Video Transcript

If you work in any type of B2B2C environment, or anything with a distributed partner or dealer network, especially ones that might have mixed lots, one of the things that you probably struggle with is how do we vary up the different offers that we can give to our end users to try to get them into our dealerships, and into a purchase motion? How do we get them moving through the funnel, so they can go from awareness to consideration and a purchase phase.

One of the things that we see a lot with dealer or distributed partner network models, is they use offers like rebates, or cash incentives, or some type of way that says, hey, download this certificate or bring this in and you can get something off when you purchase. Is this a type of good offer? Sure, you see it a lot in car manufacturing, you see it in big purchase ticket items. So the idea of getting a rebate or some type of cash incentive can be effective. The problem is, is that if you use it too much, it starts to become expected. And you need to have something else in your trick bag. so that’s not the only offer that you have.

When I think about what is most effective for OEMs in not only reaching their end user but also keeping their dealerships satisfied is something that drives users into a dealership, so a rebate might do that. But they have to use a purchase, they have to purchase something in order to get that rebate. What if you use some other type of offer.

For instance, if you had an e-commerce program, or even a gift card type of offer to say, if you go into the dealership, if you schedule an appointment today, we’ll give you a $50 gift card to our e-commerce store online or to a restaurant that’s nearby. And when you make a purchase, you can earn a $500 gift card or $1,000 gift card. You can see if you have like an e-commerce store, or some type of attached memorabilia, merchandise, things that go along with the experience of what it’s like to own a product that OEM manufactures and sells that works nicely.

Not only with the people that are fans that are aspiring purchasers, maybe they don’t make a purchase for five or 10 years. But that’s getting them on the hook and keeping them nurtured. Keeping those leads warm. And for the people that are likely to buy, “Hey, I just got my $50 certificate to buy my hat or my T-shirt, I can start to rep the merch.” Of course, that’s free marketing. So you can see how getting a little bit creative with these offers. Whether it’s an e-commerce store, it could be something as simple as a gift card to a local retailer.

But when you think about when you’re in B2B2C, you’ve got a consumer good that you’re selling. So we’re talking about boats, we’re talking about RVs, we’re talking about power sports — people that are fans of those brands love to rep the merch. So why aren’t we using that merch to make a difference for us not only to get the end user interested in what we’re selling, but to drive them into that dealership.

Here’s the thing that makes this really really effective track which dealerships are getting are giving out those gift cards, those e-commerce certificates, that is a way that you can quantifiably tie back your marketing efforts to a user that has put boots in the ground in that store, ready to buy.

So again, as you’re thinking about what are we going to do in 2024, for your offer strategy for a new product launch, for moving existing inventory, I would encourage you to start to think a little bit beyond the rebate offers and even cash incentives. While those work really, really well for car dealerships and things like that. I would encourage you to think about your brand in a more holistic way.

How can you not only build product behavior purchase behavior, but how are you building fans? How are you rewarding the people that are there and doing so in such a way that you can track those people going into an actual location so that you can prove back to your partner network that your work marketing materials are working?