Case Study: Using Promotional Products for Car Dealerships

Case Study: Using Promotional Products for Car Dealerships

Learn How Your Dealership Can Stand Out with Custom Products!

Public recognition and visibility are essential to every brand. In crowded industries, having a well-known logo can turn a local business into an established brand! Brand recognition is especially vital when it comes to auto dealerships. Auto manufacturers like Ford and Chevy have built-in brand recognition from decades of success, but building an established brand specifically for your dealership is crucial. When car shopping, 75% of car buyers intend to purchase from the first brand on their mind. When you consider most towns and cities have multiple dealerships for the same manufacturer, the imperative is clear: brand awareness is king in the auto industry!

There are many conventional methods for car dealerships to promote their brand. Click here to read our article about the top promotional strategies for dealerships! Advertising in mediums like television, newspapers, and radio are the most popular ways for auto dealers to attract new customers. Everyone's seen some version of the classic dealership ad– a salesperson telling the community to "come on down!" for unbeatable prices with a catchy slogan. Dealerships also use online advertising, like social media and Google advertisements, to get their brands noticed. However, many dealerships forget about one method for boosting brand awareness: promotional products!

Using Promotional Products for Car Dealerships

Promotional products make a fantastic addition to the marketing campaign of any business. While custom-branded merchandise isn't the first marketing method we think of, it can be one of the most effective forms of advertising! Promotional products are the favorite form of advertising among men and women of all ages, and they significantly boost the likelihood that consumers will do business with the advertiser (see the statistics at the bottom of the article for more info). 88% of consumers who received a promotional product in the past year can recall the advertiser's name. Furthermore, 85% of consumers say they have done business with a company as a result of receiving promotional products! When you consider the low cost of promotional products relative to other forms of advertising, it's a no-brainer.

At Logotech, we offer a massive catalog of products to get your brand noticed! We've curated a specific selection of products for car dealerships designed to get more customers on your lot. What's more, we have the results to show for it!

In this case study, we'll share the story of our relationship with one of our top dealership clients. For anonymity, we'll refer to them using an assumed name: Titan Motors. We've been working with Titan for nearly a decade, watching them grow from a fledgling dealership to a community staple. In that time, Titan used many of our custom dealership products to increase brand visibility and boost sales! We'll explore several orders they placed, reviewing the dealership's goals, the custom products we produced, and the results achieved. As you'll see, promotional products are versatile marketing tools with seemingly limitless applications! Join us as we travel through the story of our relationship with Titan Motors.

Making Contact and the First Purchase

We first made contact with Titan almost a decade ago! At the time, they were an emerging Ford dealership with a small staff and less than 100 cars on the lot. As a newer dealership, they needed ways to maximize their brand presence in the community. If there's one thing we know at Logotech, it's how to get brands noticed! Titan contacted us via phone and was put in touch with one of our expert account managers. They helped Titan find the perfect products and customization options for their dealership.

The Initial Products

At Logotech, we firmly believe there are a few branded products that every dealership should utilize. Titan was only looking for business cards initially, but after some deliberation, we decided on a package including license plate frames, keychains, business cards, bumper stickers, and reusable branded balloons. These products create an excellent starter package for any new dealership!

For starters, custom-branded license plate frames are a must-have for a dealership. For every car you sell, you should install the customer's plates with a branded frame. This easy practice gives your brand visibility all over the roads! Titan selected our chrome-faced license plate frames with sleek black lettering for their dealership.

Next on the docket were the custom keychains, another essential for automotive brands. Keychains can be given away for car purchases, new hires, service appointments, and other events. The dealership didn't want anything flashy, so we settled on rectangular keychains made from leather, expertly embossed with Titan's logo. From there, we designed custom business cards and bumper stickers and selected reusable balloons to denote sales!

