Success StorySuccess Story Success Story

Liberty Buick

New Sales Up 21%, Liberty Buick Increases Profitability with Integrated Marketing Strategy

The car business is an intensely competitive industry. Dealers search tirelessly for the most effective way to reach the perfect in-market customer with the right message, bring that customer into their showrooms and service bays, and keep that customer coming back again and again. To accomplish this, many advertisers are shifting away from traditional mass media platforms like TV, print and radio, due to high cost and low measurability. Savvy dealers want a better return on their marketing dollars and are trending toward more targeted and digital mediums that include targeted direct email and mail and the internet. Dealerships that do not recognize the value and advantage of targeted and digital marketing mediums continue to see diminishing returns with traditional mass marketing that continues to be costly and nearly impossible to measure.

The most successful dealers are using a combined strategy that includes targeted and digital mediums that are less expensive, more measurable and give a better return on investment than traditional mass marketing. A fundamental aspect to this approach is to integrate all targeted and digital advertising to maximize results. Often, this also presents a challenge as the average dealer works with multiple vendors to execute their overall marketing which results in different messages and designs that too often are not integrated with one another – causing confusion among customers, and even employees.

LEARN MORE ÆÅ READ FULL STORYÅ CONTINUED INSIDE

Liberty Buick

• Definetheirideallocalmarketbyfindingtheperfectcustomersandprospectswiththehigheststatistical probability of buying and/or servicing with their dealership now and in the future.

• Create dynamic, cohesive campaigns that consistently speak to their customers throughout the 60-month lifecycle of their vehicle.

• Consistently target in-market same-brand prospects, and consumers who drive off-brands with a historical trend of crossing over to the brands they sell.

• Driveconsumertraffictoacustomcampaignconversionsitethatpromotesalltheirsalesandservice

offers to help increase their internet sales and service leads.

• Build a positive online reputation by asking customers for referrals and online reviews via an online review platform.

• Monitor inbound calls so they know what ads are generating better response rates and pre-empt CSI issues before they escalate.

• Work with a marketing partner like www.TeamVelocityMarketing.com to implement an integrated targeted

anddigitalmarketingstrategyacrossmultiplemediumsthatpromotealltheirprofitcenters,new,used,finance,serviceandparts.

IN A NUTSHELL

New Sales Up 21%, Liberty Buick Increases Profitability with Integrated Marketing Strategy

“We were the only Buick dealer in Arizona to become Certified Elite in 2012 for our service and parts department. We have also been No. 1 in the state and No.1 in the Western Region for new Buick sales. This marketing strategy has helped us do this, as well as maintain our spot within the top 3 in the nation for Buick sales.”

AUTUMN HENDERSON,GENERAL MANAGERLIBERTY BUICK

Success Story

Liberty Buick

IN A NUTSHELL New Sales Up 21%, Liberty Buick Increases Profitability with Integrated Marketing Strategy

Liberty Buick, No. 1 in Buick sales in Arizona and a member of Liberty Automotive Group, found a solution. Liberty put into play a cohesive targeted and digital marketing strategy across multiple mediums using one marketing partner to attract, sell, service and retain more customers for less cost than traditional mass marketing.

“Since starting this new marketing strategy we have steadily increased our service and sales numbers. Our new Buick sales increased 21percent and our pre-owned sales increased 18 percent from the same period last year, and service profits are up 12percent,” said Autumn Henderson, General Manager of Liberty Buick.

Liberty Buick began with a comprehensive five-year historicalanalysis of their sales and service transactions to determine customer trends. Those findings were thencompared to leading third-party and industry data to establish consumer patterns within the local market. The results enabled Liberty Buick to identify vehicle owners with the greatest probability of buying or servicing with their dealership, as well as identify same-brand owners who had never visited Liberty Buick, and off-brand owners with a historical pattern of crossing over to Buick.

