Auto dealers have a powerful source of untapped power at their disposal that can fire imaginations, excite desires and trigger emotional reactions.
Putting it simply, cars and trucks are cool. People are passionate about them, and many have a particular fondness for the nostalgia and style of older classic vehicles, restored vehicles and accessorized and modified vehicles.
Why not tap into that built in fascination with all things automotive and display some of the coolness of our industry and from your brand inside your dealerships? It sparks conversations, prompts your customers to reflect back on some of the most popular vehicles in your brand’s past, and gives them a reason to feel good about the history of your brand or a particular model.
Some dealerships are doing just that.
A dealership in Hamilton, Ont. went so far recently as to bury a vintage World War II Willys Jeep deep into their showroom floor and enclose it with glass so that customers can look down on it from above. Fully restored, this Jeep not only honours Jeep’s history, but also acts as a tribute to soldiers who served. Smart stuff.
Some dealers trick up or accessorize vehicles and have them on display for nothing more than the fun and “wow” factor. One VW dealership I was in last month had an appropriately-coloured orange Volkswagen Thing in the showroom adorned with all manner of Halloween decorations. Fun. Engaging. It captured my attention.
And that’s the point. With the pressures to create cookie-cutter dealerships that conform to strict brand standards, there’s a risk of making dealerships sterile, identical, and anything but fun. It’s a shame. The passion exists in your customers. It’s time to tap into it.
Nowhere was that passion for the auto industry more visible than at the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Canadian dealers had a chance to tour the world’s premier automotive specialty products trade show and conference as part of the agenda of the Western Canadian Dealer Summit. The SEMA Show draws more than 140,000 industry visitors to Vegas and people go completely nuts for cars, trucks and anything that can be chopped, modified, souped up, painted and accessorized.
It was interesting talking to dealers who had toured the event. One dealer says when he looked at the attendees, they didn’t just look happy being there, they were “overjoyed.” This dealer says he’s going to go even further now to create more imaginative displays in his dealership.
If you don’t think there’s a deep, untapped love of cars in your communities, you might just not be looking hard enough. Look at the car shows on television. Shows like Top Gear, Overhaulin’, Pimp My Ride, Monster Garage, Trick my Truck, American Hot Rod, Pinks, and Chasing Classic Cars — just to name a few — are ample proof that North Americans love their cars and trucks.
It’s time to embrace the cool and bring the magic into your dealerships.