Reception and Results for the First Products

Titan Motors is one of our most loyal clients, and the first purchase experience must've been a big reason why. The dealership received their order within two weeks and was thrilled with the quality of the products. When we checked back in a few months later, we were told the general manager was delighted with the visibility the license plate frames provided, and he believed they were the cause of a small boost in sales! We love hearing this from our clients. About six months after the initial order, Titan placed a reorder for more license plate frames, keychains, and business cards.

The Showroom Makeover

Fast-forward a couple of years, and we were talking again with the dealership about custom products. This time, they had decided the dealership's interior needed a makeover and wanted to maximize their name and logo throughout the showroom. With our massive variety of branded products, that was no problem!

Products for the Showroom

Titan wanted custom apparel, so we helped design hats, polo shirts, t-shirts, and hoodies for their staff. We also produced various office supplies– pens, calculators, mousepads, and post-it notes– with Titan's logo and phone number. Office supplies like pens are an incredibly effective marketing tool, as they are one of the most popular forms of promotional products.

Our team also had some product suggestions to spruce up Titan's showroom. We produced floor mats for their entryways, ensuring their logo is the first thing every customer sees in the showroom. Another great way we chose to amplify the brand was with branded water bottles! The car-buying process can be lengthy, and offering customers a bottle of water is a great way to set a friendly tone. With custom-branded water bottles, you add an air of sophistication to the dealership while boosting brand visibility.

Finally, we suggested another excellent idea for any dealership– branded flash drives for customer documents! With every car purchase, there is a ton of paperwork to be signed– the dealer bill of sale, the car purchase agreement, the odometer statement, and more. Eliminate the hassle by uploading the signed documents to a branded flash drive! Customers will be impressed with the high-tech solution and think highly of the dealership. For Titan, we went with an on-the-go USB drive, giving their customers the option to view documents using their phone or computer.

Reception and Results for the Showroom Products

Once again, the dealership was thrilled with the products they ordered! Our point of contact at the dealership let us know that the flash drives for customer documents were a major hit. Since this order, we've filled several reorders for their custom water bottles, flash drives, and office supplies.

Sponsoring an Event at the Dealership

An effective way for dealerships to spread their brand and attract potential customers is by sponsoring events! Sponsoring events like cookouts, car shows, or a free car wash gets people on the lot looking at your inventory and can boost your standing in the community. When we next heard from our friends at Titan Motors, that was the plan! They were sponsoring a BBQ-4-Charity event and needed branded products for the outdoors! Luckily, at Logotech, we carry everything you need when hosting an outdoor event: pop-up tents, table covers, chairs, advertising flags, banners, and more!

The Products for the Event

For their event, Titan wanted event tents, advertising flags, and table covers, all printed with custom designs. Their dedicated account manager was happy to help and took them through our wide range of options for event gear. They designed tents, flags, and table covers and added branded folding chairs to the order. We also suggested promotional BBQ sets for giveaways or raffle at the event, an idea they loved! All in all, we produced branded tents, flags, table covers, chairs, and BBQ sets for Titan's BBQ event.

Product Reception and Event Results

The feedback we got when we reached out after the event was stellar. The event was a major success for the dealership, and they were happy to have branded event materials they could reuse for future events. Also, the event led management to decide they wanted to improve the dealership's outdoor aesthetic. Yet again, Logotech was on the case!

Improving the Look of the Lot

One of the great things about the car dealership promotional products at Logotech is their versatility! We have hundreds of customizable products specifically designed for automotive brands. So, when Titan told us they needed to revamp the lot, we were chomping at the bit!

The dealership knew they wanted stand-in paper license plates for cars on the lot but wanted more products to deck out the lot fully. Our product specialists had several great recommendations! To create a complete branded experience in their cars, we suggested permanent outdoor balloons and teardrop banners for the lot. Titan was on board, and we got to work!

The Products for the Lot

We designed custom PolyCard license plates, permanent outdoor balloons, and teardrop banner flags, all printed with the dealership's custom designs! Custom products for the lot can serve multiple purposes. First, when customers see a decked-out lot, they think higher of the dealership. Furthermore, saturating the lot with your logo reinforces brand awareness and can catch the eye of passing drivers.

