“Connected the Dots, But Failed to See the Big Picture.”
Dennis Johnson, our creative wizard, said the above quote to me once. I have known Dennis now for 31 years (pretty much my entire life). His ability to look at different dealerships and come up with creative twists and angles still amazes me every day.
While looking at a new client’s previous plan and direction Dennis said, “They were able to connect the dots, but failed to see the big picture.” I think it is a very valid statement that many dealerships face with their marketing.
All people are creatures of habit and look to their peers for guidance and suggestions. But when it comes to the tools that need to be used most effectively to market a dealership to the public every store is different. No two are alike and cannot be treated that way.
The most evident revelation about the dealership was the lack of attention the previous marketing company had paid to their owner body. The store had thousands of loyal owners and repeat buyers, yet none of their marketing efforts had been aimed at this group.
When dealers or marketers struggle to generate traffic and gain share, there’s a reason. If you take a step back and look at the big picture, you’ll probably figure out where the problem is.
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John Paul Strong
John Paul Strong combines his two decades of automotive marketing experience with a team of more than 150 professionals as owner and CEO of Strong Automotive.
