AdAgencyOnline.Net

The role of the automotive advertising agency has changed to follow the new rules of the road on the Internet Super Highway.  Newly empowered consumers are no longer limited to shopping for a vehicle using information provided by self serving auto dealers pushing information to them using conventional media like radio, T.V. or newspaper.  Social media has allowed car shoppers to gather information from like minded customers before, during and after their shopping and/or buying experience. These online friends are playing an increasing role in the car shopping process and automotive advertising agencies are using them to influence buyers.     

The new pull / push nature of the market powered by the Internet requires automotive advertising agencies to focus on people vs. product or price.  Car shoppers are following their own agendas when pulling information from the world wide web that no longer requires them to rely on an auto dealer as the source.  Today’s online shoppers prioritize people when selecting a dealership they are willing to do business with.  That is not to suggest that product and price aren’t important.   It is just that that they all start and end with people and that is the true asset of any auto dealer, automotive advertising agency or vendor!

The most obvious evidence of the priority that people play in the auto shopping/buying/service experience is the explosive growth that social media has enjoyed as a marketing media vs. conventional radio, T.V. and print that used to dominate the automotive advertising landscape.  Automotive advertising agencies recognize that people have always preferred to do business with people that they like and social networking has expanded the spheres of influence of car shoppers/buyers to include their online friends.

The market is a conversation amongst friends before, during and after the car shopping/buying/ service cycle and the auto dealers that have friends in the social networking communities are more likely to be invited to participate in the dialogue.  Automotive advertising agencies realize that it is difficult to befriend a building or a website!  It is the people that work at the dealership to support their families that have the story to tell to their friends and who will earn the sale, not the Chevrolet, Toyota, Mercedes, etc. or the extended service hours and weekly specials.  Saturday Service hours have no appeal if the customers don’t like or trust the people that they are handing their keys to.  Having a friend in the car business is a relief that trumps the best process, product or price for the average car buyer. Read the rest of this entry »

AdAgencyOnline.Net is an automotive advertising resource / networking portal hosted by Ad Agency Online, L.L.C., (AAOL).  Philip Zelinger, the President of AAOL and host of the blog talk radio station featured on AdAgencyOnline.Net — WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time — shared a simple formula with automotive advertising agencies to help them monetize social media for their auto dealer clients; C2C + B2B = B2C SQUARED.  The formula suggests that Customer to Customer, (C2C), comments coupled with Business to Business, (B2B), cross promotions can virally amplify Business to Customer, (B2C), marketing messages through social networking channels without offending the community.

Philip introduced his solution to use social media to sell vehicles and service during his blog talk radio show — Lunch With Phil Discussing Automotive Advertising.  This open business meeting shares best practices with the affiliated automotive advertising agencies, production partners and select automotive advertising vendors of AAOL.  The agencies are linked by a proprietary online communication / distribution system that allows them to leverage their resources in conventional and digital online advertising; now to include social media.

Social media is a growing phenomenon that has automotive advertising agencies scrambling for a way to use it to sell vehicles and service for their auto dealer clients.  AAOL represents a number of automotive advertising vendors who have developed applications that integrate social media with conventional and digital media by applying proven old world wisdom to new world technology.    Automotive advertising agencies are anxious to use social media without offending the social networking communities who consider direct solicitations an intrusion into their ongoing conversations that power the marketplace. Read the rest of this entry »