Reception and Result for the Lot Products

We made contact with Titan a few days after the order was fulfilled and found they were thoroughly satisfied yet again! They highlighted the seamless ordering process and friendly staff as their favorite things about working with Logotech and assured us we would remain their go-to for promotional product needs.

Boosting CSI with Promotional Products

The Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) is a metric used to measure customer satisfaction with a product or service based on customer surveys. It's used across many industries and is especially important for car dealerships! Auto manufacturers receive the survey scores of every dealership they supply, and bad scores can lead to less favorable treatment and lower inventory. Therefore, positive customer surveys are worth their weight in gold!

Promotional products are a great way to boost CSI. Many dealerships gift branded merchandise giveaways as a thank you for submitted surveys. This is an excellent incentive for customers who may be too busy or indifferent to submit a survey otherwise! When we spoke with Titan Motors most recently, they were looking for a wide range of products to boost their CSI, and some products for the service department.

Since we began working with Titan, they transformed from a small dealer with 100 cars on the lot to the number one dealership in their area, selling well over 100 cars each month. This transformation made bolstering their CSI and public image a top priority! With custom-branded products for CSI and the service department, we planned to do just that.

The Products for CSI

After a quality brainstorming session, they had a list of products for CSI purposes and the service department. We also helped them realize they could sell the CSI products from their parts department to generate extra revenue! The customized products for CSI were:

  • Umbrellas: Umbrellas are a classic promotional item for dealerships. The dealership selected a telescoping umbrella with a carrying case, and we printed their logo in full color on the outside of the umbrellas.

  • Emergency Car Tool Kits: Car tool kits come with tire pressure gauges, seat belt cutters/window breakers, jumper cables, and flashlights.

  • Travel Mugs: Travel mugs are another great choice for any dealership! Titan selected one of our double-walled vacuum-insulated tumblers, with their logo laser engraved on the front.

  • Trunk Organizers: Trunk organizers are a great way to help your clients keep their cars neat! Titan selected a foldable trunk organizer with handles, a popular choice.

  • Car Phone Chargers: Another staple promotional product, the dealership chose a car charger with dual USB slots, with their logo pad printed on the side.

  • Trade-in Bags: Trade-in bags are tote bags used to collect a customer's belongings from the vehicle they're trading in. Offering a branded tote bag to store these belongings is an excellent method for boosting customer satisfaction!

The products for the service department were:

  • Branded Air Fresheners: Leaving a branded air freshener in a customer's car after it's been serviced is a great way to boost your brand loyalty.

  • Seat and Steering Wheel Covers: These disposable covers are placed on the seats and steering wheels of cars in your service department. Then, when your mechanics are working on the car, the interior is protected!

  • Disposable Floor Mats: These paper floor mats are placed over the carpets of cars in your service department, keeping the carpets clean throughout service.

Reception and Results

The CSI and service department products were a big hit with the dealership! Our contact at Titan told us that since they introduced gifts for submitted surveys, they had seen a significant uptick in submissions. Plus, in the few weeks since the products were delivered, they had sold a few car tool kits from their parts department! They had put the service department products to use as well. It was great to achieve another success for our friends at Titan.

The Bottom Line

With that, the journey of the relationship between Logotech and Titan Motors comes to the present day. As you've seen, promotional products have massive versatility as marketing tools for car dealers. Whether you need to establish your presence in the community, host an outdoor event, improve your dealership's aesthetic, or boost your CSI scores, promotional products can give your business a lift toward those goals.

At Logotech, we offer the widest range of promotional products for car dealerships with the best prices! We have a dedicated team of promotional product experts, and we specialize in helping brands stand out. Create an account on our website today, and one of our account managers will contact you to start your order. Experience the power of automotive promotional products with Logotech!