesperson that’s fluent in Spanish if you live in an area where a majority of Hispanics reside, would you? So, it should be the same case with your website’s live chat service. Partner with a car dealer live chat company that can meet your dealership’s needs and expectations.

And, don’t EVER have a chat like this.

Why do consumers like your Facebook fan page? Are you eager to gain fans and do so by offeringenticing offers, contests, and deals? Well there’s finally a report that gives us reasons why people like a Facebook fan page.

A new report by social-marketing research firmSyncapse finds that there’s no one predominant reason that people like a brand or business on Facebook. There’s really no concrete reason why people like your dealership’s page, it can range from to publicly supporting your dealerships to wanting special access to deals and information.

The one major similarity between Facebook fans, according to the study: Most of them—78%—are current customers of the businesses they like. “Since being a brand user is usually a prerequisite to becoming a Fan in consumer goods categories, marketers should prioritize their Fan acquisition investments on converting existing customers,” the report notes.

Since there is no real reason people like a Facebook page, it can help to understand the reasoning behind  the likes so you can determine the types of Facebook marketing that might best fit your dealership.

Here’s a list of the top 8 reasons people like a Facebook page, Syncapse found:

1. To support a brand I like. (49%)

2. To get a coupon or discount. (42%)

3. To receive regular updates. (41%)

4. To participate in contests (35%)

5. To share my personal good experiences. (31 %)

6. To share my interests/lifestyle with others. (27%)

7. To research brands when I was looking for specific products/services. (21%)

8. Seeing my friend was already a fan or liked the page. (27%)

The report also notes, however, that businesses should focus more on the “emotional drivers” that cause people to connect with a brand on Facebook and less on the monetary reasons.

If you want to read more about this report, you can download it here.

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As always follow @activengage for more tips, industry news, and the latest in car dealer live chat

What’s the one thing that big box retailers don’t have? Heritage and a story. Sure, they can hire celebrity spokespeople, spend millions in advertising and photography, but they can’t tell me a story. This is one thing that Bentley has excelled at in their recent campaign dubbed, “Le Mans 24 Hours: Les Bentley Boys."  This short documentary is available on YouTube and it’s about the world's oldest active endurance sports car race.

What’s so special about this video?

It’s divided into three vignettes chronicling a different period and perspective to the story. The first part creates awe, it establishes almost a mythical aura of Le Mans race. The second part gives us a picture of the rugged and audacious Bentley Boys who dominated the race in its earliest days. The final section takes us to 2003 when Bentley returned to the race and won after a long absence from the race.

This 6 minute documentary told a story unlike any car ad I’ve seen. The best part of this video is that it’s their story and no one else can touch it. It’s about relentless driving and it’s about the putting two unlikely things together: man and machine.  It’s about how the Bentley Boys made the car a luxurious, untouchable, classic vehicle. It’s not an ad to sell the car. It’s an ad to tell their story. There in itself, is a big difference.

How can you score with storytelling and heritage?

People connect with stories because they want to have an affirmation of life and meaning. Nothing gives greater affirmation than when we connect through stories.  Stories can cross through any barriers of time, past, present, and future. They allow us to experience the similarities within ourselves and others.  Here are some tips to create your story:

1. Make a promise that the story will lead somewhere and be worth your time

2. Make the audience put things together-- hold their attention and don’t be predictable

3. Change is fundamental in stories-- we are constantly changing and if your story doesn’t change then it’s not true to human nature.

4. Drama is anticipation mingled with uncertainty.

5. Stories have guidelines, no hardline rules -- remember that.

6. Have a strong theme

7. Evoke wonder

Once you evoke wonder, then you’ll see that this is the driving point to share a story. I was in awe of the Bentley Boys story and that is what made me write this blog and share Bentley’s story with you all.

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What is it about your product or service that is uniquely and totally you? What story can you tell that no competitor can duplicate? For more automotive marketing tips, check out @activengage on Twitter! 

Your digital showroom is the best source for quality leads and lead generation. Your consumers are not going to third party sites to search for your dealership, they are going to search engine sites like Google. And in those search engine sites, your potential customer is usually typing in the model of the vehicle they are looking for or they use search terms like service specials, car specials, or cars with good warranty.  

Once your prospects reach your site that is when you have toWOW them. Great web designers know that visitors will leave a site if they can’t find what they’re looking for in 5 seconds. This is especially true of dealership websites.

It’s time to stop guessing about the effectiveness of your website and learn the best practices behind making it a gold mine for engagement and leads. We created this eBook:Your Website is a Gold Mine, in order to discuss the tools available to you so you can use your website as the ultimate powerhouse of information, quality conversation, and connecting with your online shoppers. Just by making a few changes, it will be a gold mine for your investments too!

This eBook includes:

- Best practices for SEO and website content

- How to effectively design your website's layout for online shoppers

- How to manage your data to increase ROI

And more!

Download our free eBook and start using your website to its fullest potential!

Last week the world found out that the moon isn’t made out of cheese like all the fairy tales said, it’s actually a lime.Corona launched a fun billboard in New York City that captures the moon at the precise moment it descends onto the bottle placed on the board, in the precise shape of a lime wedge. The billboard was created after consultations with astronomists and professors, and is placed at the perfect location to create"Luna Corona."

Pretty awesome right? Imagine standing in NYC watching this phenomenon unfold and the experience Corona gave it’s customers. Now, how can you harness the power of the moon?

Make it relevant

Everything Starts With the vehicle

Are you offering something valuable? Are you merely selling vehicles… or facilitating and endorsing your customer’s life?

Don't Forget About the Dealership

Being true to who you are is key. Storytelling, authenticity, and uniqueness add more than you would expect: They reflect core values and sustain your identity.

Creating the Experience

Stories stay stories. Creating an actual experience around your vehicle, online and offline, is something intangible that elevates your product and brand experience. This is what Corona has done with their ad, they created  an experience  that was worth sharing with friends.

Your Website

Your Digital Showroom

A website is more than just an info desk about your dealership. It is what you are: You can share your past, your present, and your future and get feedback from your consumers. Your digital showroom should be a portal where everything your consumer needs to know is presented in an intuitive and engaging way.

Activate conversations

Surprises

Surprising your consumers is the best way to shake them awake and make sure they stay focused. A surprise can be anything: Send them a birthday card or post a video that no one has ever seen.

Stories

Do not underestimate the power of stories. Tell a story about yourself, let your consumers share stories about their personal life, or, even better, combine both. People want something to talk about. What kind of stories? Real, unique, personal, and emotional stories!

No guts, no glory

Go out there and create something awesome. If you don’t try, how will you know you succeeded?

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What do you think about Corona’s billboard? Do you think you can do something similar with your dealership? And as always, follow @activengage for the lastest tips in car live chat