Ancaster Group

Published: October 2025

Interview with Ancaster Group’s Marketing and Communications Director, Carly Keeler-Clappison

Established in 1949, Ancaster is one of the region’s most established groups, operating across 12 sales locations and representing brands including Nissan, Hyundai, MG, Renault, Dacia, Genesis, and Škoda.

From the outset, Ancaster has been committed to delivering exceptional service. With customer care at the heart of their operations, they aim to make the car-buying and ownership journey smooth, enjoyable, and stress-free.

To enhance this experience, Ancaster implemented VoiceBox Sales, enabling automated email follow-ups on enquiries, Stock Alerts for potential buyers, re-engagement with ‘lost’ prospects, and timely renewal messages. Their in-house marketing team also uses VoiceBox Self-Serve, ensuring consistent messaging and centralised data for segmentation and reporting.

Having worked with Carly for several years, we caught up with her to discuss the evolving digital landscape in automotive retail and how Marketing Delivery continues to support their strategies.

What’s changed in the technology landscape since you began working with us?

“As a group, and across the industry, we’re now far more focused on technology. Initially, we used Marketing Delivery for Aftersales CRM, which set a high bar for automation.

Since then, we’ve applied that same standard to our Sales function. Today, targeted and personalised communication is essential, and we rely on systems like yours to deliver that. Our sales teams are busier than ever, and hiring employees with the right expertise can be challenging. So, if AI and automation can help bridge that gap, we need to lean into it.”

How many different dealer systems do you have?

“We use Dealerweb for Sales and Keyloop for Aftersales. Even with just two systems, the different sources make data management complex and a mammoth task.

VoiceBox’s integration has been a lifesaver, especially with Self-Serve. It consolidates our data, removes manual steps, and reduces the risk of errors. We can launch email campaigns in minutes, using both data sets without worrying about duplicates.”

How have you found the automated, algorithmic-driven aspects of VoiceBox?

“We started with standard enquiry follow-up messages triggered by Dealerweb data. But we quickly expanded into automating other parts of the Sales process, including Stock Alerts and Lost Sales reactivation.

We’d previously tried another supplier for Lost Sales but had to switch it off as it just didn’t understand the nuances of automotive customer data. We only resumed those messages after switching to your algorithm, which we trust, and the results speak for themselves.

Even though contacting customers is technically easier than ever, salespeople juggle so many tasks. Tools like Stock Alerts are essential, and we’ve seen really strong conversions, including customers buying the exact car they clicked on in the email. Those are sales we may have missed without this technology.

VoiceBox lets us connect with customers at every stage of their journey, using multiple formats. With Self-Serve, we’ve even introduced a newsletter that focuses less on hard sales. And yet, we still see strong enquiry and engagement rates because consistent, relevant touchpoints keep people interested.”

Speaking of other suppliers, how do we compare?

“Your automotive experience really sets you apart. You understand our world in a way that generic platforms like Mailchimp and HubSpot don’t. The VoiceBox integration capabilities are key, and it works with our complex daily operations in ways many suppliers simply can’t support.

CRM is the lifeline of our business. Our team is busy, and integration between systems is invaluable. But more than that, your service stands out. You do what you say you’ll do. Even if you don’t have the answer right away, you always take our feedback seriously and come back with a solution.

Your account management is the best of any supplier we work with, approachable, responsive, and always focused on delivering what we need.”

One killer question: What do you want to see next from Marketing Delivery?

“The fact that VoiceBox can talk to our databases would be a game changer for events, so I’d love to see an events portal that integrates with your other platforms.”