Marketing Insights & Articles | Learning Center | Cox Automotive

Make Meaningful Connections & Sell an Experience 09/11/2019 Here we are in 2019, and it’s fair to assume that just about every dealership general manager or sales manager in America has heard about digital retailing. It’s also a reasonable assumption that some are all-in when it comes to adopting digital retailing, while others remain skeptical – and even more are unclear about the potential benefits to their business. The confusion is understandable. On its… Read Article

Digital Retailing Marketing Sales

So You Bought a Digital Retail Solution. Now What? 06/13/2019 You took the step and made the investment in digital retailing. Congratulations! Now comes the hard part: implementation. To do it right, it takes the right attitude, a strategic plan, and a relentless focus on the team. Below are some best practices that will help you get from implementation to results in less time – and with less heartache. Shift Your Perspective Leads: Digital retailing creates… Read Article

Digital Retailing Marketing Sales

2019 Car Buyer Journey Study 06/04/2019 CONSUMERS INCREASINGLY FEEL THAT OWNING A CAR IS TOO EXPENSIVE Nearly half of consumers feel like owning or leasing a vehicle is becoming too expensive (see Diagram A).1 The percentage of vehicles costing more than $50K has, in fact, grown from 6% in 2012 to 23% in 2018. This increase in new car prices, coupled with rising interest rates, has created a bigger gap between new… Read Article

Digital Retailing Research shopper insights Car Buyer Journey Sales Marketing

Easterns Automotive Group Embraces Transparency with Kelley Blue Book® Price Advisor for Greater Competitive Edge 12/04/2018 Joel Bassam, Marketing Director of Easterns Automotive Group, understands that pricing transparency is critical for today’s vehicle buyers — as well as dealerships. “Transparency is important to us as a company,” he says. “We don’t want to spring surprises on our customers. I want a customer to always feel confident in our price.” “I want them to be able to do a small amount of research… Read Article

Advertising Case Study Pricing Marketing

Working Deals in a Digital World 09/14/2018 Dealerships have arrived at a moment of unprecedented opportunity, where it’s now possible to drive increased efficiency, profitability — and even customer loyalty — at the same time. More and more, car shoppers are ready to start — and even make — deals online. Thanks to a convergence of high consumer expectations, rapidly evolving technologies and a greater understanding of online behaviors, the stage has been… Read Article

Digital Retailing Dealership Experience Customer Handling Marketing Sales

Data Reveals New Car Merchandising Best Practices 08/15/2018 Strong new car merchandising can differentiate your dealership from the competition and drive consumer preference for your inventory. In fact, data shows that shoppers are more likely to engage with well-merchandised vehicles.1 The good news? Autotrader’s search results are now not only based on shopper search criteria, previous shopping behavior, price and distance of vehicle to the shopper, but also on how well your inventory listings… Read Article

Research Advertising Merchandising infographic New Car Best Practices Marketing

2018 Vehicle Tech Features Study 08/10/2018 In-vehicle technology has significantly increased in importance to vehicle shoppers over the last four years. In fact, vehicle tech now ranks ahead of exterior styling when it comes to deciding which car to buy.1 The Vehicle Tech Features Study can help OEMs and dealers more effectively target in-market shoppers, close more sales and upsell tech features to new and existing customers. This study surveyed 2,554 geographically dispersed… Read Article

Research Vehicle Tech Marketing Sales

Take the guesswork out of your digital ad strategy and optimize your marketing spend 08/01/2018 The good old days were so much simpler. Car buyers would hit the weekend newspaper classified ads and head out to dealerships; advertising and marketing was a matter of updating the circular, publishing the ads, putting out new hangers and ordering door clings. Things are a little more complicated today. But it’s not a bad thing. Digital channels have empowered consumers during the car shopping process,… Read Article

Advertising Performance Metrics attribution Marketing

Four essential strategies for successful digital advertising 07/24/2018 WELCOME TO THE “DIGITAL FIRST” ERA Digital advertising has evolved from a component of dealership marketing to the cornerstone of effective strategy. Cox Automotive's 2018 Car Buyer Journey study shows that nearly all car shoppers turn to the internet to research and consider their next automotive purchase. The same study also reveals that at the start of their shopping journey, 2 out of 3 shoppers do… Read Article

Websites Advertising SEO & SEM Marketing

The Big Takeover: Coordinated Online Campaigns Maximize OEM Marketing 07/20/2018 This case study shows how two OEMs used digital advertising takeovers of third-party site homepages combined with well-timed multi-tier ads, editorial, social media content and retargeting to accelerate make/model awareness and engagement online. Learn which online marketing tactics were most effective at influencing shoppers at multiple touchpoints during the consumer car buyer journey, from research and shopping activities down to conversions at the dealer level. THE… Read Article

Advertising Case Study Marketing