With a more clearly defined market,Liberty executed a targeted and digital marketing strategy using variable direct email and mail campaigns that consistently speak to customers throughout the 60-month life cycle of their vehicle with custom messaging

that includes: a thank you and welcome message for recent purchasers, maintenance reminders for newer vehicles not yet in-equity but that may be due for recommended maintenance, and ongoing targeted email and mail sales communications to customers in an equity position. Using high-end creative campaigns, Liberty Buick promotes its best sales offers with custom service offers that reflectthe service status of the customer’s vehicle. For example, active service customers who routinely come in for service receive a $29.95 “The Works Oil Change” coupon, but customers who are categorized as lost, or who do not regularly service with Liberty Buick, receive the same offer but for $14.95 to encourage them to back.

Liberty also aggressively targets conquest service customers within their primary marketing area who own Buicks but did not buy from them. This is unique because most dealers use the manufacturer’s service marketing program which often limits a dealer to only communicate with customers that have purchased

• Definetheirideallocalmarketbyfindingtheperfectcustomersandprospects with the highest statistical probability of buying and/or servicing with their dealership now and in the future.

• Create dynamic, cohesive campaigns that consistently speak to their customers throughout the 60-month lifecycle of their vehicle.

• Consistently target in-market same-brand prospects, and consumers who drive off-brands with a historical trend of crossing over to the brands they sell.

• Driveconsumertraffictoacustomcampaignconversionsitethatpromotes

all their sales and service offers to help increase their internet sales and service leads.

• Build a positive online reputation by asking customers for referrals and online reviews via an online review platform.

• Monitor inbound calls so they know what ads are generating better response rates and pre-empt CSI issues before they escalate.

• Work with a marketing partner like www.TeamVelocityMarketing.com to implement an integrated targeted and digital marketing strategy across multiplemediumsthatpromotealltheirprofitcenters,new,used,finance,serviceandparts.

directly from their store, but also limits the dealer from contacting numerous conquest opportunities within their market. If a dealer only has 30 percent market share, they are essentially missing out on an additional 70 percent of the area’s service market. Liberty recognized the opportunity to broaden its service marketing program with conquest and has greatly expanded their reach of potential service customers.

Another key component of Liberty’s strategy is that every outbound targeted email and mail campaign directs customers to an online Campaign Conversion Site that not only displays the featured promotions of the email or mail campaign they have just received, but also shows them every sales and service offer that Liberty Buick is currently running. If a customer is not inthemarketforthespecificofferstheyjust received they can check Liberty Buick’s campaign conversion site, www.LibertyBuickOffers.com, for other available offers.

“This site is invaluable. It looks incredibly professional, it ties in with all our sales and service promotions,” said Henderson. “Plus it’s completely low maintenance for us because it’s updated every month by our marketing company.”

When customers visit the dealership they see POS merchandising throughout the store that validates the advertising message they recently saw online or received in the mail, further building credibility and helping increase the closing ratio.

Once a customer takes delivery, Liberty Buick stays in contact with them by thanking them for buying and asking for referrals and online reviews, which helps to build their reputation when consumers search for them online. Having a positive online reputation is critical. According to a Group M Study 2011, 76 percent of consumers use a combination of web search and socialmediaastheirfirststepbeforemaking a purchase and 70 percent of online consumers report that they consult reviews before purchasing according to Business Week 2011.

To measure the effectiveness of all their marketing strategies and

Success Story

Liberty Buick

SEE FULL STORY

Ä CONTINUED FROM THE COVER

ensure quality customer care, Liberty uses a call-monitoring system to track their advertising, employees, and how their customers are treated by listening to every call that comes into their dealership. They receive daily, weekly and monthly reports that enable them to see which ad campaigns generate the best response and pre-empt any potential customer concerns before they escalate – which improves their overall CSI and helps create lifelong satisfiedcustomers.

“The best customer you can findis one that you already have,” said Budd Blackburn, owner of Team

“This site is invaluable. It looks incredibly professional, it ties in with all our sales and service promotions.”

- AUTUMN HENDERSON

Success Story

Velocity Marketing, the company that Liberty Buick uses for their sales and service marketing. “Active customers are seven times more likely to purchase from a dealership when they have an ongoing relationship with them.”

“We were the only Buick dealer in Arizona to become Certified Elitein 2012 for our service and parts department. We have also been No. 1 in the state and No.1 in the Western Region for new Buick sales,” stated Henderson. “This marketing strategy has helped us do this, as well as maintain our spot within the top 3 in the nation for Buick sales.”

