Here is the article from Radio Ink's September 18 issue.
Higher
gasoline prices are putting the squeeze on domestic auto dealers, so as usual,
the auto dealers (and their agencies) are putting the squeeze on radio
stations. The recent schedule cuts are
coming largely from domestic dealerships who sold their souls last year with
zero percent financing and employee discount programs. Combine that with declining sales because
guzzlers don’t sell well when gasoline prices are soaring, and the domestic
dealers find themselves in a “perfect storm.”
Saddled
with SUVs that aren’t moving the way they have in previous years, many domestic
dealerships are canceling or cutting back on their schedules. And, of course even when they cut back they still
want more for less in the form of bonus spots and free remotes. In
order to salvage our car dealer budgets, we must first confront an issue that
has held broadcasters hostage for many years, horrible creative.
Broadcast
stations have been on the “victim” end of the dealership relationship for
decades because we allow them to treat us that way. Dealers usually buy a lot
of frequency with us and we elevate them to “elite” client status. We take their money and we do what they tell
us to do and we run what they tell us to run. This is a mistake because a majority of auto
dealer commercials fish our lakes with “bad bait.” When times are good the
dealerships do well despite their inefficient spots because they run so much
frequency. The problems arise when the
economy turns south and free popcorn and balloons for the kids (fish don’t even
like popcorn as bait) no longer motivate potential buyers. And when the fish don’t bite who do they
blame? The lake they’re fishing on,
which happens to be our stations. They
threaten us. They intimidate us. They insult us. They buy around us. And then to get back to their good graces…
We
give them……. Free remotes for their Big Pizza Giveaway sizzling’
summer Extravaganza Sales Event. Just look for the Giant Pink Gorilla on the
roof! And then they’re disappointed in the lack of qualified traffic
we generate. “Uggghhh! Are these people really
representative of your station’s audience?” the dealer asks as the usual prize
pigs (you know the type, with eyes so close together from inbreeding the
left on is in the right socket and right one is in the left socket) waddle off his
lot with three large pizzas each, which they throw into the back seat of their dilapidated
car (literally held together with bumper stickers from your station). “Well, no,”
you say. “This was a stupid promotion with nothing but a few
pizzas as an incentive and you get what you pay for and I’m sick of taking the
heat and being punished because you advertise these lame events that only our twelve
most wretched listeners would ever
want to attend.” Yes, that’s what you say (to yourself).
It’s
time for us to start driving the bus
and help our dealers come up with creative that will drive traffic. Imagine
how much more effective and efficient the dealer’s commercial could be.
Here’s how you could look like a hero and get into your client’s circle of
trust (Remember the movie Meet the
Parents?) and stop taking the
heat for bad promotions.
· Use unscripted “reality
spots”. People believe other “real” people
more than they believe disc jockeys or the dealer himself. Let’s use some of the dealership’s best
customers to tell people what they like about your client, but without reading a script. Scripts usually make real people sound
fake. Let these testimonial evangelists identify and solve your
listener’s transportation problems in the listener’s language rather than the
dealer’s disingenuous, cliché language.
- When
advertising SUVs emphasize cost per
mile over miles per gallon. For
people with big families it may still make economic sense to drive a large
vehicle. Today’s SUVs are built
better, may be less expensive and require fewer repairs than before. Today’s
SUVs are also safer than previous models.
- Point out
that advertising should be like your front door…inviting, not insulting or
circus-like. We’re selling high-dollar vehicles here, not tickets to the
fun-way at a carnival. Remind your dealer that once a potential buyer
comes to the dealership, nobody
talks to him the way they do in their commercials. Instead of barking meaningless cliches
and empty promises at that customer, the salesman on the lot points out
features and benefits of particular models. In other words, the car dealer
identifies and solves consumer problems. Why don’t we do the same thing (identify and solve consumer
problems) in the commercials? Consider some of the following headlines:
1. “The high price of gasoline has everybody’s
attention right now, especially if you commute. The vehicle you’re driving now may not get good mileage, but nine of our
new models at _______________ Ford get over thirty miles to the gallon! Everybody says that gasoline prices will
continue to go up, not down. Think of
how much money ____________Ford can put back in your pocket by getting you into
a more fuel-efficient vehicle right now.”
2. “If your
present vehicle is over three years old it may not have side airbags. But ___________of our new models have side
airbags as standard equipment. That
means that you and your family are much safer in a new car from
____________. Test-drive one right now
at ___________ and get yourself and your family into a safer vehicle as soon as
you can. For example our new
___________model has side airbags, very responsive handling and anti-lock
brakes as standard equipment. Things
like that really do make a big difference when you are confronted with a
potentially dangerous situation.”
3. “If you
haven’t test driven the new _______________ at _______________Chevrolet you
won’t believe what you’re missing. The
car has the look and feel of a real sports car because that’s what it is. The
___________ is designed for up to five passengers but you will not believe the
acceleration, handling and braking. The
dashboard is sporty and functional, bathed in amber light. The seats, steering wheel and shifter are
designed after those in an actual sports car. And the __________ handles so much better on slick roads and around
curves than the family car you’re driving now. With all-wheel drive the __________is probably much safer than your
current car, with standard side airbags and much more fun to drive.”
4. “You don’t
have to compromise size to get a more fuel-efficient vehicle. All of the talk now is about more
fuel-efficient cars. And at
___________Chrysler we have them. Including
the new Chrysler ___________, a full-sized passenger and cargo vehicle that
gets 32 miles to the gallon. You’ll love
driving the Chrysler ___________. It’s a
passenger van that responds more like a sports vehicle. It has plenty of room for up to ____
passengers and still plenty of cargo room for groceries, boxes, equipment and
even a dog.
You get the idea. Educated customers buy more than
uneducated customers. So let’s educate them about the benefits and results
they’ll get with specific vehicles from your dealer. In the short term commercials like these will
break through the clutter and reach listeners who are shopping for a new
vehicle right now. In the long run your
client will stand out from his circus clown competitors.
· Manage your dealer’s
expectations about results on your station. The typical dealer’s NET profit per
vehicle is somewhere between $800 and $2000 per unit. So how many cars, trucks and vans do you really have to sell in a week in order
to justify your little measly $3500 weekly
schedule?
Will
we change the way car dealers advertise overnight? Probably not. But right now would be a very good time to start the process. By casting
better bait your auto dealers will catch more fish on your lake. Your good advice might cause a client to fire
their miserable agency and come back to you as a loyal local direct account.
Wouldn't that be nice? Well, it sure
would be better than a slap across the belly with a giant pink gorilla.
How are you helping your dealerships? What's working in your market?
