The Agile Will Thrive

Published: November 2022

How long have we been talking about data? 2022 marked the seventh year of Automotive Management Live as we know it today. However, our Managing Director, Jeremy, recalls running a ‘masterclass’ on behalf of AM (Automotive Management) back in 2011…

For those of you who have been following us all these years, you’ll know the foundation of our message has stayed the same. Keep your data clean, get your basics right and remain agile.

Keep Your Data Clean…

Not only is keeping your data clean essential for commercial reasons, but it’s also a legal requirement under GDPR. Marketing only works when the data is accurate…

The average dealer database we looked at for cleansing shows approximately 10% of people have moved house, with just under half having a forwarding address available, and a quarter of the vehicles are no longer owned by the person who last came to the dealership with it.

The worst we’ve seen was that 44% of vehicles are no longer owned by the person the dealer thought owned them! How clean is your data? If you’d like a free data audit, contact us today for more info.

…Because The Door Is Open

We recently surveyed 1,000 people to gauge their opinions on how they interact with their dealerships. The good news is, car buyers like contact from their dealership, and our data shows that email open rates and click-through rates are as high as they’ve ever been.

Customers will interact if the data is correct, and the content is relevant and personalised. In fact, they are more likely than ever to reply to emails and SMS since the pandemic as they have become more accustomed to it and have stuck with it since.

We know that potential car buyers want dealers to follow up with relevant alternatives if their preferred make and model is unavailable immediately. 67% of those surveyed say if they could not find what they wanted, they would be more likely to remain in contact with dealers who email about stock that closely matches their initial enquiry.

In addition, over half (51%) say that, as a result of long waiting times for delivery of new cars, they are now more likely to consider a used car instead of buying new, so don’t pigeonhole leads based on their initial enquiry.

Agility Is Key

In these uncertain and rapidly changing times, the ability to adapt to continual market flux will be the difference between surviving and thriving. Agile dealerships with digital tools in place to respond to the demands of the marketplace, and to evolve messaging to capitalise in the moment or to help boost consumer confidence is now crucial.

During AM Live, we shared some examples of campaigns we have run with clients who have their data sorted and get great engagement from their customers. From ‘We Want Your Car’ to ‘Beat the MOT Rush’, we have strong results that back up everything we’ve said above.

For example, with used car shortages, we’ve actually been helping our dealers buy cars! We usually help them sell, but a vital source of used car stock can be identified on the dealer database.

We’ve used email and SMS to ask customers if they are considering selling their cars. The ‘We Want Your Car’ message has been one of our most popular campaigns over the last few years across multiple marketing mediums, including Email, SMS and social media.

Even where a buyback wasn’t achieved, conversations were had between the dealership and the customer to keep the relationship going to keep the relationship active and the customer primed for future opportunities.

With great data and agile marketing, dealers can deliver market-leading customer experiences. Sounds good, right?

Contact us for more information and support.

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