Can Plaid Become the New Chic

Auto dealers sure hope so, as they battle our negative perception of car salespersons and the industry and attempt to cope with energy challenges and changing consumer attitudes coming faster than they can hope to understand or deal with given their current state of salesmanship and marketing. Auto dealers remain stuck in the past, while consumers race through the 21st Century.

According to Iconoculture, Inc., which is a leader in consumer culture research, "More than 80% of  consumers surveyed this year by consulting firm Capgemini said they used the Web during the buying process, twice as many as in 2004 and more than four times as many as in 2002." With that information in hand, Iconoculture believes that automakers (and in turn auto dealers) must connect with "consumers’ desire for flexibility, relevance and access."

That means trade in the plaid jackets and fast talk for interactive web sites and blogs. And do it before launching online efforts. First and foremost, auto dealers need to work on their brand image. Car dealers screaming at me through my TV or their kids making embarrassing efforts at humor don't work. I buy the salesperson, not the car on the lot, which I can purchase at hundreds of locations.

"Show me that you understand me, and I might buy my next car from you. Don't pander and don't talk down to us customers."

Here's a few of my recommendations:

• Narrowly define your best customers and direct your marketing efforts toward them.
• Build a word-of-mouth marketing campaign that works.
• Cut back on TV advertising, and become more attuned to what consumers want from advertising.
• Increase online advertising by targeting your local audience (assuming you know who that audience is and where they get their advertising).
• Stop screaming at us and start showing us why we should buy from you. That means building trust and credibility. I recommend enlisting loyal customers to participate in all of your marketing efforts.
• Build an interactive online presence, especially a blog where customers can tell you what they are thinking and can share their wants, needs and desires with you.

Here is one more recommendation (specifically for auto dealers, not manufacturers): Stop hiring advertising and marketing firms that recommend noise, family participation that is silly and any other scripts that make you look foolish. I have yet to see an advertising campaign or a direct mail effort that separates you from the noise and makes you look like someone I want to do business with. In fact, I recommend that you look for firms with little or no experience in the car industry. Today's advertising and marketing seem stuck doing the same things over and over again. How's that working for you?

P.S. General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler all reported sharp drops in U.S. July sales on weak demand, putting import brands on the verge of overtaking their domestic rivals for the first time, even with an unexpectedly large sales dip at Toyota. With that kind of news, don't you think it's time to try a different approach to marketing?

This is the third edition of BrandingWire. Get more high-voltage ideas at BrandingWire.com.

P.S. Check out Matt's recent experience at The Digital Perm.