Success Story

Liberty Buick

IN A NUTSHELL New Sales Up 21%, Liberty Buick Increases Profitability with Integrated Marketing Strategy

Liberty Buick, No. 1 in Buick sales in Arizona and a member of Liberty Automotive Group, found a solution. Liberty put into play a cohesive targeted and digital marketing strategy across multiple mediums using one marketing partner to attract, sell, service and retain more customers for less cost than traditional mass marketing.

“Since starting this new marketing strategy we have steadily increased our service and sales numbers. Our new Buick sales increased 21percent and our pre-owned sales increased 18 percent from the same period last year, and service profits are up 12percent,” said Autumn Henderson, General Manager of Liberty Buick.

Liberty Buick began with a comprehensive five-year historicalanalysis of their sales and service transactions to determine customer trends. Those findings were thencompared to leading third-party and industry data to establish consumer patterns within the local market. The results enabled Liberty Buick to identify vehicle owners with the greatest probability of buying or servicing with their dealership, as well as identify same-brand owners who had never visited Liberty Buick, and off-brand owners with a historical pattern of crossing over to Buick.

With a more clearly defined market,Liberty executed a targeted and digital marketing strategy using variable direct email and mail campaigns that consistently speak to customers throughout the 60-month life cycle of their vehicle with custom messaging

that includes: a thank you and welcome message for recent purchasers, maintenance reminders for newer vehicles not yet in-equity but that may be due for recommended maintenance, and ongoing targeted email and mail sales communications to customers in an equity position. Using high-end creative campaigns, Liberty Buick promotes its best sales offers with custom service offers that reflectthe service status of the customer’s vehicle. For example, active service customers who routinely come in for service receive a $29.95 “The Works Oil Change” coupon, but customers who are categorized as lost, or who do not regularly service with Liberty Buick, receive the same offer but for $14.95 to encourage them to back.

Liberty also aggressively targets conquest service customers within their primary marketing area who own Buicks but did not buy from them. This is unique because most dealers use the manufacturer’s service marketing program which often limits a dealer to only communicate with customers that have purchased

• Definetheirideallocalmarketbyfindingtheperfectcustomersandprospects with the highest statistical probability of buying and/or servicing with their dealership now and in the future.

• Create dynamic, cohesive campaigns that consistently speak to their customers throughout the 60-month lifecycle of their vehicle.

• Consistently target in-market same-brand prospects, and consumers who drive off-brands with a historical trend of crossing over to the brands they sell.

• Driveconsumertraffictoacustomcampaignconversionsitethatpromotes

all their sales and service offers to help increase their internet sales and service leads.

• Build a positive online reputation by asking customers for referrals and online reviews via an online review platform.

• Monitor inbound calls so they know what ads are generating better response rates and pre-empt CSI issues before they escalate.

• Work with a marketing partner like www.TeamVelocityMarketing.com to implement an integrated targeted and digital marketing strategy across multiplemediumsthatpromotealltheirprofitcenters,new,used,finance,serviceandparts.

directly from their store, but also limits the dealer from contacting numerous conquest opportunities within their market. If a dealer only has 30 percent market share, they are essentially missing out on an additional 70 percent of the area’s service market. Liberty recognized the opportunity to broaden its service marketing program with conquest and has greatly expanded their reach of potential service customers.

Another key component of Liberty’s strategy is that every outbound targeted email and mail campaign directs customers to an online Campaign Conversion Site that not only displays the featured promotions of the email or mail campaign they have just received, but also shows them every sales and service offer that Liberty Buick is currently running. If a customer is not inthemarketforthespecificofferstheyjust received they can check Liberty Buick’s campaign conversion site, www.LibertyBuickOffers.com, for other available offers.

“This site is invaluable. It looks incredibly professional, it ties in with all our sales and service promotions,” said Henderson. “Plus it’s completely low maintenance for us because it’s updated every month by our marketing company.”

When customers visit the dealership they see POS merchandising throughout the store that validates the advertising message they recently saw online or received in the mail, further building credibility and helping increase the closing ratio.

