So you’re in the automotive advertising industry and tasked with supporting local service and parts.
Using direct mail and email for parts and service promotions is a tried and true—but frankly, not a super exciting—tactic. Sure, you can check the box of getting your automotive advertising message to your customers, but we both know that mail and email run the risk of ending up in the trash.
Not to mention, customer journeys don’t start and end in the mailbox or inbox. Today’s auto marketers have more channels available to them—and more data to help them reach their customers and prospects—than ever before.
How about reaching your existing owners with personalized and localized parts and service offers based on model ownership and dealer service areas? You can target them on digital channels, including display, search, and social to increase awareness, and improve responses to your email campaigns as well.
So what’s the secret to digital targeted personalization that’s easy to do in direct mail and email campaigns?
The answer lies in people-based marketing and identity resolution. Use this technology to connect the data in your customer database with their online behaviors in a privacy-conscious manner, and deliver that data to the advertising platform of your choice. Then you’ll be able to reach individuals across your programmatic, search, and social platforms with relevant messages.
How does this work?
Step 1: Use your CRM to create segments of owners for promotion targets.
(Optional) Step 2: Segment your audience further. This can be anything from splitting between customers and prospects, targeting specific locations where dealerships are having promotions, or dividing up owners of different makes to deliver relevant messaging for their vehicle.
Step 3: Onboard your data via LiveRamp to your DMP, DSP, or other platforms such as Google AdWords and Facebook. Once your list is uploaded to LiveRamp’s platform, Connect, we’ll resolve the offline and online identities in a privacy conscious manner. Then, you’ll be able to deliver it to any of our platform partners easily and efficiently.
Step 4: Measure response via customer purchase data, comparing by channel exposure and frequency. This is called closed-loop measurement (you’re closing the loop between online exposure data and offline sales), but there are a number of other people-based measurement capabilities that you can utilize to optimize your campaigns.
Expected results
By firing on all cylinders to encourage targeted drivers to get their cars inspected, you can expect to engage more of your intended audience. Your display campaigns will keep you top of mind and make sure your customers retain your message.
Your people-based search campaigns will help you put the right automotive advertising message in front of relevant vehicle owners when they’re searching for related terms. Using your data on those search campaigns will target your audiences where they are likely to convert, and have the added benefit of driving follows and social engagement. This will save on wasted spend put towards ineligible prospects and improve the efficacy of those who do click. And you should witness a nice sales lift.