If your dealership is looking to draw in fresh prospect customers, you’ll want to have the most accurate customer information at-hand to keep your brand reputation strong and get the maximum ROI from every contact. To make smarter marketing decisions with prospective customer data, it also helps to have insights into what these buyers want in their next vehicle.

According to our recent National Consumer Survey, over half of consumers plan to remain loyal to their brand, saying they would purchase another vehicle from the same OEM of the one they currently drive. With the right conquest and marketing strategies, you can capture more of these already-interested prospective customers, turning brand-loyal owners into new sales opportunities for your store.

Why Prospect Customers Driving the Make(s) You Sell Are Quicker Wins

What Is Brand Loyalty?

Rather than being focused on price, brand loyalty is focused on perception. This includes intangible factors such as brand image, values, trust, and positive experiences. Customers often develop an emotional bond with the brand, going beyond simply the products or services.

Brand-loyal customers will often spend more with the brand they trust and identify with, even if competitors offer lower prices. While brand-loyal customers may make fewer purchases, the profit margins are often higher.

How Does Brand Loyalty Compare to Customer Loyalty?

Customer loyalty refers more to tangible, monetary benefits, such as competitive pricing, discounts, loyalty programs, and convenience. Because these customers are interested in transactional factors, they tend to be easily swayed by competitive offers, whereas brand-loyal customers are more likely to stay with your business long-term (provided the quality of your products and services remain high).

While both types of loyalty are valuable for businesses, brand loyalty often means more value for your dealership because it is less expensive to retain and leads to higher customer lifetime value.

Ways to Win Brand-Loyal Prospective Customers

1. Focus on Emotional Connections

Since over half of your prospect customers are loyal to their brand, you can further inspire and entice them by focusing on emotional connections.

Share stories that reinforce your brand’s values, heritage, and commitment to customer satisfaction in your prospect marketing materials. Engage with your community by partnering with local organizations or sponsored events that resonate with brand values and connect with customers on a personal level. Utilize social media to foster a community around your brand, encourage user-generated content, and highlight positive customer experiences, such as testimonials and reviews.

2. Offer Relevant Incentives and Information

Exclusivity is a great element to use in any marketing, especially when targeting in-market, brand-loyal prospective customers.

Using highly targeted omni-channel campaigns, offer special deals or financing options specifically tailored to the prospect customer’s existing ownership or potential upgrade needs. Allow brand-loyal customers early access to test-drives, pre-ordering, or exclusive information about new models. And establish a deeper connection—beyond the price—by providing informative direct mail content such as maintenance tips, safety features breakdowns, or comparisons between different models to increase knowledge and build trust.

3. Personalize the In-Dealership Experience

Your most brand-loyal prospect customers are looking to develop a lifelong relationship with a dealership, and you can make yours their top choice by providing an exceptional customer experience in-store.

When a prospective customer arrives, ensure their sales representatives are familiar with their purchase history and preferences. Identify their latest needs to help them find the new model or trim they prefer. And offer ways to easily explore their vehicle’s value or choose the lease or finance option that works best for them.

Leverage Proven Tactics to Engage Prospects

Some of your best prospect customers are the ones driving the make(s) you sell, and our advanced conquest solutions can help you target and win these customers. Instead of using risky third-party data, take advantage of our database of over 220 million opted-in prospect customers with Affinitiv Conquest. We can help extend your reach by tracking your prospective customers’ online activity to predict in-market buyers and sending them targeted, dynamic omni-channel communications.

Paired with Affinitiv Audience Activator, you can also capitalize on leads from national automotive sites by capturing visitor details (including searched VINs) and retargeted these shoppers with Facebook and Instagram ads that feature models from your inventory and link prospective customers to your website.

Ready to get started? Contact us today to find out more.

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