Once a customer takes delivery, Liberty Buick stays in contact with them by thanking them for buying and asking for referrals and online reviews, which helps to build their reputation when consumers search for them online. Having a positive online reputation is critical. According to a Group M Study 2011, 76 percent of consumers use a combination of web search and socialmediaastheirfirststepbeforemaking a purchase and 70 percent of online consumers report that they consult reviews before purchasing according to Business Week 2011.

To measure the effectiveness of all their marketing strategies and

Success Story

Liberty Buick

SEE FULL STORY

Ä CONTINUED FROM THE COVER

ensure quality customer care, Liberty uses a call-monitoring system to track their advertising, employees, and how their customers are treated by listening to every call that comes into their dealership. They receive daily, weekly and monthly reports that enable them to see which ad campaigns generate the best response and pre-empt any potential customer concerns before they escalate – which improves their overall CSI and helps create lifelong satisfiedcustomers.

“The best customer you can findis one that you already have,” said Budd Blackburn, owner of Team

“This site is invaluable. It looks incredibly professional, it ties in with all our sales and service promotions.”

- AUTUMN HENDERSON

Success Story

Velocity Marketing, the company that Liberty Buick uses for their sales and service marketing. “Active customers are seven times more likely to purchase from a dealership when they have an ongoing relationship with them.”

“We were the only Buick dealer in Arizona to become Certified Elitein 2012 for our service and parts department. We have also been No. 1 in the state and No.1 in the Western Region for new Buick sales,” stated Henderson. “This marketing strategy has helped us do this, as well as maintain our spot within the top 3 in the nation for Buick sales.”

Success StorySuccess Story Success Story

Liberty Buick

New Sales Up 21%, Liberty Buick Increases Profitability with Integrated Marketing Strategy

The car business is an intensely competitive industry. Dealers search tirelessly for the most effective way to reach the perfect in-market customer with the right message, bring that customer into their showrooms and service bays, and keep that customer coming back again and again. To accomplish this, many advertisers are shifting away from traditional mass media platforms like TV, print and radio, due to high cost and low measurability. Savvy dealers want a better return on their marketing dollars and are trending toward more targeted and digital mediums that include targeted direct email and mail and the internet. Dealerships that do not recognize the value and advantage of targeted and digital marketing mediums continue to see diminishing returns with traditional mass marketing that continues to be costly and nearly impossible to measure.

The most successful dealers are using a combined strategy that includes targeted and digital mediums that are less expensive, more measurable and give a better return on investment than traditional mass marketing. A fundamental aspect to this approach is to integrate all targeted and digital advertising to maximize results. Often, this also presents a challenge as the average dealer works with multiple vendors to execute their overall marketing which results in different messages and designs that too often are not integrated with one another – causing confusion among customers, and even employees.

LEARN MORE ÆÅ READ FULL STORYÅ CONTINUED INSIDE

Liberty Buick

• Definetheirideallocalmarketbyfindingtheperfectcustomersandprospectswiththehigheststatistical probability of buying and/or servicing with their dealership now and in the future.

• Create dynamic, cohesive campaigns that consistently speak to their customers throughout the 60-month lifecycle of their vehicle.

• Consistently target in-market same-brand prospects, and consumers who drive off-brands with a historical trend of crossing over to the brands they sell.

• Driveconsumertraffictoacustomcampaignconversionsitethatpromotesalltheirsalesandservice

offers to help increase their internet sales and service leads.

• Build a positive online reputation by asking customers for referrals and online reviews via an online review platform.

• Monitor inbound calls so they know what ads are generating better response rates and pre-empt CSI issues before they escalate.

• Work with a marketing partner like www.TeamVelocityMarketing.com to implement an integrated targeted

anddigitalmarketingstrategyacrossmultiplemediumsthatpromotealltheirprofitcenters,new,used,finance,serviceandparts.

IN A NUTSHELL

New Sales Up 21%, Liberty Buick Increases Profitability with Integrated Marketing Strategy

“We were the only Buick dealer in Arizona to become Certified Elite in 2012 for our service and parts department. We have also been No. 1 in the state and No.1 in the Western Region for new Buick sales. This marketing strategy has helped us do this, as well as maintain our spot within the top 3 in the nation for Buick sales.”

AUTUMN HENDERSON,GENERAL MANAGERLIBERTY BUICK