Dealerships Continue to Increase Leads and Sales Using Toll-free Custom 800 Number in TV Ads
August 17, 2009
Background: A dealer
group provides high-risk credit to consumers looking for auto loans.
Now that the need for auto financing is rising, this group of
dealerships is benefiting from a strong advertising campaign featuring
a toll-free vanity 800 number as the response tool.
Client: Marketing & Sales Manager for five locations.
Challenge: Sustain a successful lead generation program during the 2009 reduced-credit environment.
Strategy: Persevere with a television advertising campaign that features 1-800-NEXT-CAR
as the response tool. Continue to build on the dealerships’ five-year
history using the toll-free vanity number to improve brand recognition
in each of their markets.
Results: The
Marketing & Sales Manager for five dealer locations has been using
the vanity 800 number in advertising campaigns for five years. “1-800-NEXT-CAR is synonymous with our locations. The vanity number is
a main contributing factor to the strength of our name recognition in
our markets.”
Calls
coming in to the dealerships are increasing now that there are more
people seeking credit. “By sustaining a steady ad campaign over the
years with our vanity 800 number, people are remembering the phone
number and contacting us to complete credit applications,” says the
Marketing & Sales Manager.
He explains that even
though the auto market is down right now, the need for credit is rising
among all demographics, “Our dealerships and financing departments are
doing well. We are 6% up over 2008, and our business is up 12% in the
first two months of the year over January and February of 2008.”
Although a portion of that success is due to the need for credit, the Marketing & Sales Manager also believes it is because he is committed to
running an advertising campaign with 1-800-NEXT-CAR as the branding and
response tool, maintaining consistent exposure in their markets. He
says, “The vanity 800 number and our advertising campaigns are part and
parcel to our success.”
The
Marketing & Sales Manager shares his theory on advertising during
an economic slow-down, “I really believe that advertising in this
down-market is a core factor in our current success. I wonder where we
would be if we had cut our advertising initiatives, and if we didn’t
have the vanity 800 number.”
