Intelligence Is A Potent Weapon

In this month’s Car Dealer magazine, G-Forces’ Tim Smith explains how an intelligent marketing strategy is key for the survival of any business in this tough climate…

Intelligence is defined as the ability to acquire knowledge, comprehend and apply in practice. In so doing, one can gain an advantage over competitors. Using this advantage in a changing environment will ensure survival in the wild, according to Darwin that is.

Making use of market intelligence gives an automotive dealer just such a functional advantage. Perfect for winning challenges - of which auto dealers currently face two.

The first, and most well documented, is the economy. It’s been stated many times how much of an advantage web marketing provides and this remains true in a recession.

The second challenge lies in the internet itself. The web is one of the fastest changing environment ever known. What works today has no guarantee of working tomorrow and, with mobile technology, even the way people access it is changing rapidly. So how does one gain a survival-ensuring advantage?

One of the recent buzz words in advertising is convergence. Convergence in technology terms refers a device serving multiple functions beyond its original use. Take the iPhone. It doesn’t seem that long ago that it was “soon to be released.” Now it has 20 million users worldwide and Apple’s App Store have sold over a billion downloads. This can’t be ignored, especially by businesses.

Mobile advertising, as part of a web marketing strategy, can give automotive dealers the advantage they need to flourish in line with this change in the marketing environment. It means dealers can reach their target market in new ways, regardless of how they’re accessing the internet.

As more people access the internet away from computers, mobile marketing has grown too. In the UK spend on mobile advertising grew by 31% year-on-year (source: IAB). Dealers can now reach out with advertising methods such as banners, skyscraper ads and rich media – including video.

For advertisers the advantages of the mobile world are simple. It gives greater audience engagement through video and rich media and delivers the message through ever-increasing channels. Internet advertising is no longer limited to the confines of computers.

Convergence in technology is one thing, in marketing terms convergence refers to a methodology which sees all online and offline strategies come together to enhance one another, with each element carrying its own individual advantages.

At G-Forces we embrace mobile advertising as part of our all-fronts web marketing attack to deliver an increased payload. Converging behavioral targeting with mobile advertising means an automotive dealer can target female drivers that own hybrid cars and engage that audience whether they’re at home, work or on the train using a mobile phone.

The greatest advantage is that with increased audience engagement and direct targeting, significant increases in leads and reductions in cost per lead can be achieved.

An intelligent marketing strategy is key for the survival of any business in this tough climate. Mobile advertising is only part of the constant evolution of the internet. A web marketing strategy that embraces convergence will give automotive dealers the advantage they need to see off competition in these trying times.