Geo-targeting and geo-fencing technology has been around for many years. Some social networks use it and provide businesses with ways to show customers offers and specials based on their current location. However, for the most part, these are application-specific. An individual would need to download an app, join a social network and opt-in for push notifications from the…

A recent article on the Huffington Post asked why consumers are still buying GM vehicles despite all of the recent recalls. There’s no question that there are many concerned owners of GM vehicles. According to the article, GM has “issued 44 recalls in…

There are many things that companies can do to earn a customer’s loyalty. However, e-mail marketing isn’t typically high on the list. Consumers get barraged continuously with marketing messages via e-mail. As you go through your in-box, how many do you delete without even reading them in order to get to those you are interested in reading? A very good…

Recently, AdAge reported that Walmart is starting a loyalty program. Based on their price-match guarantee, Walmart is launching an app named “Savings Catcher,” which consumers can use to receive refunds for items purchased at Wal-Mart that have been found for a lower price…

[This is part 6 in the “What’s the Big Deal With Data Anyways?” series. Click here to read part 5]

The whole goal of this series is to help dealers understand that there is no need to be afraid of your data. It is one of the…

[This is part five in the "What's the Big Deal With Data Anyways?" series. Click here to read part four.]

Segmentation of DMS data can be defined as the process of dividing up your customer data into specific groups for…

[Click her to read part three in this series.]

Over the past few years numerous new marketing companies have emerged as a solution for dealers’ digital and print marketing needs. Some of these new entities specialize in…

As I mentioned in part two of this series, many DMS providers make it difficult for dealers to download their customer database. In some cases, it’s because there are control issues arising between dealers and their DMS (or CRM) as to who…

In part one of this series, I discussed the importance of dealerships using their data effectively in marketing and how, when done properly, it can increase vehicle and service sales while improving customer loyalty. Now I’d like to…

This blog is the first in a series I plan based around how to better use dealer data in marketing to customers. There is a reason that ‘Big Data’ has been a hot topic in the automotive industry for the last few years. Many retailers in other industries are using it quite successfully to target their marketing and offers to their customers based on transactional and…

I recently read a very thought-provoking article asking this very question; “Is the simple fact that the customer has money enough to make the purchase a determining factor for you?” Too often the customers dealerships try and attract aren’t necessarily the customers they really should be…

A fascinating article in Forbes shared a concept that is increasingly winning over customers. In the article, the author described what he termed “anticipatory customer service” as “a customer experience that manages to serve even the…

In a recent announcement by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, it was revealed that Yahoo will soon stop allowing its users to login using their Facebook or Google credentials. This move is an effort by Yahoo to better control its content and services. On the surface, the move makes sense and…

Delta Airlines recently revamped its loyalty program changing how rewards are distributed to its customers.  In an article in Knowledge@Wharton, Peter Fader, Wharton Marketing Professor, applied the concept of customer centricity in reviewing Delta’s current…

In a world filled with loyalty programs, it’s always interesting when I talk to a dealership that harbors doubts. The cost involved in having a loyalty program is minimal compared to the revenue generated. However, at times it seems as if dealers are intimidated by the effort it would take to administer one.

Loyalty program benefits and results are…

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “Work your pay plan.” It doesn’t matter whether you held a position in sales, service, or parts, this advice has always been considered good. Towards the end of the month, when Sales Managers need those extra units sold on the weekends in order to hit bonuses from the manufacturer, they throw cash bonuses at the salespeople. The same thing…

Dealerships today are continuously seeking new ways to acquire new customers. Endless services and platforms pop up almost daily that offer businesses new ways to reach out to the world and attract new customers – whether that’s through online media, social media platforms, mobile ads or database mining. The problem is that many businesses concentrate far too much on…

Imagine having customers so loyal that they are willing to pay you just to do business with your dealership. Do you think a customer that makes an investment in your loyalty program would be more or less likely to remain loyal to you and your brand? Three companies have successfully managed to accomplish this and in a very big way.

Movie theater chain, AMC,…

Oftentimes, businesses adopt a rewards program to thank their frequent customers and to encourage and increase the likelihood that they will return. While these are both excellent reasons to have a rewards program, a business must carefully consider how to structure the program and what to offer to not only promote engagement with their customer, but to also create…

One of the challenges that dealers and managers face when analyzing their marketing budgets is sourcing traffic. Do you find anomalies in your sources when reviewing the sourcing of your store’s traffic? Is every customer being reported in your CRM as generated via a Walk-in, Billboard, Auto Mall or AAA?  AAA sounds great until you realize you don’t even have a program with…