Sometimes it can be hard to explain why your advertising’s just not going the way you thought it would.
Here’s a few variables that effect the feng shui:
- OEM (Brand) advertising can significantly fluctuate reporting figures – for instance: If an OEM launched a new car this time last year and invested £3m nationally – your YOY stats will be out and you’ll look like you’re behind.
- Average time to new car purchase from start point: 2.4 months. Not last week, or last month.
- 12 months of consistent, local advertising keeps you fresh in the minds of the locals and increases the likelihood of brand recall. Improving brand recall can take 12 months of corrective action (advertising).
- Government activity frustrates the UK car market – when the media talks Brexit, the buyers seem to take an exit. OEMs have the ability to boost a market with marketing, more than a local business can (deep pockets). They don’t like to do that when the pound is weak. They also don’t like to broadcast to you when they are cutting back – I mean, why would they? Party killers.
- Your pesky competitors are over-loaded with those rubbish cars they couldn’t sell, and they are having a jumble sale to get rid of them – your regular customers are glow worming their way to the fire and you’ll need to up the advertising to protect your share of voice.
- The seaside. Well, I mean, holidays. We all know the impact. Chin. Up.
It changes with the wind…
If you’re wondering why in the automotive industry, we sometimes go from record-like performance to pin dropping championships in the showroom – then you’re not alone.
Don’t give up hope. The good times will return!
Keep getting as much share of voice as you can through your advertising and make some good, common sense decisions – try listing the channels who’s performance you know the least about (because it’s 2019, and you don’t need to fly blind anymore).
Relegate one or two, exchanging the advertising budget into channels that perform statistically well.
You might also find this useful: How to diagnose a drop off in performance,
