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It seems to me that the relationship between the dealer and the OEM could be very similar to the relationship between a "brand advocate" and the dealer. How does the OEM control the marketing initiatives of tier 3 to make sure that logos are current, marketing messages are consistent etc? Sometimes they do it through mandate, but in a perfect world, they partner and assist with the cost of the advertising so long as certain standards are met.What do you think? Could a dealer run an effective co-op program for brand advocates? How much of their ad budget could they transition away from traditional and less effective lead gen expenses to support and encourage brand advocates? Would they actually return more on those investments? We've all seen the recent Automotive News article citing massive churn rates, could a dealer investing in their staff impact employee retention rate and positively affect the bottom line by reducing operating expenses associated with turnover? I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with a very smart operator at Digital Dealer that treats his business like a realtor. He absorbs his own marketing costs. He averages nearly 30 units a month and year to date 49% of his business is repeat/referral or something he cultivated on his own. I think he is the future of this business. Consumers show a strong desire to work with an individual rather than an entity. As an industry I think we need to start embracing the opportunity that brand advocates represent instead of stifling them because we are afraid of what they MIGHT do... (I know that isn't what you are suggesting Subi, some rules and policies are like seat belts that are good and necessary restraints. "Yes you can, but..." is very different than "No you can't, because you might...")
It seems to me that the relationship between the dealer and the OEM could be very similar to the relationship between a "brand advocate" and the dealer. How does the OEM control the marketing initiatives of tier 3 to make sure that logos are current, marketing messages are consistent etc? Sometimes they do it through mandate, but in a perfect world, they partner and assist with the cost of the advertising so long as certain standards are met.
What do you think? Could a dealer run an effective co-op program for brand advocates? How much of their ad budget could they transition away from traditional and less effective lead gen expenses to support and encourage brand advocates? Would they actually return more on those investments? We've all seen the recent Automotive News article citing massive churn rates, could a dealer investing in their staff impact employee retention rate and positively affect the bottom line by reducing operating expenses associated with turnover?
I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with a very smart operator at Digital Dealer that treats his business like a realtor. He absorbs his own marketing costs. He averages nearly 30 units a month and year to date 49% of his business is repeat/referral or something he cultivated on his own. I think he is the future of this business. Consumers show a strong desire to work with an individual rather than an entity. As an industry I think we need to start embracing the opportunity that brand advocates represent instead of stifling them because we are afraid of what they MIGHT do... (I know that isn't what you are suggesting Subi, some rules and policies are like seat belts that are good and necessary restraints. "Yes you can, but..." is very different than "No you can't, because you might...")
